Letters to My Son: From Loss to Hope 💛

Introduction

Thank you for joining me in Letters to My Son: From Loss to Hope. This is my exploratory memoir-in-progress about losing my son to leukemia and how I came back to hope and a life of joy. Because of the vulnerable nature of this writing and opportunity for Outsider Witness feedback, this is for paid subscribers only.

💛 If you’re a parent who has lost a child and would like a three-month subscription, please DM me on Substack so I can send you a code.💛

Read Here to learn more about Outsider Witness and why I’m writing this story.

Audio is below behind the paywall.

Content Warning: Loss of a child, cancer, grief

Me as a toddler.

When I was five years old, I almost drowned in our backyard pool. I had broken my leg near the end of kindergarten and had a cast on up to my knee for those first few weeks of summer. My left leg swayed in the water on a hot summer day as my right lay perched on the deck. As I leaned over to skim my hand through the cool water, I fell in and sank to the bottom. Out of air, I watched the beautiful blue sky—a drowning observer.

Sal, my older brother, pulled me out. I lay on my back staring at my mother who seemed unsure if I had to be resuscitated.

From that moment, water would embody both wonder and fear.