The Leftover Pieces; Suicide Loss Conversations
This podcast focuses on surviving life after a suicide loss, an experience that can be devastating and leave you feeling lost as you try to pick up the pieces of your shattered heart. The host, Melissa Bottorff-Arey, lost her 21-year-old son, Alex, to suicide on August 7, 2016, and brings (& often shares) her insights from her personal journey. In each episode, Melissa engages in honest and challenging conversations with other survivors of loss, healers, and mental health experts. She also produces shorter solo episodes where she reflects on her own thoughts and experiences thus far. The podcast covers a wide range of r...
Overcoming; A Brave Dad Grieves Outloud
Today I speak with a father who lost his son Heston to suicide June 7, 2020
"Andy Campbell’s new book, Overcoming Life’s Toughest Setbacks, distills his 15 core beliefs that helped him keep going when life didn’t let up. His lens is earned: childhood sexual abuse and bullying, losing his mother young, estrangement from his father, a diagnosis of stage-4 pancreatic cancer with multiple surgeries and chemo, and the death of his youngest son by suicide.
The result is a practical, no-nonsense approach—favoring humility, clear thinking, focused work, relentless curiosity, persevera...
Mindfulness Shifts Grief: Reshma Kearney Guides Others
Check out the BECAUSE THEY ARE LOVED Poetry & Letter Anthology HERE
& Get 10% OFF either (or both) with Code: PODCAST10
Now, for our episode-- Today, I’m joined by Reshma Kearney — a trauma-informed mindfulness and healing guide who helps people navigate grief and the life transitions after suicide loss with compassion and resilience. After losing her husband, Sean to suicide in 2022, Reshma has chosen to dedicated her life to creating spaces where grief can be honored, healing can be nurtured, and hope can be rediscovered. She works with adults, teens, and c...
Digital Echoes, Human Hearts; Turning Loss into Legacy
On day one of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we explore how postvention becomes prevention—through families who consent to share a loved one’s device so the Black Box Project can detect real-world patterns that help save lives.
Kim Burditt Bartlett, MSW — She is a suicide loss sibling and Senior Manager of Family Engagement for Stop Soldier Suicide’s Black Box Project. She creates trauma-informed resources and co-founded Sibling Strong Retreats.
What is the Black Box Project is (plainly):
A research and care initiative at Stop Soldier Su...
Grief Truth #31; August Daily Nuggets
"Grief truth: We keep going, together."
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 ---
This month, we’ve walked through thirty-one days of truths about grief — the ones that don’t fit on sympathy cards or in quick conversations, but live in the marrow of our lives.
We’ve talked about love and loss, about how grief changes but never disappea...
Grief Truth #30; August Daily Nuggets
"Grief will always be part of your story."
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 ---
It will not always be the main chapter—but it will always be written into the pages.
"Grief will always be part of your story."
Grief is not something you “finish” and leave behind. It becomes part of your life’s landscape—wove...
Grief Truth #29; August Daily Nuggets
"Some days, survival is enough."
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 ---
Not every day will be a day of breakthroughs or big steps forward. Some days, breathing is the accomplishment.
"Some days, survival is enough."
Grief takes energy—more than most people realize. There will be days when your body and mind have nothing left for an...
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 w...
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...
Grief Truth #26; August Daily Nuggets
"Grief will teach you who your people are."
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 ---
Loss has a way of clarifying relationships in ways nothing else can.
"Grief will teach you who your people are."
Some people will step closer, willing to sit with you in the silence, hold space for your tears, and ask nothing in...
Grief Truth #25; August Daily Nuggets
"Healing doesn’t mean forgetting."
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 ---
Some fear that moving forward will erase the person they love. But healing and forgetting are not the same thing.
"Healing doesn’t mean forgetting."
Healing is about learning how to carry their absence without it crushing you. It’s about weaving them into your d...
Grief Truth #24; August Daily Nuggets
"It’s normal to miss who you were before."
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 ---
Loss doesn’t just take the person you love—it reshapes you.
"It’s normal to miss who you were before."
You may look back at the version of yourself who laughed more easily, dreamed more freely, or moved through the world wi...
Grief Truth #23; August Daily Nuggets
"You don’t have to explain your grief."
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 ---
Not everyone will understand. And honestly? Not everyone needs to.
"You don’t have to explain your grief."
Grief is intimate. It lives in the small moments, the private memories, the quiet aches only you can fully feel.
You don’t owe...
Grief Truth #22; August Daily Nuggets
"Grief can change your definition of strength."
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 ---
Before loss, strength might have looked like pushing through, holding it all together, or never letting anyone see you cry. After loss, strength often has a different face.
"Grief can change your definition of strength."
Grief strips away the illusions we once h...
Grief Truth #21; August Daily Nuggets
"Grief is the price of love."
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 ---
If we never loved deeply, we’d never hurt this much.
"Grief is the price of love."
Grief is not a punishment. It’s the echo of the love that filled your life—and the love that still lives inside you.
The ache you f...
Grief Truth #20; August Daily Nuggets
"There is no 'getting over' grief."
