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 practi...
The Edges of Your Energy: How Boundaries Become Care in Grief
A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.
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This is December 8 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode opens Week Two with a tender look at boundaries — not as walls, but as acts of care that protect your energy through the complexity of December. Whether you’re surviving, rebuilding, or evolving into a life touched by both grief a...
What It Means to Still Be Here: Strength, Tenderness & the Seventh Day of December
A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.
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This is December 7 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Today’s Reflection
Seven days into December, today’s episode reflects on the strength, tenderness, and full humanity required to move through this month while living with suicide loss. You’re reminded that wherever you are in your grief — surviving, rebuilding, evolving, or integrating — y...
Rest as Resistance, Rest as Renewal: Letting Yourself Be Human Today
A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.
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This is December 6 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode honors rest as both resistance and renewal. Whether you're barely surviving, rebuilding your foundation, or beginning to reconnect with moments of joy or purpose, this reflection invites you to trust the wisdom of your energy and move through the...
You Don’t Have to Hold It All: Letting Your Heart Lead the Way
A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.
Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!
👉 The Leftover Pieces App
This is December 5 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode invites you to let your heart — not December’s expectations — guide your pace. Whether you're barely surviving, rebuilding your foundations, or beginning to reconnect with joy and meaning, you are reminded that you don’t have to hold everything thi...
Soft Landings Only: Creating Gentle Space in a Heavy Month
A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.
Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!
👉 The Leftover Pieces App
This is December 4 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Tonight is our Full Moon Intention Gathering inside The Lighthouse Community.
If you’re a mom and want a gentle space to connect, breathe, and set intentions together, you’re welcome to join. 💜 See the community details on my website
Today’s Reflection...
Grief & Grace in December: Allowing Yourself to Feel What’s Real
A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.
Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!
👉 The Leftover Pieces App
It is December 3 - welcome, Fellow Griever
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode explores how grief and grace can coexist in December, even when the world feels loud and expectant. You are reminded that you don’t owe anyone emotional performance — honesty and gentleness are enough.
Quoted or Ref...
Letting Go of the “Shoulds”: Releasing Holiday Pressure After Suicide Loss
A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.
Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!
👉 The Leftover Pieces App
This is December 2, Welcome Fellow Griever
Today’s Reflection
December brings an avalanche of “shoulds,” especially after suicide loss. Today’s episode invites you to release the unrealistic expectations the world places on grieving hearts — and to honor the truth of where you actually are.
Quoted or Referenced I...
Surviving December After Suicide Loss: When the Holidays Arrive Before You’re Ready
Surviving December After Suicide Loss: When the Holidays Arrive Before You’re Ready...
A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, space...and my gentle company.
Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!
👉 The Leftover Pieces App
Today’s Reflection
December has a way of showing up before our hearts are ready. Today’s episode offers permission to start this month exactly where you actually are — messy, tired, hopefu...
Your Mind Won’t Let You Move Forward: The Power of Subconscious Healing after Suicide Loss
Today I’m joined by Emily Dziedzic, a subconscious change practitioner who helps high-achieving women break free from anxiety, fear, and emotional overwhelm using fast, root-level rewiring. And this work, with her, was a game changer in my own healing.
I first worked with Emily back in 2021 during an intensive NLP program — Neuro Linguistic Programming — along with hypnosis and unconscious mind work. It ended up being one of the most transformational pieces of my own healing when I felt completely stuck. That experience with her is a big part of what led me into the work I...
Grief After Suicide: Month Wrap-Up & What Comes Next
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TODAY -- You’ve spent a month practicing gentler ways to carry what can’t be undone—and that practice is portable.
Journal prompt: “My takeaway from October—the thing I’ll actually use—is…”
Write one flicker sentence you believe today: “I can start small and still be real.” Build a 24-hour rebuild weave on a note you’ll see tomorrow: one light/witnessing anchor, one 7–10 minute brick, one value-aligned step. The...
Wrap Pt 2: Becoming on Purpose + Weaving the Light
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TODAY -- Identity trickled back in micro-acts, and then we stitched everything together with thresholds, pacing, and touchstones.
Journal prompt: “A boundary that made room for me was…”
Name one or two flickers of identity you lived this month—maker, advocate, listener—and keep them visible. Rebuild by pairing a three-beat threshold (Open • Be in it • Close) with one pacing move on your calendar (opt out/leave early/tap-in ally). <...
Wrap Pt 1: Hope in the Hollow + Healing in Motion After Suicide Loss
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TODAY --We started by finding light you could actually hold, then practiced repairs small enough to repeat.
