When Theresa Bruno lost her husband James to suicide, the world as she knew it stopped turning. Her identityâas a wife, mother, business ownerâwas stripped away in a single moment. But in that wilderness of loss, something unexpected emerged: the courage to heal, and ultimately, to grow.
In this honest and deeply moving conversation on Grief 2 Growth, Theresa opens up about her journey through grief, shame, silence, and eventual transformation. If you or someone you love is healing after suicide loss, Theresaâs story is a roadmap through the heartbreakâand a reminder that you're not alone.
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đ The Silence of Suicide: A Different Kind of Grief
Grief after suicide is unlike any other. Itâs not just the lossâitâs the unanswered questions, the shock, and often, the self-blame.
âI knew James was depressed,â Theresa shared. âBut suicide? I never imagined it could happen to us.â
James was the kindest man she knew. A loving father. Her best friend. His death came with not just sorrow, but confusion. Why? What did I miss? Could I have stopped it?
âI replayed every conversation, every moment, trying to find the moment I couldâve changed it.â
These are the haunting echoes of suicide griefâones many survivors carry in silence.
đ€ Shame and Isolation: The Hidden Weights
Theresa wasnât just grieving James. She was also silently grieving the collapse of her business, Jordan Alexander Jewelry, a high-end brand worn by icons like Oprah and Michelle Obama. The company had fallen victim to fraud, and Theresa had to shutter it just months before Jamesâ death.
The shame was suffocating.
âI was already drowning in failure. Then James died. I felt like I couldnât tell anyone the truth.â
This toxic mix of shame and grief created isolation. Theresa didnât want to burden others. And yet, staying quiet made the pain worse.
Her healing only began when she allowed herself to speak the truthâraw, messy, and honest.
đ Writing to James: A Ritual of Release
In the early days, Theresa didnât find peace in support groups. She needed something more personal. So, she began writing James letters.
âEvery Saturdayâbecause he died on a SaturdayâI would write to him. All of it. My anger, my sadness, my missing him.â
This became a weekly ritual. Her grief poured out on paper. There were no rulesâjust honesty.
And slowly, the writing started to soften the pain.
Grief tip: Try writing a letter to your loved one. You donât have to send it anywhere. Just say what your heart needs to say.
â Defiant Gratitude: Healing Starts With Resistance
Theresa isnât someone who sugarcoats grief. She laughs now at the idea of Instagram-style âgratitude journaling.â
âPeople told me, âBe thankful you had the years you did.â I wanted to punch them in the face.â
But then came something she calls defiant gratitude. Not gentle. Not graceful. Just stubborn, sarcastic, raw.
âFine,â she told herself. âIâll be grateful. Not because I feel it, but because I wonât let this sorrow kill me.â
She started with the smallest things:â Making coffee.đ Drawing the drapes.đż Looking out at the mountains from her bedroom.
Those flickers of gratitude?They didnât erase the grief. But they cracked the window open just enough to let in light.
đł Grounding in Nature: Let the Earth Hold You
Nature became one of Theresaâs greatest teachers.
A spiritual mentor once told her:âGet your feet on the ground.â
Not metaphoricallyâliterally.
One day, that mentor took her to a stream and said, âRelease your sorrow here. Let the Earth carry it.â
âIt sounds woo-woo,â Theresa says. âBut it worked. Nature held my grief when I couldnât anymore.â
She began to walk againâslowly, gently, and not on the same trails she and James had hiked. Those memories were too raw at first.
But eventually, she returned. One painful, sacred step at a time.
Grief tip: Go outside. Breathe deeply. Let the sky hold your tears. Let the ground steady your feet.
đŒ From Collapse to Calling: When Everything Falls Apart
Losing James wasnât the only grief Theresa carried. The collapse of her jewelry businessâher dreamâbrought a deep sense of failure and humiliation.
âI was mortified. I felt like Iâd let everyone downâmy investors, my customers, my family.â
And yet, those very failures became the soil for something new.
Two years after James' death, Theresa felt the call to walk away from her remaining companyâa successful marketing agency she had built from scratch.
âI didnât know what was next. But I knew I couldnât keep living a life that wasnât aligned with spirit anymore.â
That moment marked the beginning of purposeful reinvention.
đ Mirror Talk: The Power of Affirmations
Grief strips you of identity. Confidence vanishes. Self-doubt screams louder than ever.
Theresa had always been a confident, high-achieving woman. But after everything, she felt hollow.
So she started with sticky notes.Simple phrases like:
* âI want to feel confident.â
* âI want to feel peaceful.â
* âI want to feel joy again.â
She placed them where sheâd see them daily:đ In her car.đȘ On her bathroom mirror.đ Inside her wallet.
âThey werenât declarations. Just wishes. But they began to seep into me.â
Over time, her self-talk changed. And so did her energy.
đ Grief Is Not a Straight Line
Theresa wants listeners to know this:There is no timeline.
âThe first year, I barely survived. The second year, I still felt broken. It wasnât until year three that I began to feel movement.â
Healing didnât come in milestones. It came in momentsâunexpected, unglamorous, and often unseen by others.
Grief is a jagged line, not a staircase. You donât âget overâ it. You grow around it.
And as Theresa says:
âIf all youâve done today is get out of bed and make the coffeeâthatâs a win.â
đŁïž Telling the Truth: Reclaiming Her Voice
The real shift came when Theresa stopped hiding.
She began speaking. Podcasting. Writing.
Her book, Heâs Not Coming Back: Rewriting Life After Loss, is a courageous invitation to others to do the same.
âWe donât talk about suicide. We donât talk about failure. And we certainly donât talk about shame. But we must.â
By telling her story, Theresa isnât just healing herselfâsheâs helping others feel seen.
And that's the power of sharing:It removes the power from pain.
đŹ Theresaâs Message to You
If you are in the throes of griefâespecially after suicide lossâTheresa wants you to know:
đïž Youâre not alone.đïž Youâre not broken.đïž And you donât have to fix everything today.
âGrief doesnât end. But your story doesnât either.â
You donât need a plan. Just a next breath.
đ§ Continue the Conversation
Ready to take the next step on your healing path?
Join the Grief 2 Growth communityâwhere itâs safe to speak your truth, share your story, and be supported by people who get it.
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đ Resources & Links
đ Theresa Brunoâs Website: soultalkswiththeresa.comđïž Soul Talks Podcast on YouTube: Watch on YouTubeđ Theresaâs Book: Heâs Not Coming Back on Amazon (insert actual link when available)đ§ Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Podcast Platform
đ Share Your Voice
đŹ What helped you begin your own healing after loss?
