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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
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 keep; name one touchstone to carry; close with permission to opt out/leave early/ask for help. Then step by delivering it—email it to yourself with the subject “Open Nov 1,” or schedule it as a calendar note. Bonus: read it out loud, so your body hears your care.
Choose-your-energy menu:
- Hollow (low): Write sentence #2 (what helped) and #5 (permission). Stop there.
- Healing (medium): Write all five sentences and schedule delivery.
- Becoming (higher): Share the letter with a safe person and ask them to check in the first week of November.
To end today:
Future-you doesn’t need perfection; you needs proof you’re on your side. Kind instructions travel farther than pressure because they’re believable on a hard morning or any hard time. When the first cold week hits, you won’t have to reinvent care—you’ll open your note and follow the warmest path you already walked.
Exhale. Keep what serves you; leave the rest. I’ll be here again tomorrow. 💜
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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.