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Have a safe and happy 4th of July celebrating 250 years of America the beautiful. 🇺🇸 ...

I remember the hot dogs.
I remember the hamburgers.
I remember the Big Red ice cream.
I remember the sparklers.
I remember the smiles.
I remember the laughter.
I remember the love.
❤️
I remember.

This 4th of July, I hope you remember the joyful parts of your past. 🇺🇸☀️
Celebrate them!
#4thofJuly #theoboyd #thinktheo ...

I go to the refrigerator to grab a snack, and I notice the expiration date. I freeze, not able to move a single part of my body and not able to breathe.

The day a tragedy strikes, the day we lose the person we never thought we could live without, the day our life changes forever - is the day that haunts us without end.

The day we are shattered becomes paramount.

“...We, unfortunately, begin to use the event as our starting point. That event starts a new calendar, as if the old calendar never existed. Everything begins and ends on that day.”
- My Grief is Not Like Yours, p. 28

My calendar has re-centered itself to this date, and everything has either happened before or after it - never the same. It is a day I want to forget, but never can. It seeps in like a poison, undetected, and after the damage has already been done.

“Monday, July 29, 2019.
The last day Momma was alive.

I didn’t want to write that date. I didn’t even want to see it written on the paper. It coats me like a bucket of black paint, pouring itself slow and steady. With each hour that passes, the weight of darkness presses down harder until I am completely covered. Like mosquitos that return every spring and sharp grass burrs that sprout each summer, it doesn’t go away. When autumn’s crisp air blows the leaves from their perch, and when winter’s frost comes to blanket them, I am still captive to its darkness.”
- My Grief is Not Like Yours, p. 37

I go to the refrigerator to grab a snack... #thinktheo #theoboyd #grief #hope #dates ...

A Silent Emergency 👇

According to our study, 42% of grieving Americans across all generations
have grappled with suicidal thoughts tied to their most recent loss. For
Gen Z, that number rises to 55%, making them the most affected group—
but by no means the only group.

The data reveals that unspoken grief can lead people of any age toward
despair, especially if they feel there is no safe outlet.

Offering Hope 🙏

Conversation is a crucial first step. When people feel recognized and
validated in their loss, they’re more likely to reach out rather than endure
in silence.

That could mean creating grief awareness programs across
workplaces and schools, encouraging open discussions in churches
and community centers, or simply checking in regularly with friends
who’ve experienced a major loss.

True healing often involves consistent,
empathetic support from people who truly listen.

When communities address grief openly, they begin to combat the
lingering stigma and isolation that push so many toward thoughts of self-
harm.

Together, we can shift from quiet suffering to open understanding,
giving every generation a chance at healthier healing.
#theoboyd #thinktheo #grief #suicide #hope ...

My Daddy ❤️ ...

I don’t like double dates.

My Daddy died on June 19, 2022, and that year it was Father’s Day on the calendar.

As the years roll by, dates of certain holidays change. We, the double daters, are left with not just one day, but two days that are heavier than most.

I grieve him every day, but June 19th AND Father’s Day I feel somber, sad, and scared. Yes, I feel scared that one day there will not be anyone to remember him.

Who will continue his legacy to help others?

I guess I’ll just have to keep writing and sharing their stories, so their love will live forever.

Daddy died four years ago today.

I don’t like double dates. #theoboyd #thinktheo #suicide #fathersday #grief ...