I have survived! I have considered myself a member of the Survivors of Suicide for a long time. A group I made up in my head. It’s everyone who lost a family member or loved one to suicide. You don’t have to join, and no one wants to be a member. I think it’s time to share my story.
When I was 15, my brother 17 took his own life. 6 months later, my mother died of lung cancer. 3 years later, my father passed also of lung cancer. If the phone rang my first thought was who died.
I will never know why my big brother, my protector and role model took his own life. We were inseparable, and grew up together up. There are so many questions I will never know. He didn’t leave a note and I don’t know if there were any signs as he was living with our dad at the time.
After my mother passed, I remember my sister once saying that my mother gave up to cancer after my brother took his life. I don’t remember if she said it, or said that someone said that, but that was not something I believed. Somethings are best that I believe what I want to believe.
One thing has helped me get by. There are others out there that life has handed them worse and they survived, so can I.
It’s been 30 years now. I have a beautiful wife, who takes good care of me. Two beautiful daughters, they are a handful. I have a job that I enjoy and pays the bills. I can honestly say, I have a peaceful life.