Melissa Etheridge reveals how she coped with the death of her son: 'This can happen in any family!'
Melissa Etheridge wants others to know how she coped with the death of her son.
The 62-year-old singer lost her son Beckett - who she had with the late David Crosby - in early 2020 when he died from a drug overdose aged just 21 and has now opened up about her experience in new memoir 'Talking to My Angels', where she has explained how she has learned how to "live with more joy" despite the tragedy.
Speaking on 'Good Morning America', she said: "I've had such an amazing journey in my life. Great, great highs and low, low lows. And that's okay. And when I say spirit, it's no religion, it's not following anybody, it's just how I understand the meaning of life. One understands how those things that seem so negative and life-stopping actually have taught me more about how to live life with more joy. It was one of the reasons that I knew I wanted to write this book. He died in 2020 at the beginning of COVID and I knew that as time went on, I would need to answer the questions. I've never run away from truth or life as it has happened so I thought this might be a good time to do a book on how I've handled addiction in the family, a death from the addiction in the family, and how we all got through that."
The 'Come to My Window' singer went on to add that she wants other parents who have been dealt with such a tragedy that their life can go on despite the "guilt" they may feel and remains certain that one day she will be reunited with the spirit of her son.
She added: "I hope people will know that they're now alone and I have seen and know about many parents who take on just a huge guilt and shame when one of their children becomes addicted and has this problem, and dies. More and more, this is happening and it can happen in any family. The guilt and the shame that so many take on...all this stuff can really stop your own life. I know Beckett doesn't want me to stop my life. I believe that there's a spirit that we all are that we're all connected to and I will see him again, and that Beckett wants me to be happy."
