The Leftover Pieces; Suicide Loss Conversations
This podcast focuses on surviving life after a suicide loss, an experience that can be devastating and leave you feeling lost as you try to pick up the pieces of your shattered heart. The host, Melissa Bottorff-Arey, lost her 21-year-old son, Alex, to suicide on August 7, 2016, and brings (& often shares) her insights from her personal journey.
In each episode, Melissa engages in honest and challenging conversations with other survivors of loss, healers, and mental health experts. She also produces shorter solo episodes where she reflects on her own thoughts and experiences thus far. The podcast covers a wide range of relevant topics and addresses difficult questions. Melissa explores all aspects of grief, including trauma, hope, healing, self-care, legacy, and stigma. She believes that we learn to live alongside our grief rather than get ing over it. Actual change comes through authentic, meaningful connections and mindful choices.
For supporters or educators, these conversations provide valuable insights and shine a light on suicide and grief genuinely and unapologetically. Listeners who are grieving a suicide loss can find comfort in the community and hope for a better tomorrow. Melissa aims to help others, like herself, transition from merely surviving to discovering a life filled with meaning and, potentially, even happiness amid the leftover pieces around you.
[Please NOTE: This podcast is for only relational, informational, and entertainment purposes. It candidly and openly discusses sensitive and sometimes activating topics. There will be no in-depth or graphic descriptions of the method, but merely the possible mention of suicide, murder, rape, and the like. Be guided and care for yourself accordingly. Also, Melissa is not a doctor or licensed therapist, and nothing on this podcast should be taken in place of, or as, medical/mental health advice or recommendations.]
The Leftover Pieces; Suicide Loss Conversations
Movement, Signs & the Love of a Dog; A Mom Living Forward after Suicide Loss
Today I speak with suicide loss survivor mom Fronzie Roemer. This is a warm and real conversation that you won't want to miss. Find out more at Paws for Patrick
We talk about:
- Living forward (vs moving on)
- Fitness - or really, movement - and it's role in grief.
- Being Open to Signs from our kids ' - including a funny mouse story, some cardinals & sea glass treasures!!!
- Her families "grieve as YOU grieve" rule
- Her son Patrick and his Cici
- The love of a dog - and the legacy that became.
"Fronzie Roemer and her husband Steve are lifelong Illinoisans and currently live in Lake Forest. They have been married for 24 years and have three children. Ben, a senior at University of Michigan studying business and computer science, Patrick, forever 18, and Magdelene, a senior at Woodlands Academy. A graduate with a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Denison University, Fronzie spent many years in the non-profit sector in development, marketing and communications, and program development before returning to the fitness industry. She is currently an ELI (exclusive Lifetime Instructor) at Lifetime Northbrook as a Group Fitness Instructor, small group personal trainer and yoga teacher. She always has loved the connection between physical and mental health and how good exercise can make you feel emotionally as well as physically. They lovingly home 2 cats and 2 dogs that truly are an extension of their family. Fronzie and her husband, along with their children, Ben and Mags, founded Paws for Patrick after Patrick, their son and brother, died by suicide in May of 2020 to honor his memory and his deep connection to animals.
Paws for Patrick is a non-profit 501 c3 organization that connects young people with emotional support animals and therapy dogs to aid them as they live with mental illness.
_______________________________________________
Fronzie talks about this poem-
The Uses of Sorrow | Mary Oliver (In my sleep I dreamed this poem)
Someone I loved once gave me
a box full of darkness.
It took me years to understand
that this, too, was a gift.
_______________________________________________
The book she mentioned is "My Search for Christopher on the Other Side" by Joe McQuillen
AGAIN - PAWS FOR PATRICK
_____________________________________________
My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" support central - MY HUB - and that means my different SUPPORT GROUP Options are available. Go DIRECTLY to my SUPPORT page here where you will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support. My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
CALL 988 OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258