Journal prompt: “What I’m keeping from these first two weeks is…”
Gather three flickers that worked for you—window light, their bracelet, a five-minute witness. Then build a mini rebuild stack you can run in ten minutes: one body reset (3-3-6 breath or warm/cold contrast), one Brick-of-the-Day (clear a squ...
A Letter to November-You: Carry Grief Forward, Gently
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TODAY --When the road tilts, leave breadcrumbs for the you who has to walk it.
Journal prompt: “If Future-Me spoke up today, she’d ask me to…”
Offer flicker by telling November-You one true thing that helped this month—maybe the “Window light + long exhale" from a fe weeks ago? Rebuild with a five-sentence note: greet her by name; name one practice that steadied you; offer one boundary to ke...
Grief Season Prep: Permission Language That Travels
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TODAY --Holidays and anniversaries come with scripts you didn’t write. Permission language lets you carry your truth into rooms that may not know how to hold it.
Journal prompt: “One event I’m resizing this season is… I’ll protect my energy by saying…”
Even before the day arrives, give yourself a flicker of relief by writing one sentence you can actually say out loud: “I’m keeping things simple this year.” Then rebui...
Edit Your Grief Practices: Review, Keep, Drop, Adjust
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TODAY -- Integration is mostly editing—conserving what helps, quietly retiring what doesn’t.
Journal prompt: “If I gave my energy a budget, I’d spend more on… and less on…”
Scan this month for flickers that actually eased a day—witnessing, one brick finished, a boundary honored, light as companion—and keep them on purpose. Rebuild with a quick three-column check: KEEP (works), DROP (drains), ADJUST (tweak). A...
Carry Their Memory Gently: Legacy Touchstones for This Season
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TODAY -- Touchstones let love travel with you without making every minute heavy.
Journal prompt: “What I’m keeping from this month is…”
Choose one flicker that feels like company: a phrase they loved, ten seconds of their song, a color that calls them to mind. Rebuild by placing a tiny touchstone where real life happens—light a candle at dinner, wear the bracelet, set a photo by the door, speak...
Reacting vs. Responding in Grief: Your Nervous System Needn't be the Enemy
Reacting vs. Responding in Grief — Life After Suicide Loss
Today I’m “down the rabbit hole,” teasing apart reacting vs. responding after traumatic loss—not to shame reactions (they’re human), but to widen the space where we can choose. We’ll touch nervous-system patterns (fight/flight/freeze/fawn/flop), how to spot activation in real time, and how tiny, honest choices build a life aligned with values.
If you’ve been listening to October’s Daily Nuggets, this pairs with Hope → Healing → Becoming very well
Reaction: fast, automatic, di...
Suicide Loss & Holiday Anxiety: Pacing the Calendar with Opt-Outs, Early Exits, and Allies
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TODAY -- The season gets crowded. Capacity isn’t disloyalty—it’s logistics for a heart carrying a lot.
Journal prompt: “A boundary that made room for me was…”
Choose your pace before the week chooses it for you. Let a flicker of relief lead: make one clear decision today and notice your shoulders drop. Rebuild with a concrete move—opt out (“Not this year”), leave early (“I can stay 45 minutes...
Grief After Suicide: Threshold Rituals to Open, Be In It, and Close
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TODAY -- When grief spikes—anniversaries, rooms that hold their echo—having a beginning and an ending lets your body know you’re not trapped inside the moment.
Journal prompt: “My threshold ritual will be…”
Hard moments deserve structure. Begin with a flicker that signals you’re entering on purpose—touch a photo or step outside and name the sky. Move into rebuild with a simple be-in-it container: time-b...
Grief Support After Suicide: A Rough-Day Plan with a Flicker, a Brick, a Step
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TODAY -- No heroics required. A window of light, a seven-minute finish, and a two-sentence check-in can turn a spinning day into a survivable one.
Journal prompt: “What I’m keeping from this month is…”
Your Personal Flicker–Brick–Step Plan (Rough-Day Ready)
On the days when suicide loss surges—the date you didn’t mean to remember, the song that blindsides you, the blame-loop at 2 a.m.—you don’t need pep. You need a...
Suicide Bereavement: Future Planning Without Panic—One-Inch Plans
You don’t need a five-year plan; one clear next action can steady the day in life after suicide loss.
Journal prompt: “When I picture myself exhaling tomorrow, the action that gets me there is…”
What we mean by a “one-inch plan” (so we’re clear):
A one-inch plan is small, specific, and scheduled—just enough structure to steady tomorrow without overwhelming today. Examples:
Healing After Suicide: Meaning That Doesn’t Erase Pain—Service • Art • Legacy
Meaning is a companion, not a cure; a small act of service or creation makes room for both love and ache in grief after suicide.
