light a candle in support

i just found out today is World Suicide Prevention Day.
we are all being encouraged to 
" light a candle near a window 
at 8 p.m today to show support for suicide prevention,
to remember a lost loved one and
for the survivors of suicide."

this hits too close to home for me.
in october 2007 one of my cousins
took his life.
his only child had died the october
before of cancer. 
it was more than he could handle.

and a few years before that another 
of my cousins lost her young teenage 
son to suicide.
you can see this has affected my 
family deeply.
the emotional impact is really 
beyond my comprehension.

death is hard.
but when someone you love
makes this choice,
it compounds the pain of those
left who loved them deeply,
and will miss them forever.

big hugs to my family, 
daily missing their kids.
and many others who live with this too.

and remembering two great Christophers today.
especially at 8:00 pm when 
there will be candles burning at my home
as i think about them both,
all day long.
and miss them deeply.
always.