Richard Lambert Foundation

10/12/2026

Here we are… not whole, not the same, but still standing.

Not because we've figured it all out. Not because the pain has disappeared. And certainly not because life has gotten easier without them.

But because somehow, through the heartbreak, the tears, the unexpected triggers, and the countless moments of missing them, we've found a way to keep surviving.

We are different now. Grief changes us in ways we never imagined. It changes how we see the world and what matters to us. There are pieces of who we once were that we will never get back. A part of our hearts will always ache for the person who is missing, and life will never look or feel quite the same.

Yet, somehow, we keep going. Some days we feel strong. Other days, we feel like we're barely holding it together. And sometimes, both can happen in the very same moment.

Moving forward doesn't mean leaving anyone behind. Happiness and heartache can exist together. We can build a meaningful life while still wishing with everything in us that things were different.

We may never be who we were before our loss. But here we are….still loving, still missing, still trying, and still standing. And that is something worth recognizing.

10/07/2026

One of the hardest things about your death is realizing that everything we had together had suddenly been sealed in the past.

There will be no new memories. No new conversations. No new photographs. Everything we shared now belongs to a time I can only return to in my mind.

And somehow, I have to keep moving forward while a part of my heart will always live there.

I carry you with me always and forever ❤️‍🩹

10/07/2026

I recently read this statement from Jake Reiner, and can totally relate:

"It's been eight months. It feels like eight years at the same time, and it also feels like eight minutes."

If you’ve experienced a significant loss, you understand exactly what this means.

Grief makes time feel surreal. It can feel like a lifetime since you saw them, heard their voice, or held them, and at the very same time, the loss can feel like it happened only minutes ago.

Somehow, in grief, forever and yesterday can exist at the same time. ❤️‍🩹

10/04/2026

🌼 Grief Journaling Prompt 📝

In the journey of healing and self-discovery, grief journaling can be a powerful tool. Write about it in your journal, and let your emotions flow. Putting it into words is a small step toward learning how to carry grief your differently.

Today, we invite you to reflect on the following prompt:

"Misconceptions about grief I have let go of are….."

Grief journaling can be a valuable practice and a good way to process feelings. Some subjects are harder to process than others. Remember, it's okay to grieve, and it's okay to remember. If you feel you need additional support to work through your grief, if you're feeling stuck, or just need someone to listen, we're here for you. Contact us today.

10/02/2026

There are so many things about grief that hurt. But some days, it’s the permanence of you being gone that hurts the most.

The realization that no matter how much time passes, no matter how much healing happens, no matter how much life continues around me… you are still gone.

I can’t call you. I can’t hear your voice. I can’t hug you. I can’t make another memory with you.

And there are moments when that truth still feels almost impossible to comprehend.

Healing doesn’t change the permanence of loss. You were here. You mattered. You are loved. And I will miss you for as long as I live.

Some days, that permanence just hurts ❤️‍🩹

10/01/2026

❤️‍🩹 Some months carry quiet reminders of love, sorrow, birthdays, anniversaries, and meaningful dates that live in our hearts.

Grief doesn’t follow the calendar, but some days ask us to remember a little more intentionally.

Your love continues, and so does their legacy, carried forward in memory, in stories, and in the way you live. ✨

If you hold a date close to your heart this month, we invite you to share in the comments who you’re remembering this month.

09/23/2026

Today our son, Richard, RLF’s namesake would be 41 ❤️‍🩹

If you missed our matching donation request earlier this month, please consider a donation of $41 for 41 on our donation page https://givebutter.com/RichardLambertFoundationDonate.

Your donation goes a long way in our small nonprofit organization and is greatly appreciated.

