Offering hope, comfort and support for survivors of suicide loss.
I follow The Alliance of Hope for Suicide Survivors on Facebook, and read a post last month entitled A Moment in Time: Eulogy for Kathy, my Sweet Sister. The Author, MaryCatherine, asks you to pause and "not to reduce her entire life to that one moment that she made the transition from being alive in this world." This quote resinated with me, as I struggle to ensure that my father is remembered for the man he was, and not the moment that ended ...
Lately, I’ve been wondering if there’s a difference between depression and “a slump.” After losing someone to suicide, I think it’s natural to become hyper-vigilant to ensure we don’t miss any warning signs from others. I am finding it hard to strike a balance between being mindful and being overly concerned about someone’s behavior. I mean, how can you really know? I also don’t want to become super-annoying to people if I repeatedly check in ...
I recently moved and have spent the past couple days with my head buried in boxes. I took a few minutes this evening to see what was going on outside the confines of my home. It saddened me to see that, Brittany Maynard has ended her life. As I read through the People article, "Terminally Ill Woman Brittany Maynard Has Ended Her Own Life," I couldn't help but think about my dad and his choice to end his own life. I took some time to read ...
As human beings, we make assumptions on a regular basis. When we walk outside and see dark clouds, we assume it is going to rain. So, we grab an umbrella to protect us from getting wet. Our assumptions are based on our own beliefs. They are shaped by our past experiences. They help us make sense out of this world. While one might assume that assumptions can often make grief after suicide even more complicated as we survivors search for the ...
We're days out from one of the darker holidays of the year, when visual and audible reminders of death are prevalent throughout our communities. Coping with Halloween as a survivor of suicide can be difficult. Non-survivors have no idea how their graveyard displays or costumes impact us. One of our more popular posts from the past year was one I shared last October on this topic (click here to read it). I thought it might be helpful to revisit ...
