In February 2000, at age 67, Guy Waterman reached the grim goal he and his wife spent more than a year preparing for: he committed suicide by freezing to death in New Hampshire's White Mountains.
His death, like all suicides do, raised agonizing questions. Laura Waterman looks to love for answers in her new memoir, "Losing the Garden: The Story of a Marriage."
kAmQx? >J =:76 H:E9 vFJ x 925 =@G65 3=:?5=J[ A=F?8:?8 H9@=6962CE65=J :?E@ E9:D :CC2E:@?2=[ ;@J@FD[ A2:?7F=[ ]]]k^Am
kAmx? u63CF2CJ a___[ 2E 286 ef[ vFJ (2E6C>2? C624965 E96 8C:> 8@2= 96 2?5 9:D H:76 DA6?E >@C6 E92? 2 J62C AC6A2C:?8 7@Ci 96 4@>>:EE65 DF:4:56 3J 7C66K:?8 E@ 562E9 :? }6H w2>AD9:C6VD (9:E6 |@F?E2:?D]k^Am
kAmw:D 562E9[ =:<6 2== DF:4:56D 5@[ C2:D65 28@?:K:?8 BF6DE:@?D] {2FC2 (2E6C>2? =@@<D E@ =@G6 7@C 2?DH6CD :? 96C ?6H >6>@:C[ Q{@D:?8 E96 v2C56?i %96 $E@CJ @7 2 |2CC:286]Qk^Am
kAmQx? >J =:76 H:E9 vFJ x 925 =@G65 3=:?5=J[ A=F?8:?8 H9@=6962CE65=J :?E@ E9:D :CC2E:@?2=[ ;@J@FD[ A2:?7F=[ A6CA=6I:?8 E6CC:E@CJ H6 42== =@G6[Q D96 HC:E6D] Qx 925 E2<6? =@G6 E@ 6IEC6>6D]Qk^Am
kAm%96 EH@ >6E 4=:>3:?8 :? `heh] {2FC2[ :? 96C =2E6 a_D[ H@C<65 2E 2 }6H *@C< r:EJ AF3=:D9:?8 9@FD6] $6G6? J62CD @=56C[ vFJ 925 2 C6DF>6 E92E :?4=F565 DE:?ED 2D 2 ;2KK A:2?:DE 2?5 A@=:E:42= 2:56 :? (2D9:?8E@?] #646?E=J D6A2C2E65 7C@> 9:D H:76[ 96 H2D =:G:?8 :? }6H *@C< 2?5 H@C<:?8 2D 2 DA6649HC:E6C 2E v6?6C2= t=64EC:4]k^Am
kAm%96 EH@ H6C6 >2CC:65 :? `hfa] p3@FE 2 J62C =2E6C[ E96J >@G65 E@ 2 9@>6DE625 E96J H6C6 3F:=5:?8 @? 2 D64=F565 DA@E ;FDE @FED:56 E96 G:==286 @7 t2DE r@C:?E9] vFJ (2E6C>2? ?2>65 :E Qq2CC2[Q 27E6C 2 $4@EE:D9 :D=2?5] {:36C2E65 7C@> E96 8C:E 2?5 ?@:D6 @7 4:EJ =:76[ E96 4@FA=6 =:G65 D:>A=J 2E q2CC2 \ 2 A=246 H:E9@FE A=F>3:?8 @C 6=64EC:4:EJ]k^Am
kAm{2FC2 (2E6C>2? 76== 566A=J :?E@ 9:D @C3:E]k^Am
kAmQx>>65:2E6=J ]]] x 96=5 vFJ :? D@>6 F?DA@<6? A=246 36J@?5 >J 23:=:EJ E@ 2CE:4F=2E6[Q D96 HC:E6D]k^Am
