My ex-husband died by suicide just over a year ago. We were married for 31 years, and divorced for over 20. We shared four children and eight grandchildren. I had ‘grieved’ him after our divorce, so somehow I have a different perspective. Each of my children is working through their grief in their own way, some more successfully than others. We are supporting one another and doing our best to keep communication open to talk about our feelings.

They know I loved their dad and tried to encourage him in his mental health journey for years. I grieve for him AND them. We’ve not dealt with suicide before. It’s heavy. My faith, friends, and care for myself through counseling has helped very much.