#MakeChesterProud | Stories

I have suffered from episodes of depression for a good 40yrs or more. I'm 52 now. As a child, I was bullied in school daily from about grade 2 on for being different. I don't know if everyone reading will understand the term Empath but that is what I am. I feel and take on the pain of others. My experiences began around age 2. I'm told its unusual to have memories at that age, but again I have always been different from those around me. After the birth of my own son who is now 27, I suffered through 3 miscarriages before the births of my 2nd and 3rd children and struggled from experiencing the effects associated with my husband's mental illness; a diagnosis of BiPolar disorder. There were days where my own health issues became so severe I would end up in a hospital. One day I happened to turn on my radio and LP's In The End was playing. I remember falling in love instantly with it. It was like Chester was singing about what I was living through, and I could feel the commiseration of his pain in the lyrics. I became a big fan of  Hybrid Theory truly falling for the songs Papercut, Crawling & One Step Closer which was the first song I had heard from Hybrid Theory... But it was In The End & Papercut that impacted me the most. It seemed that every time my life was reaching a breaking point... the band would reimerge with something that reached into my own pain and gave me a rock(song) I could anchor myself to. In 2004 I packed up and moved my family from Canada's West Coast to the East Coast feeling too tired to keep battling my husband's illness and my own despair on my own. My theme songs for the 4600-kilometer journey were Numb & In The End. Again I'd found a message in the words to keep me going. Life, once we resettled begin to improve... but once again in 2008, my depression surfaced when I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. And the trial treatments to follow pushed a whole list of symptoms forward. Everything from weight gain to daily pain. Fibromyalgia has no known cure. In the year that followed my husband grew ill and in 2010 suffered a severe heart attack. For a whole year, I helped nurse him back to health but found myself back in that personal pit of despair. Once again I turned to Linkin Park after my son turned me on to 1000 Suns, specifically The Catalyst and then Iridescent. In 2012 my fibromyalgia had become pretty much unmanageable and during a particularly bad episode, I almost let my depression claim me. I was ready to forfeit my life...but on that very night after shedding many tears I found myself clicking on an LP video....the Interview with Chester that followed hit me more solidly than anything else ever had. Here was Chester bearing his Soul about his own demons. His childhood, his addiction, his depression... Suddenly the voice I had listened to so many times screaming out his pain was very very real...the music receded and the man emerged beaten down, but not broken. And I had to know his story.  I sat for over 4 hours watching video interviews and outtakes, and when I couldn't access more... I found myself clicking on a link to the LP Underground. I created my free account that night. But it was also that night that I decided my family needed me. I had to get healthy so I could be there for their most important moments. A new healthy routine took the place of my suffering. Exercise & better diet, and reclaiming my creativity. I made a mental note that as soon as I could get a paid acct I would. That was 5yrs ago. I have held my LPUnderground Status ever since. I also decided when I joined that one day I was going to see my band and my hero/mentor live and make it to a Meet & Greet. That reality came true when they took the Carnivores Tour to Toronto. I saved up for two tickets using my underground status to claim a discount on an early ticket pre-release. An old friend from High School gave us the gift of staying in his home with him and his wife and my parents seeing the importance of the changes in me helped with the flight cost. The hours of working to win a shot at being at the Meet & Greet paid off and just 3 days before we boarded the plane I discovered that both my husband and I had been chosen to attend the M&G. I create jewelry as well as art and designed a piece for each bandmate. When the moment came and I stood face to face with Chester... I broke down and cried. I passed him the bracelet I'd made for him, a letter thanking him for seeing me through my many darkest moments including the two that nearly had me ending my life(which btw he snuck off from the greeting line to read before coming back to sign more autograph), and gained his signature on two copies of prints of my LP Painting from the Castle of Glass video titled "The Sirens of Linkin Park"(a contest for T-shirt art I'd taken part in)even though the band knows as do the fans we are expressly told just one autograph from each member...and when the concert photos hit the internet I remember feeling the shock & joy of seeing the bracelet I made him gracing his wrist. He wore it for two more concerts and the M&Gs. The feeling at the time was surreal. Standing talking with him and Dave who asked me if I had a shop and expressed that my work was very professional. They were all kind, sweet guys..but Chester went that extra mile to listen and to connect in those few precious moments we shared. In the two years that followed I decided I was going to create a space where I could help others with their personal struggles and my Wellness shop "Mystics" was born. A photo of Chester wearing the bracelet I had crafted for him taking a place of honor on the wall to serve as a reminder to never give up on my dreams and to always pay it forward to help others. Every visit to my shop for my clients saw to them leaving with a hug, not a handshake because this World needs more hugs....more love and compassion. And it was my way of honoring the words of the man who had unknowingly saved my life more than once and mentored me through some of life's hardest knocks with his empathy & compassion for others. Children, animals, those struggling with addiction or illness or tragic loss, victims of any kind had a place in Chester's heart and I loved that about him. Just last January however due to the selfish actions of a property owner Mystics was forced to close its doors to the public for what has felt like forever. After losing my livelihood and the place where hundreds and hundreds of people could find an open door day or night I fell back into a place of despair and feared my past depression and suicidal thoughts would finally win without him here. Until I realized through the many countless days and nights of reflection to follow that the light of who Chester was and still is never extinguished; he is in my heart every day. His words of love and compassion never cease to be heard. I miss him terribly, but even in my very worst & darkest moments, I turn to help others instead of hurting myself. The year of his passing I was battling Lyme disease symptoms and sick from May to July. Losing him during that struggle was incredibly hard. August was the month I finally returned to running my shop. So grateful to have the memories and even more grateful that I got the chance to say Thank You to him and let him know how much he has helped me. It has taken me from February until June to find my way through all of this latest struggle. But I am back to councilling others through my Readings and with Chester still wispering in my heart that Love is the answer I am beginning with the love of family and support of friends to open my heart and door to those depending on my council to help them find clarity and comfort. I have come to respect, appreciate and especially love my LP Family even more. Chester & the Band Brothers began this massive fan base...the LP Underground who is not just a global community but branches of the biggest and farthest-reaching family tree I have ever known. Talinda Bennington through her grief and with the love and support of her LP Family has continued to keep that love and support the message for Chester's legacy. Today I am sharing my story because it's another opportunity to say Thank You to Chester, to his family and to express gratitude to my family and for all of my LPFamily so that we can continue to grow and share the love and support to #makechesterproud of us all.I am but one of the millions of lives he has touched sharing his message that Together we are stronger. We are all still mourning the loss of his beautiful light but I am choosing to celebrate his life and mine this July. For all the light you have shone into my dark moments, Thank You Chester Charles Bennington. Remembering you this July as I share my birthday with You..Who cares... I do. 💞✨🔥🙏