kAmw6C 56AE9 @7 766=:?8 96=AD 6IA=2:? 9@H (2E6C>2? H2D 23=6 E@ =:G6 7@C DF49 2 =@?8 E:>6 H:E9 E96 <?@H=6586 96C 9FD32?5 H2D 8@:?8 E@ <:== 9:>D6=7] x? `hhg[ vFJ (2E6C>2? EC:65 E@ 4@>>:E DF:4:56 3J ;F>A:?8 @77 2 4=:77 :? E96 (9:E6 |@F?E2:?D] w6 AF==65 324< :? E96 7:?2= >@>6?ED[ 3FE G@H65 E@ ECJ 282:?]k^Am
kAm(96? 96 E@=5 9:D H:76[ D96 H2D D92<6?]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 2D E9@F89 2 <:E496? <?:76 92D D=:AA65[ E96 3=256 5C2H:?8 :ED6=7 24C@DD J@FC 7:?86CD[Q D96 HC:E6D]k^Am
kAm#2E96C E92? D66<:?8 96=A @C FC8:?8 9:> E@[ {2FC2 (2E6C>2? C6DA64E65 9:D H:D96D]k^Am
kAmQx7 96 C62==J 766=D E9:D H2J H6 D9@F=5 A=2? 7@C :E[Q D96 HC@E6 :? 96C ;@FC?2= 2E E96 E:>6] Q%9:D :D 2H7F=] vFJ 766=D E@E2==J F?:?E6C6DE65 :? =:76]Qk^Am
kAmw:D 56E249>6?E H@CD6?65 :? `hg`[ H96? @?6 @7 9:D D@?D[ y@9??J[ 5:D2AA62C65 H9:=6 4=:>3:?8 2 >@F?E2:? :? p=2D<2] (2E6C>2? 42>6 E@ F?56CDE2?5 E92E y@9??J 925 D6E @77 H:E9 E96 :?E6?E:@? @7 ?@E 4@>:?8 324<]k^Am
kAm%9@F89ED @7 y@9??J 8C6H >@C6 A2:?7F= H96? (2E6C>2? C62=:K65 E92E 2?@E96C D@?[ q:==[ >2J 2=D@ 92G6 5:65] q:== 925 =@?8 366? @FE @7 E@F49 H:E9 9:D 72E96C[ 2?5 56DA:E6 E96 AC@=@?865 23D6?46 vFJ (2E6C>2? ?6G6C H6?E E@ =@@< 7@C 9:>]k^Am
kAm{2FC2 (2E6C>2? HC:E6D E92E :? `hg` 2 492D> @A6?65 :? 96C >2CC:286 E92E D96 4@F=5 ?@E EC2G6CD6] Qx 56G@E65 >JD6=7 E@ 7:?5:?8 H2JD E@ 86E 24C@DD[ E9C@F89[ @G6C[ @C 2C@F?5 E9:D 8F=7[Q D96 HC:E6D] QqFE x 4@F=5 ?6G6C 3C:586 :E]Qk^Am
kAm%9@F89 ?6:E96C 96 ?@C 9:D H:76 AFE 2 ?2>6 E@ :E[ vFJ (2E6C>2? H2D =2AD:?8 :?E@ 2 566A[ 52C< 56AC6DD:@?] w6 32EE=65 4@?DE2?E=J 36EH66? E96 =:89E 2?5 52C<?6DD :? 9:D D@F=] w:D A6?492?E 7@C >:?FE:26 \ 6G6CJE9:?8 2E E96 9@>6DE625 H96C6 E96 EH@ =:G65 7@C 2=>@DE b_ J62CD H2D 42C67F==J A=2??65 2?5 C64@C565[ 5@H? E@ E96 ?F>36C @7 3=F636CC:6D 96 2?5 9:D H:76 A:4<65 :? E96 2??F2= 92CG6DE \ H2D 9:D H2J @7 <66A:?8 9:D :??6C 56>@?D 2E 32J]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 D96 C64@8?:K65 9:D EFC>@:=[ {2FC2 (2E6C>2? DE@@5 @? E96 D:56=:?6D[ 27C2:5 E@ AFD9 96C 9FD32?5 :?D:56 9:>D6=7]k^Am
