A Message From Michael: My Journey from Heartbreak to Hope

By Rosy Baldwin

Michael Hardesty, my late boyfriend and dearest friend, suffered an unforeseen and devastating depression on the eve of his 55th birthday. It roared into his life with the force of a late summer hurricane. Being an independent, cerebral man, he attempted to defeat the disease with medication, research and philosophical thoughts. In the short time we had known each other we had grown very close and were planning on living together. We eventually hoped to marry. But his tormented heart and mind would not be stilled and he ended his earthly life with a shotgun on October 10, 1997. The effect on those who loved him was catastrophic. He left behind a mother, two brothers, two daughters, six grandchildren and a host of friends. Michael was not rich or famous; he owned and operated an antiquarian Virginia bookstore but he touched many lives in myriad ways. He made a difference in this world. The grieving process has been slow and agonizing for me, as it usually is when one loses a loved one to suicide. 30,000 people in America will die this way every year and thousands more will attempt to end it all and fail. Fail for the time being, that is. The ripple effect of suicide will wound the survivors left behind in ways they would never anticipate. In "A Message from Michael" I chronicle my winding journey back to recovery from the darkness that befell me after Mike's death. The message from Michael is that despite the tragedy of his departure, he is still very near those who love him. His wonderful, unique spirit is very much alive The book starts with an account of the perfect, beautiful autumn day he made his fateful decision and proceeds through the "saying goodbye" rituals of his funeral, the stages of grief and some of the effects on those close to him. It then describes a number of incredible "coincidences" and happenings that have taken place in my life and in the lives of others since Michael's physical death. The incidents are depicted in detail and often with a sense of humor, as Michael would have wanted them to be. His personality continues to shine through the events that have transpired over the past 23 years. The "crown jewel" of the book, however, is the chapter devoted to a telephone reading by world-renowned psychic medium George Anderson. This "discernment" by Mr. Anderson is extremely powerful and helped in my healing more than I can express. My purpose in writing this book is to shed a little illumination on depressive illness from my personal, non-clinical perspective. I also hope to give some comfort to those folks who have "lost" their loved ones. The souls are not really gone. They are only a heartbeat away.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B08F6MVB7J
• ISBN13: 9798671545043
• Release Date: August 2020
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"