Talking to Children About Death: Healing and Conversation June 23, 2014 • 2 Comments Last week I had the opportunity to share my story with a wonderful group of people who graciously allowed me to unfurl before them. I really enjoy this kind of interaction with small groups. Answering questions forces me to dig deeper into what I have learned and how it might apply to the others dealing with loss. It is very…
Conversation: A Sacred Vessel of Healing Exploration May 26, 2014 • 0 Comments I continue to cross paths with people who have been touched by suicide and the common denominator in all these encounters seems to be the unfortunate feeling of isolation, because no one in the family talks about it. The event is relegated to the “unmentionable topics” closet that all families, and cultures, seem to have, and left to fester in…
Reinventing Your Life After Loss: The Heartbeat of Devotion May 21, 2014 • 2 Comments One of the remarkable things I remember the most about those first few moments and days was my heart, as though it was pounding its way out of my chest. No amount of Xanax could slow it down. As revelations came to light about my life and shards of the facade fell away, it was my heartbeat that I could…
Suicide Chat: Making the Topic of Suicide Less Taboo May 2, 2014 • 0 Comments “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because…
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…
Suicide Resources: Section 504 Support for Children April 8, 2014 • 0 Comments If you are navigating the aftermath of a parent suicide and have school age children, I strongly recommend pursuing Section 504 accommodations as a safety net for them. Simply put, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act guarantees certain rights to people with disabilities and applies to any agency receiving federal funds, such as a school. A child dealing with the…
On Courage, Casseroles and Expressing Sympathy After a Suicide March 26, 2014 • 0 Comments I felt very loved during the first few weeks after the suicide. Friends and family flew in from near and far; even the best man from my wedding, who lives in Belgium, came to visit. People brought an overwhelming bounty of food and flowers and wine. I would arrive home and find breathtaking floral arrangements and casseroles on the outside…
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…
Parent Suicide Resources: When Children Grieve February 12, 2014 • 5 Comments In the aftermath of my husband’s death, I pursued every resource I could find to aid in my children’s recovery. They were not particularly fond of their brief foray into therapy because they found talking to a stranger about such an intimate experience “weird.” One of them attended a Survivors of Suicide support group but had a hard time finding…
Coping with Suicide: A Poem About Loss September 6, 2013 • 0 Comments This poem was sent to me by a woman I know whose son recently took his own life. She received it from a friend and found great solace in the words. I can understand why and wanted to share it with you. There is a brokenness out of which comes the unbroken, a shatteredness out of which blooms the unshatterable.…