Author Archives: annwae

Happy 32nd birthday

Posted on December 22, 2019

Dear Toby, What do I say to you now on the day that would have been your 32nd birthday, the ninth one where I can’t send you a card or a Facebook message. You wouldn’t be on Facebook anyway if … Continue reading →

Posted in bereavement, Christmas, gratitude, Grief, Healing, Loss, suicide | 3 Comments

Was I a complete failure as a parent?

Posted on January 22, 2019

One of the traumas parents often face in the complex and tragic aftermath of losing a child to suicide, is the feeling of being a complete failure as a parent. We are supposed to protect them. From the time they … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Letting go…..

Posted on January 21, 2019

Today, 7 years and 6 months later, I’ve finally decided to throw out the shirt Toby was wearing when he died. It is so hard to let go of anything that reminds me of Toby, but the other day I … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Will it get better?

Posted on January 17, 2019

I often get emails from desperate parents who have lost their child to suicide recently, and the first thing they ask is ‘Will it get better?’ In the early weeks and months this is all you really want to hear. … Continue reading →

Posted in bereavement, Grief, Healing, Loss, parents, suicide | 4 Comments

It will get better……

Posted on January 14, 2019

I saw this today posted from The Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide in America. Having just heard from someone with a recent loss, I think this mostly describes how I feel. Time does not heal, the sadness never ends, you … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Happy Birthday

Posted on December 22, 2018

Dear Toby, This year you would be 31 in earth years, born 22nd December 1987 in the early hours of the morning in Good Samaritan hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. You were due on the 29th but came a week early … Continue reading →

Posted in bereavement, Christmas, guilt, Loss, parents, suicide | 10 Comments

Why are we so uncomfortable talking about death?

Posted on November 23, 2018

Living alone and being single, I often find myself in situations where I am meeting people for the first time. I belong to walking groups, a writing group, a women’s business group and a dining club, so it is common … Continue reading →

Posted in bereavement, Grief, Loss, suicide | 5 Comments