Julie Rocco is a survivor. In 2009, she lost her partner to suicide, and shortly after, she attempted to take her own life. Her book, What I Would Have Missed: Stories by Suicide Ideation, Attempt and Loss Survivors, is a conduit for connection and healing for other survivors whose lives have been impacted by suicide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rocco will launch the book and speak on the topic Tuesday, May 12 at Coastal Creative in St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Julie-Rocco-book-200x300.jpg\")
While What Would Have Missed opens with Rocco detailing her own experience, the bulk of the book is community-sourced writings of hope, resiliency, grief, uncertainty and perseverance \u2014 sometimes all in the same sentence. The submissions range in length from a few sentences to a few pages, and each offer a unique perspective on the contributor\u2019s experience with suicide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rather than categorizing the stories by survival, attempt or ideation, Rocco instead organized the book into themes, including, \u201cThe Ones Who Help Me Through,\u201d \u201cDiscovering Meaning and Purpose\u201d and \u201cThe Bravest Thing I Ever Did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rocco talked about her process of creating the book with her designer: \u201cI told her, \u2018I cannot separate these stories \u2026 too many people carry both loss and grief and hope and healing in the same breath, and I\u2019m not going to be the one that dissects them.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that\u2019s what I did. I chose not to dissect into those three categories, and instead honor the complexity of the lives we live as it relates to suicide, and then put it into those themes.\u201d<\/p>\n
READ MORE: New suicide prevention program offers hope, healing<\/a><\/p>\n Writing a book was not Rocco\u2019s original plan. The project was a natural evolution from her podcast (What I Would Have Missed<\/a>), which was steadily increasing in popularity and listener engagement, so she put out a call on her website and social media asking for stories.<\/p>\n Contributors could respond to any of three prompts: \u201cWhat you have missed\u201d (addressed to people lost to suicide from their survivors), \u201cWhat I would I missed\u201d (describing what the author would have missed had they completed suicide), and \u201cWhat I will not miss\u201d (answering why someone with ideation chooses to not attempt).\u00a0<\/p>\n Rocco reviewed each of the submissions. The process of selecting and transcribing, she said, was an emotional and experiential process. Rather than copy\/pasting submissions, Rocco chose to retype each story.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to truly feel what was being expressed, and make certain that I really had a clear understanding of it, that it would hold purpose and weight in the book, and that I was truly saying \u2018Yes, include this story.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n While the subject matter is heavy, and grief and pain are ever-present themes, there\u2019s an air of hope and even joy throughout the book. The simple act of choosing life is continuously celebrated.<\/p>\n In the chapter \u201cSmall Things That Anchor Me,\u201d Cole H. writes how simple daily routines and the feeling of mattering and belonging are what, literally, give him life:<\/p>\n My dog needs a bath my lizard wants more crickets and my cat was begging for a brush today<\/p>\n My boss said I was his most important employee<\/p>\n My sister called me<\/p>\n I seen a house sparrow with red feathers\u00a0<\/p>\n The simplicity of these \u201csmall things\u201d are juxtaposed with devastating stories of sexual assault and the trauma of surviving. Grounding and journaling activities break up the stories so that individuals can tend to themselves and the emotions that may arise as they read. This trauma-informed storytelling is evident even in the design of the book itself.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c[The book designer] used a lot of white space, and that\u2019s to calibrate your nervous system,\u201d Rocco explained. \u201cIf it felt too dense when I was typing or reading the stories, I was like, \u2018Okay, I need something to balance that on the page, so that I\u2019m balancing the emotional weight in depth with the physical structure of the book.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo as I was feeling the experience as a reader, what, what would possibly be needed to feel held in those moments?\u201d<\/p>\n She hopes that these simple yet profound first-hand accounts can help people find connection, instill hope, and remind survivors that their stories are worth telling.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s how you honor someone\u2019s dignity, it\u2019s that you honor their truth, and I think it\u2019s how you\u2019re able to create authentic connection. Because I\u2019m not having to be somebody I\u2019m not in order for you to love me, like me, accept me, help me. You have to start with the core truth of who you are. I believe that is the beginning of your lifeline.\u201d<\/p>\n What I Would Have Missed: Stories by Suicide Ideation, Attempt and Loss Survivors is available for pre-order at tombolobooks.com<\/a>. RSVP here<\/a> for the Tombolo-sponsored event, at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Coastal Creative.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal ideation:\u00a0<\/p>\n Call or text 988 (National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
\nChat via 988lifeline.org
\nIn an emergency, call 911<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Julie-Rocco-1-300x188.jpg\")
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