Team Keemiya is in conversation with author Geetha Balagopal, whose essay is a part of Our Stories Are Us: Voices of Love, Loss, and Longing (MyndStories, 2026).
Geetha Balagopal
Contributor, Our Stories Are Us: Voices of Love, Loss, and Longing
Geetha Balagopal is the proud mother of two lovely daughters. Her oldest, Priya, died by suicide in January 2016. Priya was very passionate about mental health, social justice and women’s issues. Since losing Priya, Geetha has shared her story and participated in many walks to raise awareness and funds for organizations like National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) and Walk for Hope in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she resides.
Team Keemiya: What moved you to write your personal story, and what made you feel ready to share it publicly?
Geetha Balagopal : I wanted Priya to be remembered for how she lived and not for how she died. She was so much more than the last seconds of her life. She mattered, her life mattered and her pain (and our pain) mattered. I wanted others like her to know that they are not alone. I wanted them to make a different choice than the one she made. I didn’t want her death to be in vain.
Team Keemiya: While writing your essay, did you discover or understand something new about your experience, your relationships, or yourself?
Geetha Balagopal : I had shared bits and pieces of her story a couple of years after she died. I have always questioned the purpose of life, why we are here, do souls choose their parents, and their life lessons, why do terrible things happen to good people, etc. years before we lost Priya. As I wrote it, I discovered what a gift Priya was and still is. I am honored that she chose me to be her mother. I will honor her every day that I am alive.
I would hope that they know that they are worthy and full of light. That suicide is a permanent and irrevocable decision to a temporary crisis. That they are not a burden and that help is available. That they are not alone.
Team Keemiya: Sharing deeply personal experiences can be difficult. What was the most challenging part of putting your story into words?
Geetha Balagopal : It was incredibly difficult to write it. It took me a few hours. I was crying the whole time and it was difficult to see what I was typing.
Team Keemiya: If a reader who has gone through something similar picks up this book, what would you hope they feel or take away from your story?
Geetha Balagopal : I would hope that they know that they are worthy and full of light. That suicide is a permanent and irrevocable decision to a temporary crisis. That they are not a burden and that help is available. That they are not alone. I hope that they will remember Priya for how she lived and how kind she was.
Team Keemiya: As a first-time writer, what did the experience of contributing to this anthology mean to you personally?
Geetha Balagopal : I was honored to be asked to contribute. I am so very grateful that Priya will live through the anthology and that she will continue to save lives and make a difference 10 years after her death.
Read more stories of other contributors.
Team Keemiya: How did writing your story affect your relationship with the memory or experience you wrote about?
Geetha Balagopal : That Priya is not really gone. She is part of me. She is in every cell in my body. I will always be her mother and she will always be my beloved child.
Team Keemiya: One word that describes your story
Geetha Balagopal: Love
Team Keemiya: A book or writer that inspires you.
Geetha Balagopal: James Herriott
Team Keemiya: What writing this essay taught you?
Geetha Balagopal : Grief is a great teacher if you choose to learn and grow from it
This conversation is part of the ongoing series featuring contributors to Our Stories Are Us, a literary anthology exploring the depth and complexity of human relationships.
Want to read their full story? Find it in Our Stories Are Us. Grab a copy today!
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About the Book
Our Stories Are Us is a literary anthology that brings together a set of real, deeply personal narratives about the fragile beauty of human relationships. Through essays and memoir-style reflections, this collection brings together voices that speak with honesty about grief, resilience, vulnerability and healing.
Blending the honesty of non-fiction storytelling, these lived experiences of love and loss tell of relationships that transform us, grief that shake us from deep within, and moments of connection that leave a lasting imprint. Every story holds space for vulnerability, courage, and the unspoken truths we often struggle to name.
This book is perfect for readers of literary non-fiction, and who enjoy reading essays, short stories, and memoirs. This book is for you if you’re drawn to reflective, emotionally rich storytelling and believe in the power of narrative as a form of healing.
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