retirement – End of Life University

Ep. 86 Suicide: Surviving the Aftermath: Part 2

April 17, 2017January 2, 2019 kwyattmd

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The story of my long journey of healing after my father’s suicide death – told in a series of 8 episodes.

Part 2: The Funeral

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If you are currently experiencing a crisis or feeling hopeless please know that you are not alone. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for free and confidential support available 24/7 for people in distress:

1-800-273-8255

or Text HELLO to 741-741.

This episode consists of:

My father’s funeral
The surprising number of visitors who attended the funeral
Stories of my father that were shared after his death
Information about suicide and men facing retirement
Guilt and grief felt by suicide survivors
My encounter with a meadowlark at my father’s graveside
An excerpt from the song “Scary Monster” by Gia (my daughter who was present at the graveside as an infant)
A message of hope for those grieving a suicide and for anyone who might be considering suicide at this time:

Please don’t give up. There is light in the darkness, there is love for you, there is grace. I have survived and I am here to spread hope.

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Please call 1-800-273-8255 for help if you are thinking about suicide.

Click here to talk with someone now.

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Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/end-of-life-university/id1033282990

Sign up here for the End-of-Life University mailing list. Visit the EOLU website.

From Watkins Publishing:

There is no life without death.

The aim of this book is to ease our terror of death so that we can contemplate our own deaths, and those of our loved ones, with less regret, disappointment and fear, and to learn to live with more freedom and joy.

Collected here are uplifting stories of transformation and healing gathered by Dr Karen Wyatt from the hospice patients in her care. She offers the seven key lessons the dying taught her, from suffering (“embrace your difficulties”) and love (“let your heart be broken”) to forgiveness (“hold no resentments”) and impermanence (“face your fear”).

The sometimes challenging, always inspiring real-life stories are combined with guidance on absorbing the 7 lessons into our lives through meditation and other spiritual practices. Teaching us what really matters in life, the dying show us how to live our best lives now with meaning, purpose and love.