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 #28; August Daily Nuggets
"You can love them and love your life."
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 ---
At first, it may feel impossible—like joy would be a betrayal. But love is not a limited resource.
"You can love them and love your life."
Loving your life now doesn’t mean loving them any less. In fact, it can be a way of honoring them—by living fully in the time you have, just as they would have wanted for you.
Your love for them will always be part of you. Nothing in this world can dilute it.
You can laugh, plan, dream, and still hold space for your grief. They can coexist.
Sometimes joy will feel strange in grief’s shadow—but in time, it will feel more like sunlight breaking through.
You’re not choosing between them and a future you can embrace. You’re carrying both, in the same heart, as part of the same love.
Take this breath.
It’s yours to soften into.
The love you hold is real, and the path you walk is honored.
No one else can live this story the way you do.
I’ll return tomorrow to walk with you again. 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.