From the band's ethos, I learnt to always remain true to yourself; do what makes you happy; not to be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone and try new things. A truly inspiring band, pushing norms, experimenting and always trying to learn to better themselves. More musicians need to be as humble and open as Linkin Park.

Linkin Park taught me that it was okay to feel the way I did about anything and everything. It seemed as though everything I felt, they had a song for and that really helped me through a lot. They let me embrace my emotions and inspired me to live my truth. Chester specifically taught me how to be strong. Through his interviews and videos, he helped me realise what I wanted to be and helped give me hope that things could get better. Chester always has been that pillar of hope, light, and love throughout my life and I imagine he always will be. His compassion and strength helped millions of people around the world and just because he isn't physically with us anymore, the hope he brought to the world will never be erased. Thank you, Linkin Park and Chester, for helping me become the person I am today.

Linkin Park and Chester have helped me feel every emotion imaginable. They have a song for every feeling you may have experienced. This band was a miracle created by God! With Mike as the Mastermind and Chester as the best singer ever and the rest of the band as brilliant as both of them. Better in concert than on albums, how many bands can accomplish that? LP forever, Chester RIP, may you have found peace, at last, 🙏 I now help people with Mental Health issues and promote and donate to their Charities 💫

He was such a beautiful soul the lesson he left in his life was to respect every creature. Love every human. Care each other and don't let anyone make you feel down. Always love a person who loves you back. Respect every music. Be happy keep smiling like he was. Thankyou Chester for making thislife beautiful when you were here. And now life has turn to be shitty again. Miss you so much

A lesson I've learned from Chester is to be kind to everyone and love to end hate in the world.

