There is no language for the moment a parent loses a child.
There is only the long walk afterward.
For Shannon, that walk began three years ago, after losing her daughter Maddie in a battle with her mental health at just fourteen years old. The kind of loss that breaks time into before and after. The kind that reshapes every breath. And yet, from the deepest place of grief, something quietly extraordinary emerged. A children’s book written from Maddie’s own spiritual perspective. A mother’s act of love. A message of hope for families walking the same impossible road.
Shannon’s book, Always With You: A Short Story of My Spiritual Journey That Brought Comfort and Healing to My Family, is now available on Amazon. It was born from the signs she felt from her daughter and the belief that Maddie is still present in her life every day.
“My inspiration for writing this book was the amazing signs from my daughter and the idea that she is always with us,” Shannon says. “Knowing she is always around and helping is such a comfort. I wanted to create a book to help the siblings of children who have passed. I wanted them to know their brother or sister is still with them. They now have a different type of relationship.”
Her son Brandon was only eleven when Maddie passed. In the months that followed, Shannon felt an overwhelming need to give him something more than words. Something that could meet him in the quiet places grief reaches. Something that would remind him that love does not disappear when a body does.
“I also wanted my daughter to be remembered. She only had fourteen short years on this Earth. I want everyone to know her story. My goal is not only to live for myself, but to live for her as well.”
Writing the book did not come immediately. It took nearly a year before Shannon could begin.
“I felt and still feel such a strong spiritual connection to Maddie that I needed to share with everyone what gave me such comfort. Grief is such a personal journey and what helps one may not help another, but I felt so compelled to try to help other grieving families. I felt like I had Maddie’s strength to help me along.”
What began as a deeply private act of survival soon became something much larger. When other grieving parents began reaching out, telling her how much the book comforted them, Shannon realized Maddie’s story was doing what she had always hoped.
“I honestly didn’t realize it until I heard from other grieving parents that the book was very comforting and very different from other books about grief.”
For Shannon, the most meaningful part of the process was simple and profound.
“To see her memory live on in print. To know that other people will read about her and how she helps us every day puts such a smile on my face. Her story helping people is a wonderful thing to experience.”
Her message for children is tender and steady.
“I hope that children know their brother or sister is still with them, just in a different way. Not physically but spiritually. I want them to know their loved ones want them to be happy and that you can still find hope and joy among the grief and sorrow.”
And for parents trying to navigate conversations that feel impossible, Shannon speaks with the wisdom grief teaches.
“Communication is so important. Everyone will deal with their grief differently. My husband, son, and myself all grieve in different ways. Keeping lines of communication open is key so there aren’t fractures in the family.”
The book became part of Shannon’s own healing.
“Writing this book absolutely helped me. I felt Maddie with me every step of the way. I was always reminded of Maddie’s sweet spirit with each page and illustration.”
Her central truth is this.
“Your loved one is still with you. Dealing with the loss of their physical body is extremely hard. It is a matter of realizing you now have a different relationship, a spiritual one. They want you to be happy.”
When asked what helped her take her first steps forward as a mother, Shannon does not pretend it was easy.
“That first year after her passing was such a blur. Some days are hard and some days are good. I choose to live for Maddie and try to make the best of every day.”
She continues to show up not because it is simple, but because love demands it.
“I can either let the grief get me and just sit and wallow or sit in my grief for a bit and get back to life. I choose the latter. I have an amazing husband and son. Living for Maddie makes me happy. Being happy is the best way I can think to honor her.”
Even her cookie business carries Maddie’s fingerprint.
“I was one year into my business when Maddie passed. I almost quit. Then I realized quitting does not honor my daughter or my efforts. I took a break and came back to baking. I have created a cookie in honor of Maddie. She used to taste test everything. Baking has been my love for over thirty years.”
What she hopes people feel when they taste them is the same thing she hopes families feel when they read Maddie’s story.
“Love. Purpose. Comfort. Hope.”
Because for Shannon, love did not end when Maddie left this world.
It simply learned how to stay.
Sugar & Chip AZ
Sugar & Chip AZ is a beloved local home bakery known for unforgettable cookies, created by Arizona native Shannon, whose 25-year passion blends comfort, craft, and purpose. Honoring her daughter Maddie, she launched the Maddie Melde Foundation and authored Always With You.
Order her cookies and taste the love: sugarandchipaz.com