I apologize for not providing an update on our matching donation results. This September has been an extremely trying month for me. I can tell you that donations are still being received by mail. Unfortunately, I’m having trouble seeing the names of those of you that made online Facebook donations. I can see about three names directly on our posts and by researching the back end of our site, all names weirdly come up as anonymous. With that being said, I apologize if I’m unable to thank you personally! Please know how much your donations and generosity mean, and I thank you for the tremendous amount of support! While I can report that we didn’t reach our goal of $4K, we are near $2K! As I get through this month, you can expect an update 🫶

With much love and appreciation,
Susan

09/23/2026

Grief Talk: An Evening of Honest Conversation About Life After Someone You Love Dies, real conversation about the parts of grief we don’t always talk about.

Susan Chavez, bereaved mom and founder of the Richard Lambert Foundation, will share openly from her own experience following the death of her 26-year-old son, Richard, in 2012, including the difficult, uncomfortable, painful, and sometimes surprising realities of grief.

This isn't a clinical presentation or a lesson on how you're “supposed” to grieve. It's a real conversation about what life after loss can actually look like.

We’ll talk about the things people often don’t say out loud: anger, guilt, relief, marriage and other relationships that are tested, friendships that change, people who disappear, what happens when everyone else seems to move forward while you’re still trying to understand how to live a life you never expected, unexpected triggers, anniversaries, laughter, happiness, feeling guilty for being happy, and what it can mean to eventually move from simply existing to living again.

You Ask. Susan Answers.

A special part of Grief Talk will be shaped by you.

During registration, you’ll have the opportunity to submit a question you’d like Susan to anonymously address during the evening. It can be about grief in general, or you can ask Susan something personal about her own experience.

Ask the questions people are often afraid to ask a grieving parent or person.

Susan will incorporate submitted questions throughout the evening and answer them openly and honestly.

Who Should Attend?

Grief Talk is for people 18+ who are grieving the death of someone they love, whether the loss happened recently or many years ago.

It’s also for spouses, partners, friends, family members, coworkers, and others who want to better understand and support someone who is grieving.

There is no expectation that you share or participate in questions for our audience. You’re welcome to simply listen.

There may be tears. There may also be laughter. Both belong in conversations about grief.

Come as you are. Bring your questions. Bring your grief. Let's talk honestly.

✅ PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE:

Grief support near me

09/20/2026

Kelly Osbourne recently said something that so many grieving people understand deeply: “Grief can reveal what friendships are genuine.”

She’s right.

Grief has a way of showing us who shows up, and who doesn’t. Who checks in when the loss is new, and who is still checking in months or years later. Who can sit beside our sadness without trying to fix it, rush it, or judge us.

Kelly has spoken openly about losing her father, Ozzy Osbourne. She has also endured incredibly cruel public comments and judgment about her appearance while she was grieving and struggling.

And that deserves to be said out loud:

Kelly, we are so sorry you had to endure that on top of losing your dad. Grief alone is brutal enough. No grieving person should also have to defend what their grief looks like.

People may see the weight loss, the tears, the anger, the withdrawal, the changed personality, or someone simply trying to survive another day, but they don’t see everything happening behind closed doors. They don’t know what it feels like to wake up and remember, all over again, that someone you love is gone.

Sometimes, during the hardest season of your life, you really can count on one hand the people who consistently checked on you.

And you remember that list.

Not necessarily with bitterness, but with a very clear understanding of where your energy belongs going forward.

Grief changes relationships. It reveals who is willing to sit with us when we’re not the version of ourselves they are accustomed to. And sometimes the people we thought would be there aren’t, while others surprise us by quietly showing up again and again.

To anyone grieving: pay attention to the people who show up. Hold them close.

And perhaps just as importantly, if you know someone who is grieving, be the person who shows up. And don’t judge their grief!

09/18/2026

We need 4 amazing volunteers to help with our Hope Floats Water Lantern Festival on Saturday, September 26 at Cherry Creek State Park from 4-8 PM (volunteer time requires earlier arrival).

As a thank-you, volunteers will also be invited to participate in the beautiful lantern release. 💚

Interested? Message us!

Event information https://www.richardlambertfoundation.org/water-lantern-festival