" A deep distress hath humanized my soul." William Wordsworth
Loss of a loved one to suicide thrusts us onto a journey that is not of our choosing. We are left to mourn, to question, to pick up the pieces of our shattered lives and eventually to rebuild. There is an unexpected gift on the journey ... "a bond among survivors, which pierces through the isolation and fear."
"Unlike our loved ones, whose pain was so enveloping that they were unable to hear our shouts of help, we refuse to be exiled by despair. As we reach out to others, we discover inner strengths we never knew existed. Although we did not ask for this test of our endurance -- and would reverse the circumstances if given the choice -- we discover that we are more resilient, less afraid, more empathetic and understanding as a result of what has happened to us." Carla Fine
Immediately following the loss of a loved one to suicide, we seek just to survive ... the next hour, the next day, and the next week. We have become victims to an unimaginable loss and in the beginning, it takes all we have just to keep going. We wonder if we will ever experience peace or joy again. We are forever changed, but eventually most of us do experience peace as well as joy. We push ahead, conquering obstacles in our paths. Eventually we are brought to a place of wisdom, of compassion, and of sensitivity, to the pain of others. We know that we have experienced one of life's greatest losses ... and we have survived. The stories of survivors in this section are a testimony to our ability to rise above the loss and pain without becoming bitter, jaded and hard. We can survive.
We can endure. We can overcome the obstacles and emerge transformed from life's greatest suffering. 