How a Park Bench Changed Everything

When my father passed away in August of 2014, I found myself searching for somewhere to go. Not just emotionally — physically. A place I could visit, sit quietly, and feel close to him. Because he was cremated and had no burial site, that place didn't exist. And that absence was its own kind of grief.

My father loved taking long walks in the park near his home. So I started a fundraiser to place a memorial bench there — somewhere he had felt peace in his life, and somewhere I could go to find a little of my own. When the bench was finally placed, something shifted. It became more than a tribute. It became a sanctuary. A place for me to breathe, to talk to him, to feel less alone.

That bench taught me something I've carried ever since: healing doesn't always happen in a therapist's office or a support group. Sometimes it happens in a quiet park, on a bench under a tree, where you can just sit and remember someone you loved.

That's why I started Suicide Loss Memorial Foundation. Because I believe everyone who has lost someone to suicide deserves a place like that. And because I believe young people growing up dealing with loss or their own mental health struggles deserve more connection, more support, and more chances to feel like they have a purpose in life.

We're just getting started. But we've already proven that something as simple as a bench can change everything.