Lisa Marie Presley, in her recently published posthumous memoir, candidly reveals the profound impact of her son Benjamin Keough’s tragic demise. The memoir, entitled “From Here to the Great Unknown,” co-authored with her daughter Riley Keough, delves into the labyrinthine pathways of grief and maternal devotion, detailing how Presley preserved her son’s remains on dry ice for an unprecedented duration of two months following his death by suicide in July 2020.
Benjamin, who battled depression and alcohol dependency, tragically succumbed at the tender age of 27. His struggles were exacerbated by Lisa Marie’s declining health, an intertwining of familial pain that Riley describes poignantly—comparing their relationship to that of Elvis and Gladys Presley, asserting, “They were so close, and seeing each other in pain was impossibly hard for them.” This devastating connection illustrates the depths of their bond and the unfathomable grief that ensued.
In a deeply personalized narrative, Riley recounts how, after her brother’s death, she felt more incapacitated than their parents. Notably, Presley’s own struggles with opioid addiction, as she candidly admits to having escalated to consuming 80 pills a day, rendered her emotionally unavailable during crucial moments for her son.
In a remarkable display of determination, Presley chose to delay the final rites, which provided her an extended opportunity to bid farewell. It was a funeral home proprietor, demonstrating extraordinary empathy, who facilitated her unusual request, maintaining the body in a temperature-controlled environment to prevent deterioration. “It was vitally important for my mother to have ample time to say goodbye to him,” Riley articulates, emphasizing the emotional weight of such a decision.
Ultimately, Benjamin’s burial occurred in Graceland, resting beside his grandfather, Elvis, a poignant conclusion to a heart-wrenching journey of maternal anguish and enduring love. The memoir encapsulates not merely the sorrow of loss but also the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable grief.
Vocabulary List:
- Demise /dɪˈmaɪz/ (noun): A person’s death or the end of something.
- Labyrinthine /ˌlæbəˈrɪnθin/ (adjective): Like a labyrinth; intricate and confusing.
- Incapacitated /ˌɪnkəˈpæsɪteɪɪd/ (verb): Deprived of strength or power; made unable to act.
- Resilience /rɪˈzɪliəns/ (noun): The ability to recover quickly from difficulties.
- Empathy /ˈɛmpəθi/ (noun): The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
- Poignant /ˈpɔɪnjənt/ (adjective): Evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret.
