THE CYCLE OF LIFE –
Oct. 30, 2024 – When my young friend Sebastian heard he had lost his biological brother to suicide—a brother he had never known—his life was temporarily upended.
Soon after, we spoke about the many questions and concerns this news elicited in him. Sebastian related a complex family story that includes many of the greatest losses, failures, and traumas human beings can suffer.
Sebastian’s father died when he was only 6 years old. He says his mother was not abusive, but her addiction to methamphetamine caused her to neglect her children, and she could not provide a safe home for them.
He recalls that most of the time, he and his siblings fended for themselves from whatever meager groceries were in the house. She would leave them unsupervised for long periods.
