My story

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As a journalist, a person’s story was always fascinating to me. I enjoyed asking questions, learning more. As a weekly columnist I sought to think about daily life from a different perspective, hoping others felt seen in my words or, maybe, saw them or their lives differently in those words.

As a mom suddenly thrown into grief when my oldest daughter, Jocelyn, died by suicide at 17 years old, my words, my questions, my perspective and my life was completely upended. Still, I instinctively knew to approach grief intentionally, to give it the attention and respect it deserved. As a family we went through incredibly difficult days living with our excruciating pain, recognizing that no one grieves the same way at the same time on the same schedule. 

Eventually, I attended American Foundation for Suicide Prevention training to become a peer support group facilitator, became a suicide prevention trainer, and took various classes to better understand mental and behavioral health, suicidal thought, and supporting others in pain.

Still, what filled my greatest desire—which was giving purpose to my pain—was better understanding grief, loss, and integrating loss with a full life...and helping others find a way to do that in their lives. I studied with author and grief expert David Kessler to become a certified Grief Educator and serve as one of his volunteer moderators with his online support community, Tender Hearts. I completed certification with University of Wisconsin-Madison as a Grief Support Specialist. Both of these programs brought me to a better understanding of all grief, whatever the loss, type of death, and relationship lost to death.

Grief is my companion. I live with it, am unafraid of it, and respect it. Grief is love so I hold space for it in my life and will help you hold space for it in yours. We can learn to integrate loss with life rather than allow death to rob us of our own life.

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Be sure to check out the Resources page under the More Tab and, if you've lost a loved one to suicide, look in the same place for Group Support to join our suicide loss support group, Hope After Suicide Loss.