IT WAS a time of reflection on Tuesday night in Mount Gambier as a small crowd gathered at Vansittart Park to remember those lost to suicide.
Organised by StandBy Support After Suicide, the event – which was held in conjunction with International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day – was a chance for people from all backgrounds to support each other in the healing process.
Originally started in the United States in 1999 by a Senator of Congress who lost his own father to suicide, the day is now recognised across the world, with 350 Survivor Day events taking place in 18 different countries last year alone.
“Survivor day provides an opportunity for people affected by suicide loss to gather together all around the world at events in our local communities to hopefully find comfort and gain understanding as we share stories of healing and hope,” StandBy coordinator Tracey Wanganeen said on the night.
“While our loved ones are not physically with us anymore, we can and do maintain our bonds with them.”
Speaking about continuing bonds, Ms Wanganeen said people rarely just “get over it”, nor do they ever really find closure.
“A continuing bond does not mean that we live in the past,” she said.
“Our daily lives are changed by the death of a loved one, but they remain both present and absent.
“To quote Natasha Wagner, the daughter of actress Natalie Wood who died when Natasha was just a teenager, ‘I had to learn to have a relationship with someone who was not there anymore’.”
After listening to the words of StandBy Support After Suicide staff, attendants had an opportunity to speak with one another and share their stories.