It's a simple story. I used to be an English teacher here in Mexico, and I had a class named "Song club." So as you guys can imagine, I used to play songs from Linkin Park all the time. I had students that didn't like it that much, but they showed me how we can learn from others and how we have to respect other people's likes. On the other hand, I had many students who like Linkin Park, and they told me how fun my classes used to be just because I played these songs, and that's how I knew, music can bring us all together as one ✨

Their music is a sanctuary. When everything seems to fall apart, their music soothes every unwanted feeling that I have. Every time I hear them sing, I feel as if every lyric speaks up for my pain. Then eventually, it gets better little by little. Linkin Park music is a home, a place where you can submit your pain and turn them into something beautiful.

I lost Chester, my out of state BFF, and my pup (8y.o from cancer, 2 days after my B-Day) within 3 weeks. Lost my uncle, cousin, and father in law....ALL of them in 6 months. I learned to talk more about my feelings and mental health. Got on meds. Even now, i am on many meds but am more open about how I feel/feeling. It has helped me soo much more than I thought. Got a part-time job, recently (after being a stay at home mom for 13 yrs), my bosses seem to know my "ticks" and will talk me down. Never really knew there were people out there that really want to help. That actually seems to care. It makes me more "out" there and to see more signs of those that need it. I am here for anyone and everyone.

The first is don't hate🌹 the other is that the words he Sang were the words I understood the feelings 🌹the frustrations pushing me away makes me tear up but the words let go stay with me every day had to let go of everyone I loved to survive I 🌹understand the words are a collaboration but it's the feeling Chester put into each word that touched me I felt like I was not alone he understood the constant fight going on in me 🌹and the music had no age barrier just like depression does not it touches all any age color and creed🌹 and he spoke about it🌹 he loved his fans cared for the kids I think a great family man I loved how he asked the questions in the music why do I have this and there is never an answer 🌹he taught me to accept not fight against it so finally I tell people if they don't like so be it I've learnt learned go🌹thank you Chester for giving me courage🌹 miss you, Chester Bennington 🌹🌹

Chester and Linkin Park taught me that life is more important than I thought it was and that depression is something that everyone should see more clearly and from the right spot. One more thing: Chester was special because I've discovered LP because of his death ( that wasn't in vain) and that I've never suffered so much for the death of any celebrity.

I heard Linkin Park first time watching a soap opera, I heard a song called Faint. I went crazy with that sound, I needed to know from which band was the song from. I spent days listening to several radio stations to be able to find out, until I finally figured out. Another day, I was watching a TV channel with music videos and I discovered another song, Numb. When I saw that music video I could totally relate to it, I cried, I felt anger, pain, sorrow, a lot of mixed feelings, I learned that things could be different and learned that band would be the love of my life. It's unbelievable how a band can change someone's life, but it did, it changed mine. From that day I started to learn more about Linkin Park and as more I knew about them, more it seemed that song were made for me. I found answers to my uncertainties, I became a new person with them and today I can't live without them. No one can understand this love and for many people it seems bullshit, but people are different from each other, have different tastes and have different feelings. I avoid many things that could hurt me, but I forgot that I could hurt myself with my thoughts. I already tried to cut myself with a knife, I burned myself on purpose, I beat myself, I took my mother's pills, I took a lot of pills for anxiety at once, I felt my body heavy and I felt asleep. Despite the risk it was the best feeling I ever had, it was as if I had left the world and everything that bothers me. As time passed, I began to understand that disappearing does not solve problems, I found in Linkin Park a proof that is worth it to fight, I keep myself strong for them. When I say they are so important in my life nobody believes but they are responsible for me keeping distance from my bad thoughts because of their songs.

I am a survivor of historic child sex abuse that still impacts my mental health to the point I get so low at times I have been suicidal. Linkin Park's music saved me in so many ways. I cannot put into words how grateful I am to follow them from the beginning and love being part of the LP family. There is no other band or community quite like LP. Their support is everything... Sadly, Chester lost his fight, but there are important lessons to learn, and that is to focus on the good things in your life; family, and friends. I have PTSD, anxiety, and depression. It is easy to get lost in the darkness, but with the love and support felt here and at home, it helps the light glows stronger when the darkness is knocking. Keep strong soldiers!!!

I’m autistic and suffered abuse as a child. I was left traumatized by it, and Linkin Park helped me accept what has happened - to “take everything from the inside and throw it all away.” They taught me it’s ok to dance with your demons. Chester was a beautiful soul and taught me to be kinder and to advocate for mental health. I now run a page for people suffering from any mental health issue. Linkin Park helped me to heal and I will always be so grateful to them for their music and love.