Carrie Schmitt shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Carrie, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I LOVE exploring locally owned coffee shops! It’s even better if they make their own syrup for lattes. I’ve been to at least 50 St. Louis Coffee shops!
Nothing makes me happier than a coffee shop that is aesthetically pleasing, delicious coffee and collaborates with other local businesses!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Carrie Schmitt. I am a mother to 2 boys, Jackson who is forever 7, and Ivan who is now 9. I am a former surrogate, a grief and childhood cancer advocate and the founder of Love Like Jackson, non profit dedicated to supporting grieving siblings.
I am a huge coffee lover and the mom to a ninja warrior. When I’m not driving my son all over the country for ninja competitions, I’m searching for delicious coffee in adorable coffee shops.
My non profit, Love Like Jackson, was founded after the unexpected death of my 7 year old son Jackson.
The pain of his loss lit a fire under me and I started raising funds and awareness for siblings who are often called “forgotten grievers.”
We fund art, music and play therapy for children whose sibling has died.
We provide grief bags that have supportive books for children and their parents.
We also provide resources for bereaved families including support groups for parents and grandparents.
We are unique in many ways:
•Our focus is on the grieving sibling.
•We are the only non profit who provides support for grandparents.
•We are the only non profit in Missouri who funds therapy for children whose sibling has died.
We are working on getting our name out to mental health organizations who support children and advocating for the need for more grief support,
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The death of my son shattered me. I’ve been working hard at putting the pieces back together,
I am so different now. The way I see everything has changed.
The moment that really stands out in my mind was the first time I had to run an errand after Jackson died.
I hadn’t left the house in a month because we had so much support that I didn’t need to.
When the time came, I had to muster up the courage to go out and deal with a cell phone issue.
I went into the store and they were unable to help me. I ran out of the store bawling and wishing they understood how I needed grace and care because I was maneuvering a world that was no longer familiar to me.
I remember saying to myself, “I wish everyone treated everyone like they had just lost the most important person in their life. Our world would be so much kinder if they did.”
From that moment on, I was kinder to people in the store, on the highway and in my every day interactions.
You do not know what kind of battles people are facing.
The death of my son made me much more empathetic.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
This question resonates with me because I would tell my therapist how hard everything was after the death of my son.
I didn’t want to do hard things because it hurt. Many people don’t want to do hard things.
My therapist said, “if you replace the word ‘hard’ with ‘important,’ it changes how you approach things.”
It changed the way I look at everything.
It’s much harder to avoid something when you say, “I don’t want to do this, it’s important.”
I look at everything I do through this lens now because I know that hard=important.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
“Everything happens for a reason.”
I honestly hate that saying because I can never make sense of the death of my beautiful 7 year old son.
Another gem that my therapist left me with is that there is more to that quote.
He says, “You can make reason out of everything.”
Maybe it’s just a different way of saying it but it feels better to me.
I am choosing to make something good out of something terrible.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope that I am remembered for noticing the otherwise overlooked. It is my mission in life to bring awareness to subjects that are taboo to talk about.
I want to be remembered for standing up for what’s right, even if it means making people uncomfortable.
This is not how I would have ever envisioned my life but I am going to spend every day of my life standing up for people whose voice may not be able to speak about their struggles. I can and I will.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.lovelikejackson.com
- Instagram: Lovelikejackson1219
- Linkedin: Carrie Schmitt
- Facebook: Carrie Chick-Schmitt
Image Credits
J Rhoades Studio
