By Brynden Fisher

In 2013 Korina Schoon lost her beloved stepdad to suicide. Schoon is a sophomore at Mount Vernon High School who participates in volleyball and softball. Like everyone, Schoon is human, and reminisces on her loss. Especially the loss of her stepdad.

Schoon’s favorite memory of her stepdad  is when he, her and her mom were all in the kitchen cooking and messing around before sharing a group hug. This is how she wants to remember him; his smile, his laugh, and his love. Still to this day she thinks about this day and it brings a smile to her face.

On a normal day, seeing her grandmother’s vehicle sparked joy, but after a particularly challenging volleyball practice, this was not the case. She had gotten home and was excited to see her grandmother but as soon as she walked into her home she heard her mother crying hysterically from her bathroom. “I had never heard my mom cry like that so I knew something was wrong,” Schoon said. This is when Schoon had heard of her stepdad’s suicide.

Going through life after his death, the whole family had come to realize how hard life was going to be for a while. He had done so much for the family and without him there, they knew life was was going to have obstacles to overcome. With the pain of his death being too great, they couldn’t find the strength to attend his funeral. After getting their closure in their own way, life had moved on.

Now six years later, Schoon and her family still think about her stepdad a lot. Thinking about how life would have been different if he were still here, and thinking about all the good times they shared together with him. The one thing they hold on to the tightest is knowing that he will always be watching over them with his love.

Schoon remembers her stepdad as being a loving and caring person to her and her family, which made his death especially challenging. She wants to tell people who are grieving from a loss that,  “Everything will be okay and things will get better. They may be gone, but they are definitely in a better place.”