My brave and wonderful friend Kate has posted a piece about the loss of her mother on mamamia.com.au this weekend.

I say "brave" because to talk honestly about loss and grief takes courage. To open up your soul and show the world you private pain takes strength. To speak up about suicide to people who may not understand, to people you don't know the context, is indeed very, very brave.

I've written on here before about how much Kate helped me through my own grief-following the suicide of my mother in law and subsequent demise of my marriage. She has inspired me again to speak truthfully with myself and with others, about grief, about suicide, about loss and mental health, my own and others.
Grief can make people close up because everything hurts so much, it's easier sometimes to just put it in a box and bury it. Yet Kate always, always, always made time to sit with me, hear me, see all the uglyness of loss echoed on my face. She was not scared of the crying, never rolled her eyes at the here-we-go-again moments of fear and confusion and what ifs and year long shock.

She was, and is, amazing.

Here's to Kate. i never knew her mum, but I would bet my bottom dollar she would be incredibly proud of her daughter.