The Sudden Death of My Friend Shook My World Upside Down
But his suicide taught me important lessons I’ll carry with me forever
The first time I heard someone tell me grief was a lifelong journey, I cringed and felt hopeless, knowing the feeling of loss wouldn’t ever leave my side completely.
Grief is a punch to the stomach with a lingering ache that never quite heals. I know that now, just as I now know that grief comes in many colors and has multiple layers that unfold differently for each person.
I’ve grieved many things in my life; my relationships with others; missed opportunities; a younger version of myself; and the finite loss of those I love and won’t ever see again. That’s the most troublesome kind of grief I know.
July 5th would have been my friend Kyle’s 32nd birthday, but he only lived to see 28 years. He was given more time than some, but still not enough.
I met Kyle at an intersection while running one winter morning in Portland, Oregon. He complimented my gloves, and I made a comment about how crazy he was for wearing shorts and Earth Runner sandals on such a chilly day. He smiled, and we went our separate ways.
Sometime later, we reconvened at the drinking fountain in the recreational center of Portland State…