Journal prompt: “A value I still trust—and one 10-minute way to live it…”
What we mean by “meaning that doesn’t erase pain” (so we’re clear):
Meaning isn’t a cure or a performance. It’s a small, honest act that lets love move alongside ache. Examples:
Suicide Loss Daily Nugget: Community as Amplifier—Find or Host Small
Belonging doesn’t need a crowd; one steady person or tiny space can hold you as you are after suicide loss.
Journal prompt: “The kind of space where I breathe easier is… and one way I’ll find/ask for it is…”
What we mean by “tiny space” (so we’re clear):
A tiny space is low-pressure, consent-based, and specific—a container that fits your current capacity. Examples:
Life After Suicide Loss: “Firsts” Done Differently—Opt Out • Scale Down • Re-Script
Big days don’t require big performances; choose your size—opt out, scale down, or re-script—to protect your energy in suicide bereavement.
Journal prompt: “For my next tender date, I’ll protect my energy by… (opt out / scale down / re-script) because…”
What “choose your size” means (so we’re clear):
You get to set the size of participation to match your capacity.
Grief After Suicide: Tiny Courage—The Ask You’ve Been Avoiding
Courage doesn’t have to roar; in life after suicide loss, one small ask can unlock support, information, or relief.
Journal prompt: “If Future-Me spoke up today, she’d ask me to…”
What we mean by a “small ask” (so we’re on the same page):
A small ask is specific, short, and time-bound—one clear request that lightens the load. Examples:
Grief After Suicide: Values → Micro-Moves (10 Minutes or Less)
Values are steering, not slogans—translate one value into a doable 10-minute action and feel the quiet of alignment.
Journal prompt: “A value I still trust—and one 10-minute way to live it…”
A Flicker (Hope) — Alignment feels quieter
When action matches belief, your body often softens. Notice the quiet that follows even a tiny aligned move.
To Rebuild (Healing) — Name one value
Options: kindness, truth, courage, service, creativity, presence, faithfulness. Write one sentence: “Today I live [value] by [micro-act].”
Tak...
Life After Suicide Loss: Keep/Recover Who You Are — Identity Words
Identity doesn’t vanish after suicide loss; name the parts that still fit and make room for them on purpose.
Journal prompt: “Where I feel most like myself lately is…”
Identity doesn’t vanish; it gets buried. Today we name the parts of you that still fit—and make room for them on purpose.
A Flicker (Hope) — A familiar thread
Notice one moment you felt like you this week—how you spoke, moved, created, cared. Keep that thread.
To Rebuild (Healing) — Pick 1–2 identity words
Exampl...
Grief After Suicide: Repairing Misattunements—Simple “I Wish I’d Said…” Scripts
Small, honest repairs protect your energy in life after suicide loss—one kind line can reset connection -- reset a missattunemnet--and settle a day.
Journal prompt: “Today, permission looks like…”
A misattunement is when the response misses the moment—yours or theirs—so the nervous systems don’t line up and everyone leaves a little off-key. “I wish I’d said…” scripts are short, kind repair lines you can send (or say to yourself) after the fact to realign—no essays, no debates, just a clean reset.
If you want quick examples to gr...
Grief After Suicide: Workday Micro-Boundaries That Keep You Functional
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Mondays can hit hard in life after suicide loss—protect capacity with tiny yes/no lines and one clear choice.
Journal prompt: “One thing my body asked for (and what I did)…”
Mondays can hit hard. Today we protect capacity with tiny, professional yes/no lines.
A Flicker (Hope) — One clear choice
Choosing “later” instead of forcing “now” can bring instant relief. That relief is data—keep it.
To Rebuild (Healing...
Life After Suicide Loss: Self-Witnessing When Others Can’t Hold It
When the right listener isn’t available, witnessing yourself—note or voice memo—keeps you seen and grounded in suicide bereavement.
Journal prompt: “If I gave myself 10% more gentleness, I would…”
Sometimes the right listener isn’t available. Today we make sure you still get heard.
A Flicker (Hope) — Proof you exist
Your words on paper or in a memo are evidence. Seeing or hearing yourself can soften the edge—keep that proof.
To Rebuild (Healing) — 5-minute self-witness
Set a timer for 5 minutes. Speak...
Suicide Loss Daily Nugget: Weekend Reset Ritual—Small, Repeatable, Real
Weekends can feel loud or empty after suicide loss; one tiny ritual can steady you without draining you.
Journal prompt: “Today, leaning into self-care looks like…”
Weekends can feel loud or empty. Today we keep a tiny ritual that steadies you without stealing your energy.
A Flicker (Hope) — A repeatable calm spot
The same mug, the same chair, the same two minutes of quiet. Familiar can be soothing—let it be.
