My son Anthony was killed September 7, 2017. He was shot four times as he sat in a car. He was 29 years old. My whole family was devastated. My heart felt as if it was broken in two. As the days passed after the funeral, I was slowly breaking down. I didn’t want to live without one of my kids not being here with me. Parents are not supposed to bury their children like this.
I went through the motions of living. My daughter had a newborn that was born two weeks before Anthony was killed. He looked so much like Anthony that it was crazy. I clung to him. Then one day I heard, as if he was sitting right next to me, Anthony’s voice saying, “Get up, Ma Dukes, and get it together. I love you Mommy, and you have to fight for my legacy and be strong for the family because you are the Queen and they need you more than ever.” I cried and started healing. The pain of grief doesn’t ever go away. It’s my new normal. I am now a GRIEFSHARE facilitator who helps others in their healing.