The Importance of Wayfinding After Losing a Loved One October 17, 2014 • 0 Comments I have mentioned I am working on a book and as I get deeper into the process of editing and writing, and more writing then editing, I continue to be intrigued by how much one can learn about themselves when putting pen to paper. I still have many pages to journey through before arriving at the threshold of a published book,…
Talking About Suicide for Healing September 1, 2014 • 0 Comments As a result of Robin Williams’ suicide, I have had quite a few requests for radio interviews. I really enjoy them because it is interesting to hear what people are curious about in regards to this subject. Common themes have emerged and there have been a few probing questions that have really made me stop in my tracks. Suicide is…
A Forensic Exploration Into Understanding Suicide August 22, 2014 • 2 Comments I have been pondering suicide from a more forensic point of view, trying to understand what it is that makes the subject so very difficult for us to explore and discuss in a way that will ultimately be healing and expansive on both the collective, and individual, levels. This exploration has grown out of the soil of my own discomfort…
On Robin Williams’ Death and the Suicide Epidemic August 18, 2014 • 7 Comments Robin Williams’ death, and the subsequent media storm, rendered me wordless last week. I tried to write, but couldn’t find words to express the sadness I felt. From the moment I heard about his suicide, I was lulled into a kind of trance, watching the media swirl around, offering up vacuous commentary and opinions. Why did a news feed need…
On Blaming Others: The Insidious Nature of Blame July 25, 2014 • 5 Comments There are a lot of pieces to my story that I have not shared yet. Some things are in the book, others I am still working through and processing. It continues to amaze me how long it takes to make sense of the emotions and pain that go along with suicide. One aspect I have not spoken much about here…
My Story, Your Story: On Coping with Loss and Beginning Again July 18, 2014 • 17 Comments I have been revisiting some of my blog posts this summer and when I came across this one I knew I had to re-post it. I wrote it at the beginning of this blogging journey. It clearly details my “why” and comes straight from my broken heart and wounded soul. I needed to be reminded of these precious things and…
Healing Trauma and Restoring Balance After Chaos May 28, 2014 • 4 Comments There are days when I don’t want to get out of bed. The residue of the long, restless night seeps into the day and fills my cells with a resistance to facing what is before me. I long to feel normal again — although I’m not sure if there is such a thing anymore — and to know that my…
Suicide Awareness: Thinking and Speaking of Suicide April 14, 2014 • 2 Comments As suicide rates continue to climb, I have to think that perhaps the way we think and talk (or not talk) about it are not working. Having spent the last four years acclimating to being a part of this culture, I have fully experienced its taboo nature and the way people emotionally retreat in its presence. It is, without a…
Life After Suicide: Reflections on Healing & the Suicide Epidemic March 21, 2014 • 2 Comments The news has been full of rather grim stories lately. Although I’m not one to watch much television, I got hooked a couple weeks ago trying to learn a bit more about Oscar Pistorius. After a week of obsessing over the mysterious disappearance of the Malaysian jet, my thoughts have turned to the family of L’Wren Scott. I have to…
Dealing with Grief and Gracefully Disengaging from Blame January 20, 2014 • 7 Comments I originally posted this a year ago but I recently read an article on the Huffington Post discussing the issue of blame and thought I would repost since it seems to be an ongoing problem. I have had some interesting and difficult conversations over the last two years. I thought I would share this one in particular, in case you…