Elizabeth Kopple On Child Loss, Channeling Grief And College Safety

Elizabeth Kopple began writing creative nonfiction after her 18-year-old son Henry was killed on his first day of college in 2022. Elizabeth wrote in an essay published in the Huffington Post, "in an instant, every expectation for our family and our future was obliterated."I met Elizabeth at her family's home shortly after Henry's funeral. In our conversation on the podcast, Elizabeth explained that she felt an urgent need to meet another grieving parent because she couldn't figure out how she was supposed to get up in the morning, and needed another person who understood to tell her. Her brain was overwhelmed with shock and pain.Grief is as unique as our losses. But it's essential to meet others who've experienced a version of our unfamiliar new reality; to see them on their feet, a bit further down the path. While there's no singular way forward, other grieving parents showed me paths that they took. They gave me hope. Part of my healing involves paying it forward for newly bereaved parents. I'm gratified by ripple effects, the ways in which someone whom I've helped eventually reaches back and takes the hand of a parent whose world has just been shattered. I know it makes our kids proud. In the three and half years since I first met Elizabeth, she's discovered her own way forward. Elizabeth shares her experiences on Substack and has written a memoir about Henry's loss. She helps to moderate a group for grieving parents. Elizabeth fosters our community. I'm proud to be part of her circle. I highly recommend Elizabeth's Substack, Channeling Grief - https://channelinggrief.substack.com/. Her viral Huffington Post essay can be found here - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/son-college-death-freak-accident-grief_n_690505f2e4b0060501ac2dadYou can also learn more about college campus safety at https://coreysafetyact.org/ and https://collegesafetycoalition.net/.