Because They Are Loved: A Collection of Poems, Letters & Essays Honoring Those We've Lost to Suicide

Grief after suicide is not a problem to solve. It’s a reality to be carried. This anthology gathers poems, letters, and lyrical essays from people who have lived what they’re naming—mothers and fathers, siblings and friends—offering language for the unsayable and company for the loneliest hours.Curated by grief advocate and podcast host Melissa Bottorff-Arey, these pages don’t tidy or prescribe; they witness. Some pieces are spare, some are fuller stories—many feel like small lanterns you can return to on birthdays, anniversaries, ordinary Tuesdays, and middle-of-the-night moments.Inside you’ll find:Voices from across the suicide-loss community—tender, honest, and unvarnishedGentle edits that preserve each writer’s truth and cadenceLyrical “letters & essays” alongside traditional poemsA closing section to help you use the book on hard days and in support circlesThis book is for anyone learning to live with grief rather than after it—for those who speak names out loud, build rituals, and keep going in love’s direction. Read one page or a few. Share a piece with someone who wants to understand. Keep what helps; leave the rest. Come back when you need to.Note: Some pieces may be activating. Pause as needed. You are not broken; you are grieving. Love still has work to do—and these pages are here to sit beside you while it does. Read more