July is Bereaved Parents Awareness Month

July is Bereaved Parents Awareness Month.

Reach out to the grieving parents in your life and let them know you are there for them

Let them know you realize they are struggling every day just to survive.

Show them...tell them....let them know their child is not forgotten.

Nine Years Ago: In Loving Memory of Colt

Nine years ago, my son Colt, lost his fight against leukemia....only 31 days after being diagnosed..  

Colt didn't want to die and tried so hard to fight. He and I both thought he would pull through.

Even though Colt was strong until the end cancer still won. Fuck cancer! 

 

When you lose a child, you lose an entire lifetime of dreams, hopes, wishes and plans.

Memories of Colt and the love felt for Colt will never die.  He is and will be forever missed.

World Cancer Day 2024

 

Today is World Cancer Day and this post is in memory of my son,

Richard Colt Hazlett and all those we have lost to cancer.

Colt was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia on February 8, 2016.
Colt passed away on March 10, 2016.
I love you son, forever and always.

32 Years Ago

 

Today would have been my son's 32nd birthday. Colt is not here to celebrate.

Acute Myleoid Leukemia (cancer) took him away on March 10, 2016.

I miss Colt so damn much.
I miss his wonderful smile and his laugh. 
I miss hearing him say "Hi Mama".
I miss talking to him and I miss hearing his voice.

I miss hearing "I love you Mama!".
I miss the "good morning", "good night" and "I miss you Mama", text.

I miss EVERYTHING about him.

 

September is Leukemia Awareness Month

September is Leukemia Awareness Month.  Please visit www.cancer.org/cancer/leukemia-acutemyeloidaml/index to learn more about AML.  Learn the signs and symptoms of leukemia and learn how to talk to your loved ones if you have leukemia.  Hopefully one day there will be a cure and families will not lose their loved ones to this horrible disease.

 

On February 8, 2016 my son, Colt, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). March 10, 2016, Colt passed away.  The photo below was the last photo Colt took of himself the day before he passed away.  I will cherish this photo, and all the photos I have of him forever.  I miss Colt so very much...my heart and soul will never be the same with him gone.

Bereaved Parents Awareness Month

July is Bereaved Parents Awareness Month,
a time to recognize and support parents who have lost a child. The month aims to raise awareness of the grief and support that bereaved parents need.

You Don’t Just Lose Someone Once

I miss my husband and my son.

 

 You don’t just lose someone once.

You lose them when you close your eyes at night.

And as you open them each morning.

You lose them throughout the day.

An unused coffee cup.

An empty chair.

A pair of boots no longer there.

You lose them as the sun sets.

And darkness closes in.

You lose them as you wonder why.

Staring at a star lit sky.

You lose them on the big days.

Anniversaries.

Birthdays.

Graduations.

Holidays.

Weddings.

And the regular days too.

You lose them in a song they used to sing.

The scent of their cologne.

A slice of their favorite pie.

You lose them in conversations you will never have.

And all the words unsaid.

You lose them in all the places they’ve been.

And all the places they longed to go.

You lose them in what could have been.

And all the dreams you shared.

You lose them as the seasons change.

The snow blows.

The flowers blossom.

The grass grows.

The leaves fall.

You lose them again and again.

Day after day.

Month after month.

Year after year.

You lose them as you pick up the broken pieces.

And begin your life anew.

You lose them when you realize.

This is your new reality.

They are never coming back.

No matter how much

You miss them or

Need them.

No matter how hard you pray.

They are gone.

And you must go on.

Alone.

Time marches on, carrying them further and further way.

You lose them as your hair whitens and your body bends with age.

Your memory fades.

And the details begin to blur.

Their face stares back at you from a faded photograph.

Someone you used to know.

You think you might have loved them once.

A long time ago.

Back then.

When you were whole.

You don’t just lose someone once.

You lose them every day.

Over and over again.

For the rest of your life.

Eight Years Without My Son

 

My grief is emotional, mental, physical and spiritual rollercoaster.

It comes in waves...waves that crash into me so hard it takes my breath away.

I will grieve for my son until the day I die.

His death is not something I can just "get over".

I am trying my best to learn with to live without him.

I will never be the person I was before Colt died.

Grief is the price I pay for love.

World Cancer Day 2024

'

Today is World Cancer Day and this post is in memory of my son, Richard Colt Hazlett.

Colt was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia on February 8, 2016.
Colt passed away on March 10, 2016. 
His is always on my mind and forever in my heart. I miss this boy so very much...more than words can every express.
I love you son, forever and always.

Giving Tuesday

 

#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Observed on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. Since its inaugural year in 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources.

A few organizations I like to donate to are:

Coulee Region Humane Society.
Web site at www.couleehumane.com/

Facebook at www.facebook.com/couleehumane/

Stray Rescue of St. Louis.
Web site is www.strayrescue.org
Facebook at www.facebook.com/StrayRescue/
________________________________________

Read more about #GivingTuesday at www.givingtuesday.org/ 

and www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday.

Remembering Families With Empty Chairs: Missing My Colt

Ask me about the empty chair beside me and I will gratefully tell you about the beautiful boy who should be sitting next to me. The one who taught me how to stretch my love far and wide enough to span the gap between heaven and earth. 

31 Years Ago Today

 

Today would have been my son's 31st birthday. Colt is not here to celebrate.

Acute Myleoid Leukemia (cancer) took him away on March 10, 2016.

