Finding the Courage to Share

Saying Cooper's Name Out Loud

Sharing my books with The Compassionate Friends

There are moments on this journey that feel both terrifying and quietly right at the same time.

Recently, I took a step that held both feelings.

I shared my two books — From Pain to Purpose and Do You Look at the Sky? — with a group of bereaved parents through an Open Day at The Compassionate Friends of Victoria.

Walking into that space, I felt nervous.

Not because the people there wouldn’t understand. But because they would.

They know this loss. They know what it means to live in a world that keeps moving when your world has stopped.

And there is something deeply vulnerable about placing your heart — your words, your story — in front of people who carry the same kind of pain.

The Fear

There is always a quiet voice that asks:

Is this too much? Am I ready to share this? Will they understand?

These books were never written to be products. They were written from grief. From love. From the need to keep Cooper close.

Sharing them felt like opening a very personal part of my life.

But grief has already taken away any illusion of control.

And so I went.

The Comfort of Being Among Those Who Know

What I found in that space was something gentle.

No explanations needed. No awkward silence. No trying to make things better.

Just parents who understand.

Parents who live each day carrying a child in their hearts.

When I spoke about the books, I wasn’t speaking as an author.

I was speaking as a mum.

A mum who lost her son. A mum who wrote to survive. A mum who needed his story to continue to exist in the world.

Saying His Name

One of the most meaningful parts of the experience was simply saying his name.

Cooper.

In everyday life, there are moments when people don’t know what to say. Sometimes his name isn’t mentioned. Sometimes there is a quiet moving on.

But in that room, saying his name felt natural. Welcome.

Because in spaces like that, we understand something important:

Our children are still part of us. Their names matter. Their lives matter.

And every time we speak their name, we honour that they were here.

Why the Books Matter

From Pain to Purpose shares the reality of life after losing a child — the rawness, the confusion, the slow learning to carry love and grief together.

Do You Look at the Sky? offers a gentle way for families and children to stay connected to someone they love and miss.

They were written for this community.

For parents who feel alone. For families trying to find words. For anyone learning how to live with a love that has nowhere to go — and yet is everywhere.

A Quiet Kind of Courage

Sharing the books was scary.

But it also felt right.

Because if my words help even one parent feel understood…If one family finds a way to talk about their child…If one person feels less alone…

Then Cooper’s light is reaching further than I ever imagined.

And that is why I write.

To keep his name spoken. To keep his life remembered. To let love continue.

Because love doesn’t end