"Survivor Showcase" is an occasional feature on the Grief after Suicide blog, highlighting the personal stories of survivors of suicide loss (and other bereaved people) whose experiences with grief and recovery have been reported in the news.
Marie Osmond, whose son Michael died by suicide three years ago, spoke with reporter Michael Yo about her loss in a recent interview on omg! Insider:
"I know I'll see my son again, and it's that kind of faith that gets you through the difficult dark moments," Osmond said ... "Have I been through dark moments? Absolutely. Is it difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel? Sometimes it's very challenging, but I have great hope. If I were to say one thing that I would want to spread through this show and the things that I do is to give people hope."
Marie also talked about her son's death in this 2010 Oprah.com story.
In a guest column in the Orange County Register by Christine Lister, "Helping Others Cope with Sudden Loss," the marriage and family therapist reflects on the suicide of her husband's best friend and shares "ways to offer tangible and emotional support to those who [have] lost a loved one to suicide," including this suggestion:
Listen. Listen. Listen. Allowing the person to spill their emotions and verbally process without interrupting lets them know you are a safe haven for the internal chaos they are experiencing. Your presence alone is stabilizing.
He had to identify the body, and afterwards vowed to do everything he could to prevent another death by suicide ... He organized the HOPE Task Force for Suicide Prevention, which brings together community leaders, mental health experts and also included a comprehensive peer-mentoring program. The impact has been remarkable.In Quebec's Métropolitain newspaper, Kristy-Lyn Kemp, whose father died of brain cancer, records a personal reflection in "On Grief," including this apt comparison:
It has been my experience that grief is like the tides. It comes and goes in waves, washing over you at the most unexpected of times ... These unexpected waves of grief can sometimes be too much, as though they were sucker punching you in the stomach, leaving you heaved over and gasping for breath. Inversely, these waves can be of a far sweeter nature: gentle, lapping at your feet and caught in a slight breeze, the salt water kissing your skin.In "N.J. Renegades Raise Awareness for Suicide," Juniorhockey.com reports on a youth team with a player, Chris Rossi, and assistant coach, Pete Rossi, who lost their brother to suicide. The Rossi brothers and their parents are working in partnership with the Renegades to raise awareness and funding for suicide prevention:
"It was such a nice event that was put on and just a small way we could help the Rossi family. We always said here at he Renegades that we are family first, and when we heard about the Rossi situation, we felt it was only right that our Renegades family could help theirs," said Head Coach Chris Ceransky.Finally, in the Alliance of Hope blog's "From Our Forum" feature, RedRubySlippers writes in "My Journey of Loss" about two recent suicides of people she knows, which have "brought up a flurry of untouched emotions and grief that I buried" after her daughter's father's suicide eight years ago:
Never a day goes by when you don't think about your beloved and pray they would come to you in a dream and explain why they decided to end their life. You look for signs of your loved one everywhere you go -- a butterfly landing on your shoulder, a song on the radio, a star shining brightly in the midnight sky -- anything to give you just a glimpse of their beautiful soul.