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Coping With Suicide: A Father's Journey Through Grief
My name is Bob Cristello and on August 16, 2017, my son Anthony took his own life at the age of 35.
In November of 2021, I founded Coping With Suicide LLC after an intense 12-day experience of facing the shame of my past, the death of my son, and the existence of God.
I began writing at a frenetic pace in November of 2021 and could not stop. I found myself trapped in the endless “Why?” questions around my son’s suicide and I had come to believe that I would never answer that question. I did come to believe that there was a question I could ask even though, deep inside, I already knew the answer. I felt the need to ask myself the question, “What was my role in the death of my child?” I started to purge every single horrible dark secret about my life in an attempt to answer that very question. When I was done I had written almost 140,000 words, created a website, founded a corporation, started lecturing, returned to my chosen profession, and more importantly, I was given a miraculous chance at hope.
I am not a medical professional and hold no special degrees. I am simply a man who has lost a child to suicide who has found hope in an existence filled with hopelessness, regret, and shame.
I am not a messenger of God, I am a messenger of Hope.
My brand is grief, my niche is suicide, my name is parent.
I have faith that you will read this one day. That you will cast off the oppressive tyranny of shame, and stand in the light of a new life and new freedom. I have faith that more will be revealed, both to you and me. I have faith that there is a life for me to live, a message of hope to carry, and the ability to simply live happily ever after.
If the life and spirit of my son taught me anything it is this. If life is worth living, life is worth attempting.
In November of 2021, I founded Coping With Suicide LLC after an intense 12-day experience of facing the shame of my past, the death of my son, and the existence of God.
I began writing at a frenetic pace in November of 2021 and could not stop. I found myself trapped in the endless “Why?” questions around my son’s suicide and I had come to believe that I would never answer that question. I did come to believe that there was a question I could ask even though, deep inside, I already knew the answer. I felt the need to ask myself the question, “What was my role in the death of my child?” I started to purge every single horrible dark secret about my life in an attempt to answer that very question. When I was done I had written almost 140,000 words, created a website, founded a corporation, started lecturing, returned to my chosen profession, and more importantly, I was given a miraculous chance at hope.
I am not a medical professional and hold no special degrees. I am simply a man who has lost a child to suicide who has found hope in an existence filled with hopelessness, regret, and shame.
I am not a messenger of God, I am a messenger of Hope.
My brand is grief, my niche is suicide, my name is parent.
I have faith that you will read this one day. That you will cast off the oppressive tyranny of shame, and stand in the light of a new life and new freedom. I have faith that more will be revealed, both to you and me. I have faith that there is a life for me to live, a message of hope to carry, and the ability to simply live happily ever after.
If the life and spirit of my son taught me anything it is this. If life is worth living, life is worth attempting.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 25, 2022
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April 3, 2022
Heartfelt Hope.
I am not a member of the exact same club as the author. But I am a member of the club that has lost someone they dearly love to suicide. This book is well written, heartachingly so. It bears grief, it shines hope into the darkest parts of one's soul, and reminds you, that on the days that you only get up for those relying on you, you still matter, you are still seen, and still loved.
Bobby, I see you and I love you.
I am not a member of the exact same club as the author. But I am a member of the club that has lost someone they dearly love to suicide. This book is well written, heartachingly so. It bears grief, it shines hope into the darkest parts of one's soul, and reminds you, that on the days that you only get up for those relying on you, you still matter, you are still seen, and still loved.
Bobby, I see you and I love you.
Displaying 1 of 1 review