110: Finding Hope After Loss: A Mother's Journey Through Grief and Healing with Elaine Suarez

Welcome to Rock Your Shine: After you’ve been cracked wide open. On this show, I sit down with people from all over the world to hear their transformational stories on their deep grief and loss journeys. 

In this emotionally powerful episode, we delve into Elaine's heart-wrenching journey of loss, healing, and ultimately, finding hope amidst unimaginable grief. Join us as we explore the profound moments that shaped Elaine's path, without the constraints of time stamps.

Elaine opens up about her beloved son, Joe, sharing who he was and the overwhelming grief that struck their lives with his sudden passing. Together with her husband, they bravely process the fateful day, attempting to make sense of the tragedy and searching for answers about how Joe died.

The journey takes a haunting turn when they face the agonizing task of identifying Joe's body. We'll delve into the emotional rollercoaster of Joe's service and the depths of despair that led Elaine to self-medicate and contemplate ending her own life.

Amidst the darkness, a glimmer of hope emerges as Elaine recounts a remarkable visit from the spirit realm while in the hospital. The story takes a gripping twist as we discover how Elaine finally learns the cause of her son's death.

As she bravely shares her path to healing, we'll explore how Elaine found the strength to release her anger and begin the process of acceptance. A touching moment of serendipity occurs when they uncover two heartfelt letters from Joe in their new house.

Toward the end of this deeply moving conversation, Elaine reflects on what self-love truly means to her and shares her profound insight into the essence of hope. Join us on this poignant journey of loss, resilience, and the power of finding hope amidst the darkest of days.

**TRIGGER WARNING** This episode covers sensitive subject matter and is not suitable for all listeners. If this topic could be a trigger for you, listen to this episode with a friend, a sibling, a loved one or a parent so you can talk about any emotions that come up for you. The contents of this episode are not intended to replace therapy and should not be taken as such. If you need immediate help, please call the crisis hotline listed below in our resources.

Listen in as we talk about:

[2:40] Who Joe was

[10:20] The emotional and sudden passing of their son Joe

[22:20] How her and her husband started to process the day their son died

[25:50] Trying to get answers about how her son died

[28:10] Not being able to identify their son’s body

[31:30] What Joe’s service was like

[37:45] Self medicating and trying to take her own life

[39:30] Receiving a visit from spirit while in the hospital

[42:50] ​​How she found out her son's cause of death

[49:05] How she started to let the anger go

[59:20] Finding two letters from Joe in their new house

[1:02:00] What self love means to Elaine

[1:03:20] Hope is…

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Mining-River-Sibling-Grief/dp/1732888892/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Rock+On%3A+Mining+for+joy&qid=1570199126&sr=8-1 

L.E.A.P 6 week virtual course: https://rockyourshine.com/l-e-a-p-into-light-and-healing-6-week-virtual-course/

BetterHelp

Go to https://betterhelp.com/rockyourshine for 10% off your first month of therapy with
BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help. #sponsored

Grief Hotline: 

https://www.griefresourcenetwork

Connect with Elaine

https://www.instagram.com/memories_of_josephanthony_9t9d

https://www.facebook.com/emsuarez54?mibextid=LQQJ4d

https://medium.com/growing-grief/joseph-anthony-suarez-1990-2018-28323a73b07c 

Connect with Susan

http://instagram.com/susan.casey/ 

https://www.facebook.com/Susan-E-Casey-101187148084982 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDcl58l8qUwO3dDYk83wOFA 

https://rockyourshine.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@leapwithsusan?