I miss Colt so damn much.
I miss his wonderful smile and his laugh. 
I miss hearing him say "Hi Mama".
I miss talking to him and I miss hearing his voice.

I miss hearing "I love you Mama!".
I miss the "good morning", "good night" and "I miss you Mama", text.

I miss EVERYTHING about him.

International Bereaved Mother's Day 2023

Today is International Bereaved Mother's Day.

International Bereaved Mother’s Day is special day to

have our children, and our never-ending grief, acknowledged.

I do not need a special day to bring Colt to my mind.

The days I do not think of him are very hard to find.

Each morning when I awake I know that he is gone.

And no one knows the heartache as I try to carry on.

My heart still aches with sadness and secret tears still flow.

What it meant to lose you Colt, no one will ever know.

My thoughts are always with you, your place no one can fill.

In life I loved you dearly; in death I love you still.

When you lose a child, you lose an entire lifetime of dreams, hopes, wishes and plans.

I miss my son all day, every day.  I think of him every day. 

I go to sleep thinking about him. I dream about him. I wake up thinking about him.

I love you, Richard Colt Hazlett.

"Do not judge the bereaved mother, she comes in many forms. 

She is breathing, but she is dying. 

She may look young, but inside she has become ancient. 

She smiles, but her heart sobs. 

She walks, she talks, she cooks, she cleans, she works, 

She IS, but she IS NOT, all at once. 

She is here, but part of her is elsewhere for eternity." 

-Author Unknown

Seven Years Ago Today: In Memory of Colt

On March 10, 2016 at 2:40AM, my handsome, loving, kind, caring son lost his battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  He was only 23 years old.

Colt and I both thought he would beat cancer and that he would be here for many more years. Sadly, the cancer won. Colt died only 31 days after being diagnosed. 31 DAYS! All the medical technology and medicine and treatments could not save him.

I miss Colt so damn much. Every day life is hard without Colt. I miss his wonderful smile and his laugh. I miss hearing him say "Hi Mama" and "I love you Mama". I miss talking to him and I miss hearing his voice. I miss the "good morning", "good night" and "I miss you Mama", text.

The pain of losing him is so deeper than anything I have ever felt. There are no words to even begin to describe how I feel. A large piece of my heart and soul died in Dallas when Colt died.  My heart and soul ache to the core.

World Cancer Day 2023

Today is World Cancer Day and this post is in memory of my son, Richard Colt Hazlett. Colt was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia on February 8, 2016. Colt passed away on March 10, 2016. His is always on my mind and forever in my heart.

I miss this boy so very much...more than words can every express. I love you son, forever and always.

World Cancer Day unites the world’s population in the fight against cancer.  It aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about the disease, pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action. World Cancer Day, an annual event aimed at raising awareness about the disease and inspiring people to work together to take action against it. 

Read more about World Cancer Day:
www.worldcancerday.org/
www.cancerresearch.org/en-us/events/social/world-cancer-day-2022

www.cancer.gov/about-nci/organization/cgh/blog/2022/world-cancer-day-2022

30 Years Ago

Today would have been my son's 30th birthday. Colt is not here to celebrate.

Acute Myleoid Leukemia (cancer) took him away on March 10, 2016.

I miss Colt so damn much.
I miss his wonderful smile and his laugh. 
I miss hearing him say "Hi Mama".
I miss talking to him and I miss hearing his voice.

I miss hearing "I love you Mama!".
I miss the "good morning", "good night" and "I miss you Mama", text.

I miss EVERYTHING about him.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

 

When breast cancer starts out, it is too small to feel and does not cause signs and symptoms.
As it grows, however, breast cancer can cause changes in how the breast looks or feels.

Symptoms may include—

New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast.
Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area.
Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
Pain in any area of the breast.

Early detection can save lives! 

Visit the Breast Cancer Site, which was founded to help fund free mammograms. Visitors to Breast Cancer Site can click on the “Click Here to Give – it’s FREE”  button to help provide mammograms to those in need.  Mammograms are paid for by the site’s sponsors.

Read about Breast Cancer:

https://thebreastcancersite.greatergood.com/clicktogive/bcs/home

http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org

http://www.nbcam.org/

http://www.breastcancerawareness.com/

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/BreastCancerAwareness/

National Sons Day 2022

Remembering my handsome son on Sons Day.
Mama loves you Richard Colt Hazlett forever and always.
.

Leukemia Awareness Month 2022

 September is Leukemia Awareness Month.

There are many types of leukemia., one of which is Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).

My son, Colt was diagnosed with AML on February 8, 2016 and he died arch 10, 2016.

Colt was only 23 years old.

Learn the signs and symptoms of leukemia and learn how to talk to your loved ones if you have leukemia.  Hopefully one day there will be a cure and families will not lose their loved ones to this horrible disease.

Read more about leukemia:  

https://www.lls.org/

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/leukemia.html

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/acute-myeloid-leukemia.html

National Grief Awareness Day 2022

Today, August 30th is National Grief Awareness Day. This day recognizes that the time it takes to heal from loss does not have a prescribed course and is a reminder closure comes in many forms. When a loved one dies, the void they leave affects everyone differently.

For me, grief comes in waves. One minute I am fine, the next minute I am sinking into sadness and/or depression. I miss my son. I grieve for the past and I grieve for the future he will never have. I grieve for the memories I have and the memories that will never happen.  When Colt died, life changed forever, and nothing can make it better again.