).png)
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
Suicide Loss Daily Nugget: Light as Companion, Not Cure
In life after suicide loss, let light walk beside you—not fix you—just enough to show the next few feet.
Journal prompt: “Today’s flicker of hope was…”
Witnessing light without forcing it to fix anything. Today we let light walk beside us and do only what light can do—show the next few feet.
A Flicker (Hope) — Light you can actually hold
Morning sun through a window. Moonlight on the driveway. A soft lamp instead of overhead glare. Not profound—present. Let one bit of light keep you company.
To Rebuild (Healing) — One-minute light practice
Step outside or to a window.
- Look at the light source (not directly at the sun).
- Inhale 4, hold 2, exhale 6—three times.
- Name one color you can see more clearly now. That’s it.
Take a Step (Becoming) — Schedule a light ritual
Pick a daily 2–5 minute light moment (sun patch, lamp + tea, porch twilight). Put it on your calendar for the same time each day this week.
Choose-your-energy menu:
- Hollow (low): Sit by a window for 60 seconds. Breathe out longer than you breathe in.
- Healing (medium): Take a 5-minute light walk (to mailbox, around the block).
- Becoming (higher): Set a recurring “light ritual” alarm for the week.
Food for Thought:
Light is a companion, not a cure. You don’t have to wring meaning from it—notice and allow. When the day feels heavy, a single, honest moment of brightness can anchor you long enough to choose your next inch. Reaching for light isn’t denying grief; it’s giving your nervous system something steady to lean on while you carry it all.
Exhale. Keep what serves you; leave the rest. I’ll be here again tomorrow. 💜
__________________________________________________________________________
Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE
💜 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.