Angel Rehtaeh Parsons

If you want to keep this page in your newsfeed please see diagram to change the setting. Facebook has changed how the newsfeed choices shows up for you. Thank You!

My discussions these days are online . My recent podcast interview. https://youtu.be/LNtdyzt_bks

Thank You my neighbours in the U.S.A for all your.messages today. I feel the love and support from all of you. Let us all continue to "Rae's Awareness"... This photo showed up for.me today and it was one she shared on her fb wall. I am blessed she chose me to be her Mom.

I found a photo today that fell out of some clothing as I was reorganizing my dresser. I find many photos and because Rehtaeh was my 1st girl photos are everyw...here. However this one is very significant because of the process I incorporated to work with my PTSD. I have some pretty awful images of my daughter. And there's not just one particular image. There are multiple images that I work with on a regular basis. And what I learned to do with these images is bring in an image of Rehtaeh when she was happy and place it next to the image of the trauma in my mind. One of my visuals is Rehtaeh running with her dog Jasper on the beach. It brings me much joy. Today the Universe brought me this image in the form of a photo at the exact moment I needed it. She is never far! We can work with PTSD I taught myself this method but maybe you can give it a try also! Spirit is always with with us!

14 years ago, I woke up like any other Tuesday morning, packed my lunch, kissed my girlfriend(at the time) and headed to work. It was pretty normal day working ...at a welding shop, and I was anticipating on a normal evening at home. 14 years ago my life was altered in a way I could have never imagined for myself. In a matter of a few short hours, I had gone from a successful, aspiring hockey player to a sexual assault victim. #Im1in5 In the 14 years since my life was flipped upside down, I have failed and failed and failed, I have been at a bottom that I didn't know exsited, I have felt hopeless, worthless, ugly, stupid, unloved and unlovable, weak, dirty, helpless and so many more negatives. Today as I start my day, I reflect on how far down the scale I have been and proud of how much I've worked since then. Almost 7 years of sobriety, a moral compass that is straight, and unconditional love in my heart, care in my soul, support in my life and encouragement all around me. Today, I have a life that I wouldn't have had, had I not gone through that hell. I have been able to find beauty in this process and trust the journey that the universe has planned for me. I dont share this for pity, but to show others its possible to take your #StrengthFromPain. Today I'm incredibly grateful to be alive. I cant thank the people who have stuck by me enough. You have shown me what unconditional love looks like, feels like, acts like. I also have to thank the people who have left me, abandoned me, ridculed me. You have made me a force, a voice, a representative that at the end of the rope, you just tie a knot and hang on for the upswing. #ThankYouForMyLifeBack #EvenABrokenClockIsRightTwiceADay

IF YOU ARE AN UNCOMMON WOMAN, HIT PLAY There are so many women in my community who have powerful stories, and those stories are waiting to be told. If you... have a story, then there is a reason why this is showing up for you right NOW. Hit play. Listen. Listen to your heart. If this resonates.....and if you are ready to RISE... Email me at [email protected] or go to https://www.theuncommonwoman.com/speak and fill out the application. We start Monday. Marlo xo

This photo popped up on World Suicide Prevention Day! It's hard to believe still 7yrs later that my 1st born -the "rae of light " that made me a Mom is not here... living her life. You see we all think that something this horrific can not happen to us. Suicide we say is for those with severe mental health struggles. Often there is lots of stigma attached to the families with assumptions that "they" "those families" must have been pretty dysfunctional for a child, brother, aunt,parent to kill themselves. How selfish they say!! I actually never thought suicide was selfish. I understand because too have been to those dark places. I attempted suicide when I was 16yrs old And seriously considered it again when Rehtaeh died. Yes I knew that I had children to care for Yes I knew they needed me AND I had no idea how I would be able to care for them. I couldn't see how I would ever be "unbroken" from this cruel life that took my child from me. Anyone who knew Rae knew she was strong, compassionate, with a HUGE heart. She was super smart and school was so easy for her... until her trauma. She loved to learn until.....she was raped She loved her life and often exclaimed her excitement for her future until....her rape photo was circulated. She loved her community and friends until the cyber abuse began. She couldn't wait to travel the world one day until traveling outside her ownnhome was unbearable. Was she weak because she died by suicide? 17 months!! She fought every day to live She often stated "Mom, I don't want to die but I am too young to have so many horrible thoughts running through my head! I'm terrified !" She wanted to get back up on her feet and begin her life over again. Hearing"I want to move forward and feel better" haunts me still but I can't live in "what ifs " because that is self sabotage. I had to rise up for both of us. "Mom, I want to stay and be the big sister Temma and Teaghan can look to for advice and guidance. I want to be their role model!" These comments still crush me when I go there but I don't stay in those places like I once did trapped inside my mind of pain and suffering . She fought hard to stay. I fought hard to rise up from the ashes. But in that moment - the moment she acted on that impulse..that moment won! I watched her struggle and I watched her face insurmountable struggles as the police allowed that photo to circulate the entire time. Watching a loved one ( especially your child that you promise to protect with every fiber of your being ) slowly fade away feels like pieces if your heart being torn piece by piece in slow agonizing torment. Rehtaeh is her name and she made sure people knew her name and her story. She is a teacher now traveling the world , spreading her knowledge and her pain to help others speak out about suicide , mental health and sexualized violence. She is still pursuing her goals but from the the other side of the veil. I honour her by doing the same with immense love instead of anger . We are meant to transform our deepest pain by transcending it into wisdom. Suicide does not have a type ! We have no idea who is struggling. Please encourage communication with a non judgmental approach. Listen with an open heart! This is the face of suicide! Rehtaeh Anne Parsons Dec 9 1995 - April 7 2013

Hello, can you help? People are messaging stating they saw a documentary about Rehtaeh on Amazon Prime but here in Canada I do not see that. Can you tell me which documentary you saw and what country? I'm wondering if Amazon prime TV in different countries have different options.