To Rebuild (Healing) — Three-part reset (≤10 minutes)
Clear a square: Tidy one sma...Grief After Suicide: Say Less, Save Energy—Boundaries Without the Essay
Clarity protects your battery in life after suicide loss—short, kind sentences are real self-care.
Journal prompt: “Today, permission looks like…”
Clarity beats performance. Short, kind sentences protect your battery.
A Flicker (Hope) — Immediate ease after a clean line
Feel the exhale when you keep it simple: fewer words, less convincing, more relief. Keep the relief.
To Rebuild (Healing) — Three scripts to pocket
Time-box: “I can do 20 minutes.”
Scale-down: “I’m joining by phone today.”
Opt-out: “I’m ski...
Healing After Suicide: Boring Bricks That Save the Day (Food • Water • Rest)
Relief after refuel is real—practical grace steadies life after suicide loss.
Journal prompt: “If I gave myself 10% more gentleness, I would…”
Grace is practical. The basics aren’t glamorous, but they are medicine.
A Flicker (Hope) — Relief after refuel
Notice how the room feels different after water, a snack, or ten minutes horizontal. That ease is data—keep it.
To Rebuild (Healing) — The FWR check (2 minutes)
Food: Protein + fiber in the next hour (yogurt, nuts, egg, hummus + crackers).
Water: Drink a...
Grief After Suicide: Regulate First—Nervous System Basics You’ll Use
Tiny regulation beats big resolve; two minutes can calm a body carrying suicide loss.
Journal prompt: “One thing my body asked for (and what I did)…”
Small regulation beats big resolve. Today is about tools you’ll actually use in under two minutes.
A Flicker (Hope) — Your body gives you clues
Jaw unclenches after a slower exhale. Shoulders drop when you step outside. A tiny shift is still a shift—keep it.
To Rebuild (Healing) — 3 quick resets (pick one)
Orienting (60–90s): Look arou...
Suicide Loss Daily Nugget: A Gentle Reset—Your 24-Hour Plan
In life after suicide loss, keep what helped, release what didn’t, and set one small plan for the next 24 hours—repeats are allowed.
Journal prompt: “What I’m keeping from this week is…”
End of first 7 days of October, not an end of you, just of the 1st 7 days of a new month...in a tough season. Today we keep what helped, release what didn’t, and set a small plan for the next 24 hours.
A Flicker (Hope) — Notice what worked once
Which tiny thing warmed the room—w...
Grief After Suicide: Boundaries as Warmth—Not Walls
In life after suicide loss, boundaries aren’t punishments—they’re blankets; clear limits keep you warm enough to heal.
Journal prompt: “Today, permission looks like…”
Boundaries aren’t punishments—they’re blankets. Today we practice limits that keep you warm enough to heal.
A Flicker (Hope) — Relief after a clear no
Notice what loosens when you cancel, leave early, or choose quiet. Relief is data. Keep the data.
To Rebuild (Healing) — Scale it, don’t explain it
Use one of these today:
• Ti...
Life After Suicide Loss: Carrying Them Forward—Without Disappearing You
“Carrying forward” includes you—make space for their memory and your life, together.
Journal prompt: “A way to honor them by honoring me is…”
“Carrying forward” includes you. Today we make room for their memory and your life—together.
A Flicker (Hope) — Connection counts
Their song in a store aisle. A phrase they loved. A photo you pass without bracing. These are ties, not traps. Let one connection feel like company.
To Rebuild (Healing) — A 3-step carry-forward ritual
Name: Say their name out loud...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 c...
Life After Suicide Loss: Rebuilding from Ruins—Bricks, Not Blueprints
There’s no master plan in suicide bereavement—just small bricks that actually hold.
Journal prompt: "A way to honor them by honoring me is…"
There’s no master plan—just weather and small bricks. Today is about doable over dazzling so the house you’re rebuilding can actually stand.
A Flicker (Hope) — Small done beats big imagined
Finish one tiny thing: rinse the mug, move bills to one stack, crack a window, light a candle. Finished equals a warmer room. Warmth counts.
To Rebuild (Hea...
Suicide Loss Daily Nugget: Being Seen on Purpose
In grief after suicide, witnessing redistributes weight—asked for cleanly, without apology.
Journal prompt: "What healing looks like—even when I can’t feel it—is…"
Witnessing redistributes weight. Not gone—carried together. Today we practice asking to be seen, cleanly and without apology.
A Flicker (Hope) — You’re allowed to be heard
Five quiet minutes. A nod. A text that lands. Hope isn’t a speech; it’s an accurate reflection without fixing.
To Rebuild (Healing) — The five-minute witnessing ask
Text: “Could you hold f...
