This post was originally published on my website here.
I’ve been a little quiet here lately.
Breanne spent some time in NYC, which put me on full-time dad duty. Add school, sports, extracurriculars and normal family chaos, and posting took a back seat.
Which means I missed September.
September was Suicide Prevention Month.
But suicide prevention doesn’t belong to a month. This conversation matters in October, November and every day after that.
My friend Leslie Weirich knows the importance of this conversation better than most.
In 2016, Leslie lost her 20-year-old son, Austin, to suicide. Since then, she has turned unimaginable grief into a life’s work centered around hope.
Today, Leslie is an author, speaker and suicide prevention advocate who speaks to audiences across the country, including military personnel, about men’s mental health, suicide prevention and the importance of human connection.
Leslie and I had been connected on LinkedIn for two years before our family finally met her in person in 2024, over hot chicken at Hattie B’s in Franklin. That lunch confirmed what I already knew: she’s every bit as lovely, confident and inspiring in person as she is online.
I especially love one of the ideas she comes back to again and again:
Connection is protection.
Because awareness shouldn’t end when the calendar flips to a new month.
Neither should checking in.
Neither should asking the hard question.
Neither should reminding someone that they matter.
So maybe I’m late with this post.
But it’s never too late to be aware.
Please check out Leslie’s work at Leslie’s Hope or follow Leslie Weirich on LinkedIn.
And if you want to go deeper into her story and the lessons she’s learned through it, pick up a copy of her book here.
Her story and the work she’s doing are worth knowing.
Leslie’s journey is a perfect example of how her grief became her art. And that art is exactly what the world needs more of.
And if someone came to mind while reading this, reach out to them today.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988.