Losing a loved one to suicide shapes your life forever. Even knowing someone who’s lost someone to suicide can change your life. Suicide loss presents a unique kind of grief, complicated by unanswered questions, stigma from those who don’t understand, and sometimes immense guilt. It’s uncomfortable to talk about, which is why we should. Today, for me, talking about suicide loss means writing a prayer for those who have survived it.

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Coping with trauma, what happened in you in response to what happened to you, is a tall order. Especially when you’re coping by trying different ways to heal it rather than hide it. If you’re one of those trying, I bow to you, and I share these quotes about healing from trauma with you, because of who you've become.

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It’s worth 15 minutes of your time to consider someone else’s take on the hardest things they’ve been through. Things like suicide loss or a fatal diagnosis. Your attention, shone on matters many people avoid because they’re uncomfortable, is a gift. These TED Talks on grief and living again are worth a listen. Continue reading

You’re not supposed to be able to control how other people live their lives — that’s their thing, not yours. I wrote these affirmations to help us both keep our focus on what matters most in difficult situations and conversations: what we CAN control. And what we can control is enough.

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I think it’s important to fall in love with the world as it is before you set out to make a difference in it. One of the best ways to do that is through the language you use every day. These mantras can be part of your meditations, but more powerful than that — they can be part of your everyday life. They can help you think in new ways, can bring you back to your own heartbeat on a stressful day. It's a practice of honoring the world around you and within.

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There’s a reason, a time and place for everything we feel. We hurt because it mattered. We grieve because we’ve loved. Being human means being awake to every season and storm we walk through, and finding what helps us get through “the worst” without giving up or turning to stone. See if these grief affirmations help you do that.

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The extent of our grief is a measure of our love, and its presence in our lives isn’t something to be shunned or swept under the rug. This is the idea that grief is not bad nor is it necessarily negative. In truth, it's a witness to love. Seen in a certain light, even grief has its gifts and its beauty. Continue reading

If celebrating the holidays after loss is something you either struggle with or look forward to, here are a few ideas on how you can turn this into a season of moments dedicated to the beauty you’ve found because of the people you so miss. This season especially can be a devotion to the lives who’ve gone before your own. It can be a window into the love and bond you still share. A time to celebrate being alive is also a time to celebrate their lifetime.

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You’ve loved, and you’ve lost. You have carried what couldn’t be fixed. You’re still learning the meaning of forgiveness. You're in good company here. Which leads me to share this poem with you, called "The Unbroken." That's how I like to think of you and I.

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Life after the most difficult things isn't easy, but I’d rather live one lifetime like that — heartbreak, love, heartbreak, love — than a thousand lifetimes with my heart closed, feeling nothing at all. Read this letter if you need inspiration for how you live your "life after."

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