Grief Is Not A Dirty Word
Grief Is Not A Dirty Word is a weekly podcast that brings honest, real-world conversations about grief, loss, trauma, healing, and mental health into the light. Hosted by Nick Gaylord, the show creates a safe, compassionate space for anyone navigating the complicated emotions that come with losing a parent, partner, child, friend, relationship, or former version of themselves.
Originally launched as Our Dead Dads, the podcast has evolved into a broader mission: to normalize grief and break the stigma around talking about it. Nick explores every corner of the grieving experience — from anticipatory grief and sudden loss to complicated family dynamics, unresolved anger, identity shifts, and the invisible pain people carry long after the world assumes they’re “fine.”
Each episode features powerful, unfiltered stories from guests who have lived through loss and rebuilt their lives in deeply personal ways. Through conversations centered on resilience, vulnerability, courage, and connection, the podcast helps listeners understand that grief isn’t something to hide — it’s something that deserves space, honesty, and community.
Whether your grief is fresh or decades old, whether it’s tied to death or to a different kind of ending, this show will help you feel seen, supported, and less alone. If you’re looking for meaningful discussions about healing, emotional wellbeing, and the human experience — you’re in the right place.
New episodes every Tuesday.
Listen on all major podcast platforms or at griefisnotadirtyword.com.
Grief Is Not A Dirty Word — because every story matters, every emotion belongs, and healing begins when we speak the truth.
Grief Is Not A Dirty Word
Grief, Forgiveness, and Rewriting the Fatherhood Narrative After Loss with Dave Roberts
WHO THIS EPISODE HELPS
Anyone navigating childhood grief, parental abandonment, complicated grief, or unresolved trauma.
WHAT LISTENERS WILL GET
A compassionate, grounded conversation about healing father-loss, understanding generational patterns, and building a renewed relationship with grief.
DESCRIPTION:
Dave Roberts returns to Grief Is Not A Dirty Word for a powerful, vulnerable conversation about growing up without his father and learning to make peace with decades of unresolved grief. Nick Gaylord guides the interview with care, exploring Dave’s early childhood trauma, emotional wounds, and the healing work that helped him understand his father’s absence. Dave speaks openly about forgiveness, ancestral patterns, spiritual insight, and the impact of supportive male figures who shaped his life. The conversation expands into grief education, emotional resilience, and the lifelong search for belonging. Nick and Dave also reflect on the importance of storytelling, connection, and giving people a safe space to process difficult emotions. This episode offers a grounded pathway toward compassion, healing, and reclaiming your own narrative after loss.
This episode answers:
- What does childhood grief look like when a parent leaves without explanation?
- How do adults process abandonment years after the original loss?
- What role does forgiveness play in healing complicated grief?
- Why do generational patterns and ancestral trauma influence how families cope?
- How can someone rebuild emotional trust and identity after growing up without a parent?
Key Takeaways:
- You did not cause a parent’s departure or the breakup of your family.
- Childhood grief often mirrors abandonment, fear, anger, and unmet emotional needs.
- Understanding generational patterns can bring clarity to a parent’s behavior.
- Forgiveness does not excuse harm — it frees you from carrying it.
- It is never too late to heal, seek support, and rewrite your emotional story.
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