Such sad news to wake up to this morning. You never deserved all the awful treatment you received and zero justice for the sexualized violence and ongoing attacks. You were strong, brave and courageous. I will keep your Mom and the rest of your siblings in my heart Daisy Melinda Moeller Coleman... #suicideawareness

Thank you South Africa for all your kind and caring messages today. Truly appreciated!

Thank You Scott. Another beautiful song dedicated to Rae! https://soundcloud.com/scottmckone/rehtaeh-is-her-name-2020

The thing about #childloss is that I can go to very dark places and deep sadness in my mind in 3.5 secs in any moment. It could be a photo showing up like this one did in my fb feed. It could be her fav quote, food, a scent, a song a memory and the longing arrives.... The anger could come next because of what happened to her and how she suffered. All the memories we will never make now and on and on it goes.... But the stories of the would of, could ofs, should ofs dont get a lot of momentum these days. I go back to my commitment to live my best life but I ALWAYS stay present to the emotions. The emotions need to be felt and loved but I no longer allow the mind to mindlessly take me to places that would keep me in a spiral of "life is not fair" . Life may not be fair but its worth living not just existing. Feeling my loss this morning and staying for the sadness then dropping into gratitude for this child who showed me so much in this life and the afterlife. #blessed #loved #grief #childloss #suicide #endsexualizedviolence #gratidude #openheart #presencee

Just for awareness to share and educate

How does avoiding pain cause pain

Truth be told I watched her die slowly for 17months leading up to her suicide. Then had to watch her slowly slip away for the final exit over a three day period. You know what compounds this type of intense grief? Not allowing the emotions of deep pain to be greeted with love & compassion. No one else can do this for you. Time only numbs out the edges of despair but time will not heal wounds that need to transcend. Stuffing emotions and "getting busy" is how we turn away from... pain and ultimately ourselves. Before losing Rehtaeh I was pretty good at showing up in life as "STRONG" and pressing through pain. After Rehtaeh I no longer was able to push my way into the daily grind. That facade let me go! My soul silently screams..."Please see me! Please feel me!" I no longer stifled her cries. I no longer buried the screams with obsessions and distractions . I wanted to hide but that was not my path and thankfully, I was cracked to my core. I made room for grief and honoured it all as the truth rose up to meet me. We are born to LOVE deeply and to GRIEVE deeply yet we only want the "feel good" emotions. We chase them down ignoring the beautiful lessons and wisdom found in our deepest pain. Life is not meant to be lived by hiding ourselves and our pain. The greatest gift on my path has been to embrace it all. I no longer hide from my feelings. I walk alongside my emotions and treat them like friends because they are. It is not always pretty. It is downright agonizing at times when the pain grips and holds on tight. I know now to ride the wave, not flail around searching for a breath before the next crashing wave hits. I no longer compare myself to who I once was and what I was capable of "achieving" in a day. I embrace all that I CAN do and greet myself with a brave and loving heart. My heart will never close because that is a promise I will keep. One of the many things I do these days is keeping promises - especially the ones I make with Rehtaeh and my Soul. #soulledlife #childlossawareness See more

A song was just released in Rehtaehs memory's Thank you Jamie Lavier for bringing this to life.

This one popped in the memory feed and instantly pulled me in. Now and then an image instantly brings me to the moments when you were here in physical form This was taken at the Palladium Restaurant at the end of grade 9 .... Graduation Day Full of dreams and anticipation for your high school yrs to follow. Just 6 months later your whole life and outlook on it shifted from joy to trauma. You fought so hard to stay here but your soul's journey had other plans. Life always has her own plans for us not the other way around. Rehtaeh I will continue to listen for your guidance from.this side of the veil until our souls meet in the other side. #loveneverdies but memories can bring you to a place of instant intense sadness in a moment . #childloss :(

Thank you for all the love and support pouring in from Texas, Pennsylvania and South Dakota. It ia greatly appreciated.

The parallels of racism and sexualized violence against women are so similar. Why? Because both were created on systems of oppression. People in emotional pai...n should not have to soothe and constantly educate others who have not done their own exploring of internalized racism, sexism etc yet here we are. I know that explaining the levels of violence against women right down to the everyday objectification of women wears me down emotionally. I understood long before my child was raped that women were not safe and then it all happened like a bad movie before my eyes. I vowed to be her voice but getting through layers of beliefs instilled for generations is a long process. While it is not the same as racism the foundation and layers of inequality run deep. My hope is that learning, listening and change occurs #blacklivesmatter.

To anyone who has found a memory stone* A PhD student is researching my Memory Stones for Rehtaeh for her dissertation, which is about media/arts interventions in gender-based violence. If you are someone who found a memory stone (anywhere in the world), and are interested in answering a couple brief questions about your experience of finding it, please reach out to me via the Messenger inbox for this page, and I will connect you. Thank you for your help!

This page is about love and ending hate. Rehtaeh is not here because of hate. I did post about Black Lives Matter because I believe love wins. Dialogue is necessary but keep it respectful please.

I have felt this stirring for along time. I never liked the term "All Lives matter" It negates what is actually happening. Its the same way that I am "irked"wh...en I hear "reverse racism" . Racism is built on white patriarchal systems of power. Until people of colour are the overriding dominant system there is no such thing of reverse racism. Sometimes I too don't know what to say as a white person . I do worry I may say the wrong thing and offend someone but I also know that silence is not the way forward. #WhiteAllies