kAmQx E@=5 >JD6=7 E92E x 4@F=5 96=A 9:> >@DE 3J ?@E 255:?8 E@ 9:D A2:?[Q D96 HC:E6D]k^Am
kAm%9@F89ED @7 E96 6?5 =@@>65 4@?DE2?E=J :? (2E6C>2?VD >:?5 :? E9@D6 7:?2= >@?E9D H:E9 96C 9FD32?5[ H:E9 6249 D62D@?2= C:EF2= \ DF82C:?8[ A=2?E:?8[ 49@AA:?8 H@@5 \ 2DDF>:?8 2 52C< FC86?4J]k^Am
kAmqFE 2 ?6H =F4:5:EJ 2=D@ 244@>A2?:65 E9:D A6C:@5 @7 EC2?D:E:@?[ D96 HC:E6D]k^Am
kAmQw6 925 366? >2C<65 :? E9:D H2J 7@C 2 =@?8 E:>6[Q D96 D2JD] QqFE 3642FD6 96 H2D D@ ?62C E96 6?5 ?@H[ 2?5 x <?6H 9@H :E H2D 8@:?8 E@ 6?5[ x 4@F=5 D66 >@C6 4=62C=J 9@H 96 925 HC2AA65 9:>D6=7 :? 2? :?G:D:3=6 4=@2< @7 :D@=2E:@?[ AF==:?8 :E E:89E6C J62C 3J J62C]Qk^Am
kAmQ{@D:?8 E96 v2C56?Q E9C@HD =:89E @? D@>6 F?D6EE=:?8 BF6DE:@?D[ H9:49 (2E6C>2? 255C6DD6D H:E9 25>:C23=6 9@?6DEJ]k^Am
kAmQ%9C@F89 E96 ;@FC?6J @7 HC:E:?8 E9:D 3@@<[ x H2D 2E =2DE 23=6 E@ 2?DH6C 7@C >JD6=7 E92E 3FC?:?8 BF6DE:@?i w@H 4@F=5 x 92G6 DFAA@CE65 >J 9FD32?5 :? 9:D A=2? E@ 4@>>:E DF:4:56nVQ D96 HC:E6D]k^Am
kAmqFE :?DE625 @7 2?DH6C:?8 E92E @?6 5:C64E=J[ D96 2D<D >@C6 BF6DE:@?D] Qx7 x 925 <?@H? E96? H92E x <?@H ?@H[ 4@F=5 x 92G6 96=A65 vFJn r@F=5 x 92G6 >256 2 5:776C6?46 :? E96 @FE4@>6nQk^Am
kAm$96 8@6D @? E@ 56D4C:36 2 =6EE6C 2 7C:6?5 HC@E6 27E6C vFJ (2E6C>2?VD 562E9] %96 =6EE6C @FE=:?6D BF2=:E:6D E92E >256 (2E6C>2? Q2 EC28:4 7:8FC6Qi 2 566A D6?D6 @7 A6CD@?2= C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 2?5 2? :?23:=:EJ E@ 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 E9@D6 4=@D6DE E@ 9:>]k^Am
kAm%9@D6 H@C5D[ {2FC2 (2E6C>2? D2JD[ C62DDFC65 96C QE92E D@>6 @7 FD 925 4@>6 2 =@?8 5:DE2?46 E@H2C5 F?56CDE2?5:?8 E9:D 4@>A=6I 2?5 :?EC:8F:?8 >2? H9@ 925 <6AE D@ >F49 @7 9:>D6=7 36J@?5 @FC C6249]Qk^Am
kAm~? 2 G@J286 2D A6CD@?2= 2D {2FC2 (2E6C>2?VD[ A6C92AD E9:D :D 2== E92E >2EE6CD] u@C E96 C6256C[ 9@H6G6C[ E96 ;@FC?6J :D 72C 7C@> @G6C] Q{@D:?8 E96 v2C56?Q C2:D6D F?4@>7@CE23=6 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE =@G6[ 56AC6DD:@?[ 8C@H:?8 @=5[ 2?5 5J:?8]k^Am
kAmk^Am
kAmk^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.