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 ---
We’ve all heard it: “You’ll get over it.” As if loss is something we recover from, like a cold.
"There is no 'getting over' grief."
But grief is not an obstacle you climb and leave behind. It’s not a wound that disappears...
Grief Truth #19; August Daily Nuggets
"Memories are a form of connection."
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 ---
We sometimes fear that talking about them will hurt too much—or that others will grow tired of hearing their name. But memories are not just reminders of what we’ve lost. They’re threads that keep the connection alive.
"Memories are a form of connectio...
Grief Truth #18; August Daily Nuggets
"It’s okay to not be okay."
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 ---
There’s a strange pressure after loss to present yourself as “fine,” as though grief is something that should be quickly packaged and hidden away.
"It’s okay to not be okay."
But pretending you’re okay doesn’t make the pain disappear—it just p...
Grief Truth #17; August Daily Nuggets
"Your pace is the right pace."
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 ---
We live in a world that measures progress in milestones, deadlines, and “shoulds.” But grief doesn’t fit neatly into any of those boxes.
"Your pace is the right pace."
Some people will think you’re “moving too slow.” Others will think you’re “doing too w...
Grief Truth #16; August Daily Nuggets
"Joy and grief can live in the same heart."
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 ---
For a long time, I thought joy would be a betrayal—that if I laughed or felt lightness, it meant I’d somehow let go of the person I lost.
"Joy and grief can live in the same heart."
What I’ve lear...
Grief Truth #15; August Daily Nuggets
"You are not weak for grieving."
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 ---
Some people mistake tears for fragility, or heartbreak for collapse. But grief has a way of showing us that real strength often looks nothing like what we thought it would.
"You are not weak for grieving."
It takes unimaginable strength to get out of be...
Grief Truth #14; August Daily Nuggets
"Grief changes, but it never disappears."
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 ---
In the early days, grief can feel like it’s everywhere—heavy in your chest, clouding your mind, weighing down every breath. But as time passes, it shifts. The edges soften, the waves become less constant… yet it’s still there.
"Grief changes, but it never disa...
Grief Truth #13; August Daily Nuggets
"Grief is love finding new ways to flow."
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.
Let’s lean in
At first, it might feel like the love you carry has nowhere to go. But over time, you realize—it’s not gone. It’s simply seeking a new path.
"Grief is love finding new ways to flow."
Grief can feel like a dam—holding...
Grief Truth #12; August Daily Nuggets
"Healing is not the same as forgetting."
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.
Let’s lean in
Some people think moving forward means leaving the past behind.
But grief teaches us otherwise.
Healing is not the same as forgetting.
Healing isn’t about erasing the person we lost or softening their memory until it no longer stings. It’s about...
Grief Truth #11; August Daily Nuggets
"Grief does not follow a straight line."
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.
Let’s lean in
If you’ve ever felt like you’re “doing grief wrong,” you’re not.
"Grief does not follow a straight line."
The path is messy. It loops back on itself. It sends you down side roads you didn’t even know existed. Just when you think...
Grief Truth #10; August Daily Nuggets
“Silence can be a sacred companion.”
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.
Let’s begin.
Before we start, plant your feet and notice how the ground holds you. Even now, you are supported.
Silence can be a sacred companion.
One of grief’s quiet tricks is convincing us we’re fragile — like one more loss, one more memory, might make us shatter. But lo...
Grief Truth #9; August Daily Nuggets
“This loss rewrites your story.”
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.
Let’s begin.
Let's take a breath together. Let yourself arrive. Sometimes we don’t need answers — just something true to hold. Here’s today’s grief truth.
This loss rewrites your story.
You had a story — a vision for how things would go.
Then loss ripped the page in half.
Grief Truth #8; August Daily Nuggets
“Grief teaches you who you are beneath the pain.”
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.
Let’s begin.
Take a breath. Let yourself arrive.
Sometimes we don’t need answers — just something true to hold.
Here’s today’s grief truth.
Grief teaches you who you are beneath the pain
Before this loss, I thought I knew who I was.
Grief Truth #7; August Daily Nuggets
“Some days are sacred, no matter how much time has passed.”
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.
Let’s begin.
Take a breath. Or Two - or three. Let yourself arrive.
Sometimes we don’t need answers — just something true to hold.
Here’s today’s grief truth.
Some days are sacred, no matter how much time has...
The Eternal Last Day; A Poem for the Unimagineable
Nine years ago tomorrow, my son Alex died & every August 6th became the eternal last day. I hadn’t found those words until now. The day before everything changed. The last day of “before.”
This is a poem I wrote when I woke today—rising from the weight—where memory meets survival.
Most days, I carry grief with grace. My soul is expanded. Alex is always with me. I now do work I never would've chosen—but know is the deepest calling of my life: walking with other grievers thru the wilderness of loss.
...
Grief Truth #6; August Daily Nuggets
“Memories hurt — and they can also heal.”
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.
Let’s begin.
I invite you to take a breath -- or two. Let yourself arrive.
Sometimes we don’t need answers — just something true to hold.
Here’s today’s grief truth.
Memories hurt — and they can also heal.
There was a tim...
