Offering hope, comfort and support for survivors of suicide loss.
There are many things I remember about the day my son, Tom, died.
I remember the last thing I said to him and his reply. I have the last text he sent me about the books he ordered for his next quarter at college and the last text I sent to him when he was not home when expected.
I remember calling his dad and asking if he knew where Tom was because he wasn’t home yet. I remember his return call telling me Tom was dead and me arguing with ...
We have many pictures of Tom from his younger days. He often wore a huge smile complete with a gap between his two front teeth. You could see his love of life on his face. I look at those pictures now and long to hold that carefree child again.
As Tom matured, he did not like having his picture taken. He would sit for his annual school picture because the district required it for its records, and because I asked him to so I would have pictures ...
I drove to the cemetery after work yesterday. As I pulled into the road nearest Tom’s spot, I saw a gigantic bouquet of birthday balloons on one of his neighboring graves. I have never seen so many balloons at a cemetery before. As I walked past it, I felt that combination of joy and sadness you feel when someone has been so lovingly remembered in their absence. I walked to Tom’s grave and sat in front of the headstone like I always do. As I sat ...
I came across a wonderful article that I wanted to share with our readers. It perfectly aligns with my belief that we don't ever "get over" our grief. It becomes a part of our story. It is a scar that reminds us of a life lived, and a life lost. It reminds us of the love we had and will continue to have for the remainder of our life.
"It’s hard to imagine grief as a welcome companion, but if you take the long view, it makes a lot of sense. I ...
This week we welcome guest blogger, Erika Barber, who talks about settling into uncertainty after being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is amazing how a diagnosis can bring us back to our grief. Erika lost her sister to suicide when she was a teen, and her father a couple short years ago. Erika is a board member for the Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the author of Letters from a ...
