Welcome to this month’s BRAVE Interview with Melanie Delorme!
I am a teacher, a wife, a mother, an author who was given the role of bereaved mom in 2008 when my 8-year-old son, Garrett, was accidentally shot and killed in a hunting accident.
It would have been so easy to allow this horrific experience to define me as a grief-stricken mom for the rest of my life. I’m not sure how long it took me to realize that Garrett deserved a better legacy than that.
I also realized that healing and moving forward was my choice.
I try to choose every day to celebrate Garrett’s life and to remember that knowing him for eight years made me a better person.
I spent a lot of time writing in a journal during the first few years after Garrett’s death. I have since turned my writing into a book and published it. It is entitled, After the Flowers Die: A Handbook of Heartache, Hope and Healing After Losing a Child. I do not want any bereaved parent to ever feel alone. I have recently created a website, promoted my book at book signings, participated in my first TV interview, participated in a live grief webinar. Currently I am working on creating a journaling course for grieving parents.
When I think about the word Brave, I realize that sometimes bravery is simply getting out of bed and facing the world every day.
Sometimes bravery feels more like survival. While I don’t feel brave every day, I will continue to choose to move forward keeping my son’s memory alive through my writing and speaking.
My website: www.MelanieDelorme.com
My book on Amazon: After the Flowers Die: A Handbook of Heartache, Hope and Healing After Losing a Child
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Melanie!
Read the other BRAVE Interviews here: The BRAVE Interviews
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR THIS SERIES ABOUT SOMETHING BRAVE YOU HAVE DONE IN YOUR OWN LIFE, SEND ME AN EMAIL HERE: karen@karencreamer.com
Karen Creamer Author, Coach, Speaker 
I really enjoyed the book After the flowers die ,I felt the pain the Parents when through,And how brave she is putting it all together into a book ,, losing a child at such a young age She one strong lady,Thanks for sharing ,
Thanks so much for reading and for your kind words. Please come over to my new website (this one is no longer active) to see the full list of BRAVE Interviews! Here is the link: https://karencreamer.com/category/the-brave-interviews/