Grief Truth #5; August Daily Nuggets
“Guilt and love often feel the same.” August 5 Daily Nugget
Take a breath. Let yourself arrive.
Sometimes we don’t need answers — just something true to hold.
Here’s today’s grief truth.
Guilt and love often feel the same.
Guilt is one of grief’s heaviest companions.
It creeps in through the cracks of “what if” and “why didn’t I.”
But here’s something I’ve come to learn: guilt often masquerades as love.
It’s not always about wrongdoing — it’s about a love so deep, so fierce, tha...
Grief Truth #4; August Daily Nuggets
Today's Grief Truth - “Some days are lighter. Some days are heavy — and that’s okay.”
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.
Take a breath. Let yourself arrive.
Sometimes we don’t need answers — just something true to hold.
Here’s today’s grief truth.
Yes, some days are lighter. Some days are heavy — and that’s okay.
Grief Truth #3; August Daily Nuggets
Today's Grief Truth -" Grief is Not Linear".
There’s no finish line here. No checklist.
Grief is wild and unpredictable. You might feel “okay” one day — and the next, the wind knocks you flat.
But that doesn’t mean you’re back at the beginning. It means you're walking through it honestly.
Progress in grief doesn’t move forward like an arrow — it spirals. It folds back on itself.
It teaches you again and again what it means to hold love and pain in the same palm.
If tod...
Grief Truth #2; August Daily Nuggets
Here’s today’s grief truth. “It’s okay to laugh and cry in the same hour.”
Grief is full of contradictions — and also full of truth.
One moment, you’re sobbing in the car because their favorite song came on. The next, you're belly-laughing at the memory of something wild they once did.
That swing? That unpredictability? It doesn’t mean you’re unstable — it means you’re human.
We are wired to hold both heartbreak and humor, joy and sorrow, love and longing.
You are allowed to laugh...
Grief Truth #1; August Daily Nuggets INTRO
Hello Fellow Griever— and Welcome Back.
If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been… you’re not wrong. July was quieter than usual here on the podcast (totally quiet!) — but it wasn’t in vain.
Behind the scenes, I’ve been pouring myself into some powerful new offerings: two brand-new grief coaching programs — each with their own beautiful workbook now published and available — and the long-awaited launch of The Lighthouse Community.--- >LINK HERE
The Lighthouse is a sacred space just for grieving moms — a soft landing place ful...
Getting Real About Grief ‘Coaching’; Why I Do This & Why I Do it Differently
Welcome today fellow griever. I appreciate you, I see you and thank you so much for listening and if you can, please ---Support the show
Today, I’m taking you behind the scenes — not just of the podcast, but of why I do all of this.
Spoiler alert: it’s not about making six figures. Not even close to what it's about!
It started with a mic, a grieving heart, and the hope that I could create the kind of podcast I couldn’t find after losing my son Alex to suicide. And in many way...
New Ways to Heal Together; What’s New at The Leftover Pieces
Welcome today fellow griever. I appreciate you, I see you and thank you so much for listening and if you can, please ---Support the show
You may have seen soft mentions of some new things I’ve been building — maybe in your inbox or on social — and today I’m diving all the way in. If this is the first you’re hearing of it, then welcome — you’re right on time.
In this heart-led episode of Down the Rabbit Hole, I’m walking you through what’s new — and what’s next — here at The Leftover Pie...
Welcome to May 31; "We're All Mad Here" DAILY Mental Health Nugget
"Hello --It is May 31st and welcome to Wonderland Fellow Griever. — “You’ve just stepped Down the Rabbit Hole — where mental health meets madness after loss. This is your daily dose of truth, grief, and yes, just the right bit of madness.”
WEEK 5: The FINALE for may 2025 Daily Nuggets
Day 31: Today’s truth is: "You're still here. That matters." Idea: Completion, continuation, and gratitude. Day 31. We made it. This is something! THANK YOU
You've shown up—for 31 days—inside your grief, your heart, and your truth...
Welcome to May 30; "We're All Mad Here" DAILY Mental Health Nugget
"Hello --It is May 30th and welcome to Wonderland Fellow Griever. — “You’ve just stepped Down the Rabbit Hole — where mental health meets madness after loss. This is your daily dose of truth, grief, and yes, just the right bit of madness.”
WEEK 5: The 3 Day Wrap -up for the Month
Day 30: Today’s truth is: "Life, what is it but a dream?" Idea: The surreal nature of life after loss.
Grief makes reality feel hazy — like you're walking through someone else's life. Or maybe the world is continuing witho...
Welcome to May 29; "We're All Mad Here" DAILY Mental Health Nugget
"Hello --It is May 29th and welcome to Wonderland Fellow Griever. — “You’ve just stepped Down the Rabbit Hole — where mental health meets madness after loss. This is your daily dose of truth, grief, and yes, just the right bit of madness.”
WEEK 5: The 3 Day Wrap -up for the Month
Day 29: Today’s truth is: (Finale echo) "I can't go back to yesterday..." Idea: Reinforcing transformation.
We began this month with this truth and return to it now — because some truths don’t get easier, only more famili...
