My son Kieran, a medic in the Army, took his life on August 28, 2010, only months before he was due to deploy to Afghanistan. It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since his death. Or that this milestone anniversary is taking place during what can only be described as a year unlike any other.

Suicide is often called “the last taboo” and with good reason since it’s one of the few subjects that remain largely off-limits in our society. People know that suicide is a problem and that we need to be talking about it. And yet the very idea of someone taking his or her life leaves many of us feeling deeply uncomfortable. We don’t know what to say, much less what to do.