{"id":6339,"date":"2024-02-14T15:12:21","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T15:12:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/?p=6339"},"modified":"2024-02-14T15:12:21","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T15:12:21","slug":"granger-smith-shares-how-his-kids-saved-him-from-rock-bottom-after-losing-son","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/2024\/02\/granger-smith-shares-how-his-kids-saved-him-from-rock-bottom-after-losing-son.html","title":{"rendered":"Granger Smith Shares How His Kids Saved Him From ‘Rock Bottom’ After Losing Son"},"content":{"rendered":"
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@grangersmith\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Granger Smith is helping his community discuss grief. The Up Toward the Light <\/em>author, who left his 24-year country music career last year to pursue a future in ministry, remembered hitting a “rock bottom” moment and going into a dark place shortly after the death of his 3-year-old son River in 2019. Smith is also releasing a children’s book targeted at kids ages 4 to 8 in hopes of helping parents and kids navigate loss and grief.<\/p>\n

With the help of his daughter and son, Smith saw the “ray of light” he needed to keep fighting not only for his life but also for his family after their tragic loss. He told Fox News Digital, “I thought of my children, Lincoln and London, the ones that I had. I lost my son River. I had Lincoln and London, and I saw their faces, and during a moment when I just wanted to end my life, I thought about them. And there was such a radiance of joy.” He added, “God’s gift to me was them, and to know that they needed me as a father was a powerful understanding. It sounds kind of obvious when I said it that way, but man, when the walls are closing in, and you’re in the darkness \u2013 any ray of light you can take is a godsend.”<\/p>\n

The Smith family was outside their home when River slipped through their pool gate and drowned in their pool. River was quickly pulled out of the water but was without oxygen for too long and\u00a0died at a hospital\u00a0two days later. Lincoln and London both witnessed the accident. Since the accident, Smith and his wife Amber have become outspoken advocates for children’s water safety and\u00a0donated $200,000\u00a0to the hospital that treated River.\u00a0In August 2021, they also welcomed another little one into the family when Amber gave birth to a son, Maverick.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Granger Smith (@grangersmith)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n