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...
Still Here: A New Year’s Eve Reflection
A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, & gentle company.
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This is December 31 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
New Year’s Eve can be heavy for grievers — a reminder that time keeps moving, even when your heart resists.
Today’s I offer a quiet companionship with a longer reflection & an original New Year’s Eve poem, honoring survival and the love you carry forward as a year close...
Journaling as a Lifeline After Suicide Loss: Reflection, Healing, and Support
In this episode of The Leftover Pieces; Suicide Loss Conversations, I’m joined by Sean Dadashi to explore how journaling can support healing after suicide loss. We talk about why journaling often becomes a lifeline for grievers, how reflective practices help after traumatic loss, and why having accessible tools for processing grief matters — especially in the aftermath of a death by suicide.
(P.S... I use and love this app!)
Sean shares his own lived experience with depression and suicidal thoughts as a teenager, and how journaling helped him survi...
Looking Back Without Judgment: Allowing Space and Grace
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 29 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Honoring Survival — A Daily Journal Prompt:
“What did it take for me to make it through this year?”
Today’s Reflection
As the year winds down, today’s episode offers a compassionate way to look back — without judgment, comparison, or pres...
Sunday Softening: Letting the Season Settle
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 28 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Sunday Softening — A Daily Journal Prompt:
“What would it feel like to soften my expectations of myself today?”
Today’s Reflection
As the holidays fade and the year nears its end, today’s episode offers permission to slow down and let the...
The Quiet Weekend: Letting Stillness Be Enough
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 27 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Letting Stillness Be Enough — A Daily Journal Prompt:
“What might become possible if I allow this weekend to be slower than usual?”
Today’s Reflection
The space between Christmas and the new year can feel disorienting for grievers. Today’s episode...
After the Day: When the Body Finally Exhales
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 26 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
After the Exhale — A Daily Journal Prompt:
“What does my body need today as the intensity of the season begins to ease?”
Today’s Reflection
After the holidays, many grievers experience an emotional and physical drop. Today’s episode offers co...
Christmas Day: Letting the Day Be What It Is
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 25 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Letting the Day Be — A Daily Journal Prompt:
“What is today actually like for me — not what it’s supposed to be?”
Today’s Reflection
Christmas Day can hold love, grief, memory, and exhaustion all at once. Today’s reflection offers p...
And the House Held Its Breath:’Twas a Christmas Eve Rebuilding
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 24 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
For Christmas Eve, today’s Daily Nugget is a little different.
Instead of a longer reflection, Melissa shares a grief-tender reimagining of a familiar holiday reading — written to hold memory, absence, love, and quiet endurance.
And the House Held Its Breath- ’Twas a Christmas E...
The Night Before the Big Days: Letting Anticipation Be What It Is
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!
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This is December 23 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
The days leading up to the holidays can feel heavier than the days themselves. Anticipation, memory, and nervous-system overload often show up before anything actually happens.
Today’s Daily Nugget offers gentle permission to pause — to stop pre-handling what’s coming, and to let this moment be eno...
A New Week Begins: Letting Meaning Find You in the Quiet
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 22 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
ALSO....IF YOU ARE A MOM --Please know I have added an "extra" support group meeting tonight at 8PM eastern (see the Lighthouse Community)-- because this time of year, more than ever, we need extra support!
Letting Meaning Find You — A...
The Eve of a Holiday Week: Holding Space for What’s Coming, Without Rushing Yourself
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 21 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Holding Space for What’s Coming — A Daily Journal Prompt:
“What is one gentle thing I can offer myself today as I move toward the week ahead?”
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode honors the emotional complexity of approaching a ho...
A Saturday to Breathe: Finding Space Amid the Noise of the Season
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!
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This is December 20 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
A Saturday to Breathe — A Daily Journal Prompt:
“What space — emotional or physical — can I offer myself today, and why does it matter?”
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode acknowledges the unique emotional landscape of a December Saturday. You're invi...
