The Weight of Survivors’ Guilt

There is no way to measure the weight of losing a friend or loved one to suicide. When their story ends and yours continues, there are questions. What if I had reached out more? What if I was there to provide more comfort? Why couldn’t I have said “good-bye”?

Mourning those who chose not to stay with us is among the heftiest burdens on mental health. There is joy you experienced with your passed loved one. There is a whole life, in fact, that you had shared. And then, one day, there is a void where that joy once was.

I created this gallery with my good friend Jen to commemorate the loss of her childhood friend Chase. As we shot these images, I gathered a vivid picture of their connection. There were moments of magic, nostalgia, and heart in this shoot. I genuinely feel these images are for Chase and he took notice of them as we created this set.