Surviving a Son's Suicide

Grief may be the most difficult "work" that we as human beings must do. When a loved one, especially a child, dies through suicide, the tasks involved in that journey require a different perspective.

Ronald Higdon shares with us his experience in Surviving A Son's Suicide. With loving but unapologetic candor, Pastor Higdon shares the questions and thoughts that often will continuously circle in our minds. He brings notes, book resources and inspired ways of helping from people who were supportive.

If you are looking for something that makes it possible to avoid the three great words in life and faith - mystery, paradox, and ambiguity - then this book is not for you. If you have lost a family member through suicide or are seeking ways to be a comfort to those who have and are searching for a painless and less confusing way to do it, you will be disappointed in what you find in these pages.

The title for this book is in the present tense: Surviving a Son's Suicide. This continues to be a work in progress. This is not a book about triumph or resolution or "now it's okay." It's not okay; it never will be okay. Our pain and our questions remain but Pat and I are surviving in the sense that we are attempting to go forward with our lives without Mark's presence. On occasion, there is some degree of tension as we seek to understand how the other is making the extremely personal grief journey.

- Ronald Higdon, father