Surviving Early Suicide Loss: Honoring Austin’s Legacy Through Art, Horses, and Advocacy
In this episode of The Leftover Pieces; Suicide Loss Conversations, I’m joined by Jacquelyn Dickey, a mother navigating early suicide loss after the death of her son, Austin, who died on April 4, 2025, at the age of 30. Austin left behind a loving family — his mom, dad, younger sister Victoria, girlfriend Rachel, and his beloved dog Luna — as well as an extraordinary body of photographic work that continues to speak to his creativity and spirit.
Follow The Empty Chair Movement HERE
Jacquelyn’s journey through grief has been uniquely courageous. Within w...
The Courage to Stay Soft: Connection Without Performance
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 19 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
The Courage to Stay Soft — A Daily Journal Prompt:
“What would softness look like for me today — and what truth does that softness protect?”
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode honors the courage it takes to stay soft in a season th...
In the Middle of the Month, In the Middle of Your Grief: A Pause to Notice Yourself
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!
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This is December 18 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
A Pause to Notice Yourself — A Daily Journal Prompt:
“What do I notice about myself today — emotionally, physically, spiritually — without judgment?”
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode marks the midpoint of December with an invitation to slow down and notice your...
Let Yourself Be Met: Receiving Care Without Shrinking Yourself
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 17 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Let Yourself Be Met — A Daily Journal Prompt:
“What would it look like to let myself receive care in one small way today?”
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode explores the courage and complexity of receiving care while grieving. Y...
The Company You Keep: Letting Connection Meet You Where You Are
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 16 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
The Company You Keep — A Daily Journal Prompt: “What kind of connection feels possible for me today — with others, or with myself?”
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode continues Week Three with a reflection on connection in grief — not forced socializing or...
Carrying What Matters Forward: Preparing Your Heart for the Week Ahead
A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.
Week 3 Begins: “This past week, we’ve explored boundaries as acts of care — the small ways we protect our energy, honor our capacity, and stay close to what feels true. This week, we’re exploring connection — the kind that comes from truth, tenderness, and compassion. Not forced connection. Not holiday performance. But the real, humankind that meets you exactly where you are.”
Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!<...
A Sunday for Softening: Let the Day Be Gentle on Your Spirit
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 14 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Journal Prompt
What could it look like to let today be softer on my spirit — in one small, honest way?
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode invites you into the gentleness of a Sunday in December — a day to slow dow...
The Impossible Math of Time: Marking Another Year Without Them
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 13 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
The Impossible Math of Time (Our Birthday) - A Daily Journal Prompt:
“How has grief reshaped my sense of time — and who have I become in the years between then and now?”
Today’s Reflection
Today's reflection honors the impossible...
The Softness of the Weekend: A Little More Room to Breathe
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 12 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
The Softness of the Weekend - A Daily Journal Prompt
If I offered myself one simple act of care this weekend, what would it look like — and why does that matter to my heart?
Today’s Reflection
Today’s...
Honoring What Helps, Releasing What Hurts: Letting Every Day Be Different
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 11 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Honoring What Helps, Releasing What Hurts - A Daily Journal Prompt: What helped me breathe a little easier today… and what felt too heavy to hold?
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode invites you to honor the shifting landscape of your grief...
When “No” Becomes a Gift: Protecting Your Heart Without Apology
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 10 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
When ‘No’ Becomes a Gift- A Daily Journal Prompt:
“Where in my life does saying ‘no’ feel like an act of self-preservation — and how might I offer myself compassion for that?”
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode explores the power of “no” as an a...
The Quiet Yes, the Quiet No: Listening for What Your Heart Is Asking Today
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 9 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
The Quiet Yes, The Quiet No --A Daily Journal Prompt:
“What quiet yes or quiet no is whispering inside me today — and what would it feel like to honor it?”
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode explores the small but powerfu...
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.
Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!
👉 The Leftover Pieces App
This is December 8 — Welcome, Fellow Griever
Boundaries as Care -- A Daily Journal Prompt:
“What is one boundary my heart is asking for today — and what truth does that boundary protect?”
Today’s Reflection
Today’s episode opens Week Two with a tender look at boundaries — n...
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.
Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!
👉 The Leftover Pieces App
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.
Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!
👉 The Leftover Pieces App
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
Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE
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...
