"It's not the successes in our lives that make us strong but the things that take us to our knees, that we come back from, that make us wise." -Cesar Millan
My mother sent me this quote and I had to share. I truly believe that the strength of a person is not measured by their successes. Instead, it is measured by our ability to come back from the most difficult situations. Coping with the loss of my father was one of the most challenging ...
Archives for July 2013
Words To Relate To
“It sucks that we miss people like that. You think you've accepted that someone is out of your life, that you've grieved and it's over, and then bam. One little thing, and you feel like you've lost that person all over again.”
― Rachel Hawkins, Demonglass
Sometimes, something as simple as a picture or quote can sum up feelings inside. I came upon Rachel's words and knew immediately what she was referring to. In the immediate days, weeks ...
Your Legacy is in Your Life, Not Your Death
This week, we welcome another guest post from our friend and fellow survivor, Natalie K., sharing thoughts about the loss of her parents and the legacy they established while they were still living.
"I can recall someone looking confused as I told them I was attending a survivors of suicide support group. They thought that the words “survivor” and “suicide” didn’t logically belong in the same sentence. But they do, as so many of us ...
The Stages of Grief
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance make up the five stages of grief. As a counselor, I am more than familiar with these stages, as I have discussed them with individuals who have lost a loved one. As I read through each stage today, I can't help but ask myself whether these stages apply to an individual who has lost a loved one to suicide. I am not arguing that as survivors we do not grieve like others. What I have began to ...
Forward: Learning to Walk with a Limp After a Loss to Suicide
Perspective on Loss from fellow survivor, Tregg Duerson
This past April, we had the pleasure of meeting fellow survivor, Tregg Duerson, son of former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson, as he was being honored by the LOSS program for his advocacy around concussion safety and suicide prevention. We were so moved by his speech, “Forward,” that we wanted to share an excerpt with our readers. We are so appreciative that Tregg was willing to share his ...