Learning Through Their Stories 💛

Being part of this event, and helping share stories like those of Michael Brandwood and Michael Burchill, has shifted something in me. I find myself listening more closely, checking in more intentionally, and trying to better understand what people might be carrying beneath the surface.

At home, my kids are still little, and they’ve seen me working on The Power is in the Grip website - sorting through photos, talking about Michael. I’ve shared small pieces of his story in ways they can understand, and I've watched their little minds build a version of him that feels larger than life. Even without ever meeting him, they understand something essential: he matters.

There's something both tender and a little bit disarming about that. The way that a young mind can carry a story forward so naturally. Like last night while waiting for my son to finish swimming lessons, my three year-old daughter, Adeline, just started looking around and asking for Michael. It was totally unprompted, and when I asked her why she was asking she simply said "hi michael," as if she just wanted us to know she was thinking about him.

It caught me completely off guard, and I found myself thinking - if she, who never met him, is wondering about him… asking about him… remembering him in her own small way…How heavy must that love feel for the mothers who carry the loss of their sons every single minute of every single day?

The moment gave me an even deeper sense of empathy for survivors of suicide - not just for their loss, but for their courage. To speak about it. To share their stories. To create space for others. All while navigating unimaginable, widespread grief.

I feel incredibly grateful to learn from women like Lynn Brandwood and Liz Michasiw - who, in the face of unimaginable loss, continue to show up with honesty, strength, and a willingness to help others feel less alone.

Their stories don’t just honour their sons, they help shape how the rest of us show up for each other, and that matters more than I can fully put into words. No one fights alone 💛

https://video.wixstatic.com/https://video.wixstatic.com/video/a6f864_df21794418524a6bb7ee481158073eae/file

Adeline, 3, asking (unprompted) about "Michael" while watching her older brother at swimming lessons.