Crystal Partney was moved to begin Scattering Hope and Owl & Thistle after experiencing the devastating loss of her sister to suicide. Like many, her initial reaction to the event was filled with many unbearable emotions. To get through the anguish, Crystal decided to put her energy into helping others through the companies she created.

Crystal’s Mission

Crystal initially launched Scattering Hope to help people cope with the loss of loved ones to suicide. Death is often a challenging subject for people to work out in their heads, and suicide can be extremely difficult.

From her experience, Crystal realized that dealing with loss from suicide can be much harder than death by accident or natural causes. Suicides are particularly hard to process because the deceased person decided to take their own life, and it’s impossible for someone else to understand why.

People dealing with this type of loss also have conflicted feelings of guilt, confusion about the person’s intentions and can experience feelings of abandonment. Along with the inner emotional turmoil, suicide can be a taboo topic for some—causing more pain to those suffering from loss.

As Crystal walked through the other side of her pain, she came to understand that it was OK not to have all the answers. She realized that all she could do was hope that her sister was happy and in a better place.

She gives many tips on helping others cope with the early stages of a suicide loss through her book. She uses encouraging and uplifting language and coaches people through some of the basic movements to get them functioning again.

Some of her tips are very simple and include:

• Going for a walk.
• Drinking a bottle of water.
• Washing your hair.
• Making your bed.
• Making the effort to call a friend.
• And much more.

Healing Companions

Crystal saw the book as a great companion for the toolbox but envisioned that people needed more. So she created a monthly subscription plan for gift boxes and a place people could share their stories.

The gift boxes allow people in the grieving process to attach anchors to the emotions they are experiencing at any one time during the grieving process. In addition, the boxes include a yin yang journal set and other items people can use to help move the healing process forward.

The yin yang journal set consists of two journals. There is a light teal journal where people can write down their daily feelings of gratitude and what made them happy that day. There is also a dark blue journal where participants can release their negative emotions.

For some, the journals fill up fast and benefit from having them sent on a monthly basis. The boxes also serve as a small beacon of light for people experiencing loss to look forward to.

If you or a loved one has experienced a loss due to suicide, seek out help. This type of loss can be debilitating, making it essential to find all of the support and love you can find. Visit Scattering Hope today to find out more about Crystal’s “Scattering Hope – A 30-Day Journal to Guide and Comfort Those Left Behind After Suicide.” You can also purchase single boxes or boxes by monthly subscription, containing the yin yang journal set and other treasures to help you along the way.