Family weddings are wonderful. But all life events for those of us who’ve lost a child are bittersweet. It was so good to see all my family and had a great weekend in Charleston, SC with my mom, my first cousins with whom I grew up in Fayetteville, NC.
Grief and Life Events
Published by
Anne Moss Rogers
I am an emotionally naked mental health speaker, and author of the Book, Diary of a Broken Mind and co-author with Kim O'Brien PhD, LICSW of Emotionally Naked: A Teacher's Guide to Preventing Suicide and Recognizing Students at Risk. I raised two boys, Richard and Charles, and lost my younger son, Charles to addiction and suicide on June 5, 2015. I help people foster a culture of connection to prevent suicide, reduce substance misuse and find life after loss. My motivational mental health keynotes, training and workshop topics include suicide prevention, addiction, mental illness, anxiety, coping strategies/resilience, and grief. As talented and funny as Charles was, letting other people know they matter was his greatest gift. And now the legacy I try and carry forward in my son's memory. Mental Health Speakers Website. Trained in ASIST and trainer for the evidence-based 4-hour training for everyone called safeTALK. View all posts by Anne Moss Rogers
This message is needed everywhere.
Too many just forget and walk away !
I have my children read your posts. I tell my friends to talk out loud to the loss loved ones. Keep their memory alive in their lives.
I do so much love your messages Anne Moss .
By the way!!!
I love how your blog /email request pops up each time I read a post,
I look at your Charles and smile and say hello Charles 💛❤️💚💙💜..
Got our shirts! Coming soon to a post for Charles and you and your family and the rest of the world!!!
With so much LOVE
Overjoyed to have you as part of the village.
Inspiring. I never met Charles. For that I am sorry. I feel I know him … however … and think of him often when my teenage son and his friends are hanging out … and especially when they are in my car and singing rap songs. Charles is on my mind a lot … and I have talked to my son Brian about Charles. They would have enjoyed meeting. I am aure of that. So Anne … if you are wondering how you are doing with keeping the memory of Charles alive … I would have to say you are doing well. You and Charles have changed my life. I am a champion for your cause. And you are my hero.
Oh Barbara. Tears as I write this. Thank you. Some days I think, “People must be so freaking tired of me beating this same drum.” But I don’t want others to realize they missed signs. I am tired of all the silence and shame regarding what is a disease. I don’t want others to feel they are alone. And quite frankly, I don’t want to feel alone in this either. For so many years, it was so isolating and I thought I would implode. Your support really means a lot.
It’s so hard, right? My sweetest niece got married 6 months after Whitten died. I had been looking forward to it for months before. It was a wonderful weekend, I got through it (although being way too drunk at times), but I was exhausted for days afterward.
Do you do that after these things? It takes me days to recover and get going again.
It’s been 2 years so I think I’m better prepared than I would have been even a year ago. But I do feel wiped out. Sort of spent. I wrote 4 chapters of my book if that tells you anything. After the wedding I had to encourage my Dad to sign a power of attorney. That was not easy either. But the event was beautiful. My emotions just stayed on the roller coaster.
Yeah man. Takes a lot of energy and guts.
❤️