When a mom loses a child to suicide, the people around her desperately want to do the right thing — and they’re terrified of doing the wrong one. So they say nothing. They disappear. And she ends up grieving alone.

In this talk, I speak directly to the supporters: what a grieving mom actually needs in those first days and weeks, what to say (and what never to say), and how to keep showing up long after everyone else has gone back to normal life. It’s practical, honest, and gentle — drawn from my own story and from walking with other moms through theirs.

• ✓What a mom really needs in the first days and weeks — and what she doesn’t
• ✓The phrases that wound (even when meant kindly) and what to say instead
• ✓How to help practically: “tacos or spaghetti?” beats “let me know if you need anything” every time
• ✓Why “no” is a complete sentence — and how to respect it with grace
• ✓How to keep showing up at month six, year two, and beyond