Welcome today fellow griever. I appreciate you, I see you and thank you so much for listening and if you can, please ---Support the show

Today, I release a recent conversation with Betsy Thibaut Stephenson to talk about her son Charlie who was a smart, witty, reserved, and was (silently) living with being 'unmotivated' & being depressed. Despite doing what seemed like all of the right things, Charlie, a rising senior in college, died by suicide in July of 2022 at only 21 years old. It was shocking and devastating -- and they are learning to live with it, to carry with it! 

"Betsy Thibaut Stephenson lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband and labrador retrievers. When she isn't visiting her grown daughters in North Carolina and South Carolina, she is helping public affairs clients tell their story to policymakers and the media. Blackbird is her first book."

There are SO many take aways from this mom-to-mom heart-to-heart....

Here's a few of the highlights of our conversation include: 

• How they responded as a family when Charlie reached out when he spoke out about his thoughts of self-harm from the first time. 
• The trips to see him after he opened up-- and the letter she wrote him, that he carried with him & was found in his backpack after he was gone.
• The letters he wrote and left behind (not a suicide note, per se, but insight of sorts) & what those told his family & how they 'helped' them understand more
• The shock of his death-- and how they spoke 'the open truth' from the beginning.
• ALL of the 'signs; she gets from him now... why bringing him into 'everything" helps and makes it lighter somehow. (I love this part!) 
• It's OK to be 'selfish' in your grief
• Why the title "Blackbird" for the book --- you HAVE TO HEAR THIS--- stuff you can NOT make up here people!?? 
• What IS Stuck Song Syndrome (OMG --- there's a name for it!!) LO-FI people -- LO-FI is the answer.... who knew? 

There is SOOO much to this incredible chat that I think you will love --- I hope you will get this book and curl up 

Find Betsy & her book HERE

@blackbirdbetsy21 on Instagram

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My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

I hope you will consider SUBMITTING A POEM OR LETTER to my NEW ANTHOLOGY PROJECT --- a book called "Because They Are Loved" SEE ALL OF THE  DETAILS HERE!!

PS....The Legacy Writing Project in 2024 has finished. Volume 5 is out in the world ...GET ON THE LIST NOW for the SINGLE DATE start for 2025 OR FUTURE PROJECTS
For a way to leave a Legacy of your child - GO HERE

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada

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