Erika Kirk hits back at judgement on the way she's grieved amid husband Charlie's death

Erika Kirk, the wife of the late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, has shared a poignant statement about grief following his death just over a month ago.

Kirk lost his life on September 10 when he was shot while speaking on stage at Utah Valley University, where he was hosting an event for his business, Turning Point USA. Following the shooting, a suspect named Tyler Robinson was arrested and taken into police custody.

Kirk, who was 31 when he died, is survived by Erika as well as the couple's two children, a son who turned one in May and a daughter who turned three in August, and in the wake of his death, Erika has taken over as CEO of Turning Point USA.

In the weeks since, Erika has continued to share clips of her husband on social media while also working with Turning Point, which recently announced that it would be showcasing an alternative halftime show for next year's official Super Bowl LX.

Erika's decision to continue Kirk's work sparked some criticism from internet users who suggested she should be spending more time with her children following the loss of their father, or implied she'd had a 'short mourning period' before taking over Turning Point USA.

On the one-month anniversary of Kirk's death, Erika shared on Instagram a series of clips of Kirk's supporters gathering to show their respects for the former activist, along with some comments about how she's actually been coping in the weeks since losing her husband.

In the caption of the post, she wrote: "…there is no linear blueprint for grief. One day you’re collapsed on the floor crying out the name Jesus in between labored breaths. The next you’re playing with your children in the living room, surrounded by family photos, and feeling a rush of something you can only attempt to define as divinely planted and bittersweet joy as a smile breaks through on your face.

"They say time heals. But love doesn’t ask to be healed. Love asks to be remembered. It’s humbling to realize that this magnitude of suffering didn’t steal my love for my husband. It amplified it. It crystallized it."

Kirk went on to assure her followers that Kirk is still a huge presence in her life, writing: "I carry my Charlie in every breath, in every ache, and in every quiet act of day to day living as I attempt to relearn what that rhythm will be.

"And what I’ve realized through these past 30 days is the greater the suffering, the purer the love. And I have never loved him more than I do now."

In a follow-up post, Erika shared a handwritten note which had been written by Kirk prior to his death. She explained that he wrote her a 'love note' every Saturday, adding: "He never missed one... I share this in hopes that today, husbands are encouraged to be even better husbands and wives are encouraged to be even better wives."

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].