Thanksgiving…even though I am incredibly grateful for so much, this year the holidays are tainted with grief. I’m thankful for all the years I spent with my grandmother. She made an indelible impression on my life. I’m grateful for our Sunday phone calls, the daily prayers, and the times we spent together. There is a void in our family that is irreplaceable. The last couple…
Maybe you’ve been there. No matter how hard you try, all you want to do is pull the covers over your head and stay in bed hoping to escape the pain. You don’t want to go anywhere. You don’t want to see anyone. You just want to be left alone.
In my first book, Tears to Joy, I shared parts of my story with readers but held back at times for fear of what others might think. In my newest book, Seeking Answers, Finding Peace: Loving and Losing Someone with Mental Illness, I bear my heart and soul. I ask you to extend grace as you read. This is my story; a true story of…
1. Did you see it coming? This question is irrelevant. There are times when a person takes their life and everyone is shocked; there are other instances where loved ones knew and were doing everything they knew to do in order to prevent it but the person still suicided. Asking this question only adds to the guilt survivors already feel. It is not helpful in…
In light of the recent tragedies in my hometown, I wrote this article for the local newspaper. I am not sure if it was ever published, so I thought I’d share it on my website. Individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide are at an increased risk of suicide themselves. One study reports that people bereaved by suicide (Survivors of Suicide, aka SOS) within…
Why? This is the million dollar question. If I could answer this questions, I would be a very rich woman because it is the question we all ask…and rarely get answers. The past two years walking alongside my stepdad, Hershell, as he waited for a liver transplant has led to this question multiple times. Why? Why won’t the doctors give him a transplant? What do…