When I was a preteen I lost my Dad to a deranged man with a gun in what could be qualified as an attempted mass shooting. I was left with anger, pain, heartbreak, jealousy, confusion, and memory loss to name a few. What I also felt for years, incorrectly, was that I was supposed to keep those feelings to myself. That I was not supposed to grieve out loud- as tragic as the circumstances were- and that I was expected to just keep moving like the rest of the world did. I know for a fact that this made many years of my life way harder than they would have had I met with a therapist, found others who had experienced something similar or confided in my friends or family. I let private grief stunt my growth as a person and darken my view on many things. The stigma around grief is damaging to our entire world, for a number of reasons. We as humans are MEANT to lean on each other, support each other, and share the stories of our loved ones with one another.
For this reason, I have created this blog. I'd like to welcome all of you to submit photos, share about your loved ones (humans AND animals), and keep their memories alive through this blog.
You can navigate your way back to this blog using the "Remember Them" tab at ashleylozano.com.Submissions can be sent to me via email (ashley@ashleylozano.com). I invite you to share your/their story, find community in others, and lend some support through comments.
Thank you.
