Wake Me Up When September Ends

Good Grief: Life After Loss · Sep 17, 2026 · 11m

Everyone remembers October 1. Skylar remembers September.

October 1st is the date Skylar’s brother, Sam, died. It’s the date people remember, the date the texts and calls come in, the date that lives on the calendar.

But September was the month before. The month Skylar left school and flew to Australia. The month her family spent at Sam’s bedside. The month filled with fear, hope, sadness, and disappointment, all while not knowing what their lives were about to become.

Eleven years later, Skylar reflects on the kind of grief that begins before a loss actually happens, and why sometimes the…