The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations
Suicide loss changes everything. This show is about life after suicide—real talk and practical support for grief after suicide: parents, partners, siblings, and friends finding their footing again. Each week, we explore what helps in suicide bereavement so you can keep going with honesty and hope.
Hosted by Melissa Bottorff-Arey, whose 21-year-old son, Alex, died by suicide in 2016, the podcast blends intimate conversations with survivors, healers, and mental health experts with short solo “Daily Nugget” episodes you can actually use. We cover child loss, trauma and nervous-system care, anniversaries and seasons, stigma, faith and meaning, legacy, and the everyday practices that make life livable again. You’ll hear grounded tools, language that honors your person, and the reminder that you are not broken—you are grieving.
For supporters and educators, these episodes offer insight into the realities of suicide grief and what genuine, non-fixing support looks like. If you’d like to share your story or expertise, you can request to be a guest via my website. 💜
Content Note
This podcast speaks candidly about difficult experiences and may feel activating. We avoid method details and graphic description. Please care for yourself as needed. I’m not a doctor or licensed therapist; nothing here is medical or mental-health advice.
The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations
Grief Truth #27; August Daily Nuggets
"There will be days you feel closer to them."
Welcome, fellow griever.
This is your Daily Nugget from me, Melissa, your host of The Leftover Pieces.
Today we will share a moment of presence, a breath of truth, and a reminder.
Lean in with me ---
Grief is not a decline in connection to our loved one. Some days, they feel so near you could almost reach out and touch them.
"There will be days you feel closer to them."
It might happen on a walk, when the wind shifts just right. Or in the middle of a song, when the lyrics brush against a memory.
These moments can be both beautiful and bittersweet—reminding you of what’s gone while also assuring you that love hasn’t vanished.
Some days, the veil between your worlds feels thinner, and their presence wraps around you like a warm blanket.
Don’t rush through those moments. Let them linger. Let yourself feel them, without needing to explain or diminish their magic.
These flashes of closeness are reminders: love is not bound by time, distance, or even death.
Pause here.
This moment belongs to you, and you don’t have to rush it.
The truths you carry are yours to keep.
The steps you take are yours alone.
I’ll be back with you tomorrow. Until then, Talk Soon
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💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts.
🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement.
🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope.
🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here.
🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here.
📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.