Season 4 Wrap and Don't Forget To Breathe song -E444

As Season 4 comes to a close, Bruce Barker reflects on an unforgettable year of conversations, courage, and connection.

In this special solo episode, Bruce looks back at some of the season's most impactful moments with guests including Tammy, Jamie and Cooper, Scott Allen, Marissa, and John DeDakis. He shares how their stories, along with conversations with co-host Kristin Glenn, have helped normalize grief, honor our children, and remind bereaved parents that they are never alone.

Bruce also offers a preview of what's ahead in Season 5, including upcoming guests, new Foundation initiatives, and the first episode of the new season, which will reflect on National Bereaved Parents Month, the Compassionate Friends and Bereaved Parents of the USA national conferences, and the anniversaries of Zach and Kristen.

Finally, Bruce debuts the Don't Forget To Breathe song, a deeply personal tribute inspired by the words that have become the heartbeat of the podcast and a reminder that love endures, hope remains, and our children's stories continue to be told. And here are the lyrics...

Don’t Forget To Breathe

I still talk to you in empty rooms

In the silence and the Sunday afternoons

Some days I laugh

Some days I break

Some days I don’t know

What my heart can take

And everybody says that time moves on

But they don’t know a love this strong

So we carry what we cannot leave

And somehow learn to breathe

So don’t forget to breathe

When the night gets hard to see

When the world keeps moving on

And you’re still holding on

There’s a place for every tear

Every memory still here

You are not alone tonight

We’ll sit with you awhile

And don’t forget to breathe

We speak their names around this fire

Like keeping love alive is our desire

And maybe grief’s just love that stays

Long after someone slips away

So pull your chair a little near

There’s healing in the stories shared right here

No fixing words

No grand relief

Just hearts that still believe

So don’t forget to breathe

When the ache won’t let you sleep

When the quiet feels too loud

And you can’t stand in the crowd

There’s a road we didn’t choose

Still we walk it two by two

You are not alone tonight

We’ll sit with you awhile

And don’t forget to breathe

Ahhhh

Love don’t end

It just changes shape again

Ohhhh

And the ones we miss the most

Still live inside these souls

So don’t forget to breathe

Through the heartbreak and the grief

There’s a light we cannot see

Still shining quietly

And if all you do today

Is simply make it through the pain

That is more than enough tonight

You’re still here and so are we

So don’t forget

Don’t forget to breathe

Don’t forget to breathe

Don’t Forget To Breathe

Thank you for walking this journey with us. We'll see you in Season 5.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Welcome to Don't Forget to Breathe. I'm Bruce Barker. Whether you've been with us since the very beginning or just recently found this podcast, thank you for choosing to spend part of your day with us. This episode is a little different. Normally I'm joined by co-host Kristen Glenn, but today it's just me behind the microphone. Kristen wasn't able to join me for this recording. She's on the mend from a recent accident with her horse, and I know we all wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to having her voice back on the podcast soon. So

Welcome And Kristen’s Update

SPEAKER_01 1:19

I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on what has been an incredible season four, share a glimpse of what's coming in season five, talk a little about July and the National Bereef Parents Month, and introduce something I've been excited to share for quite a while. So take a breath and let's begin. Season four has been more than a collection of podcast episodes. It's it's been a collection of lives. Stories that many people never imagined they would tell. Stories of sons and daughters whose names deserve to continue to be

Why Season Four Mattered

SPEAKER_01 1:53

spoken. Stories filled with laughter, tears, regrets, hope, questions, faith, doubt, and love. When Kristen joined me this season, one of our goals was simple. Create connection, create conversation, and create community. And because of you, that's exactly what's happened. We've now reached listeners in over 71 countries and hundreds of cities around the world. That still amazes me. Not because of the numbers, but because every episode represents a person, a parent, a sibling, a grandparent, a friend, someone looking for one small reminder that they are not alone. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey. When I think back over this season, there are some many conversations that continue to stay with me. Talking with Tammy around Mother's Day was incredibly meaningful. She shared the story of her son with such honesty and tenderness that we talked about what it means to continue being a mother after the death of a child and how love doesn't stop simply because our children are no longer physically with us. I know that conversation resonated with so many moms and dads too. Our two-part conversation with Jamie and her son Cooper

Stories That Changed Us

SPEAKER_01 3:16

gave us an intimate look at a family's grief from a mother's perspective. Jamie shared the heartbreaking story of losing ten-year-old Parker, but she also made sure we came to know the little boy behind the tragedy, his adventurous spirit, his kindness, and the joy he brought to everyone around him. Then, hearing from Cooper offered a perspective we don't often hear, that of a sibling learning to carry both profound loss and enduring love. Together their stories reminded us that child loss forever changes an entire family, yet each person grieves differently while remaining deeply connected to the one they love. Our conversation with Scott Allen about his daughter Jamie was another one that will stay with me for a very long time. Listening to a father describe not only the devastating loss of his daughter, but also the intentional ways he continues to love every single day. It gave so many fathers permission to feel what they've been hiding. His story reminded us that our relationship with our children doesn't end. It simply changes. We also had the privilege of sitting down with Marissa, whose perspective brought another beautiful reminder that every grief journey is unique. Her willingness to share both the difficult moments and the moments of growth offered hope without pretending that the pain disappears. It was a conversation filled with authenticity, and I know many listeners found pieces of their own story in hers. Our conversation with John Dedakus reminded us that grief doesn't erase who we are, it becomes part of our story. John shared such wisdom about carrying loss while continuing to write new chapters of life and about finding meaning without ever leaving our children behind. Kristen and I also spent time talking directly with grieving parents through episodes like Who Am I Now? Exploring how child loss changes our identity and becoming someone different after child loss, where we acknowledge that grief doesn't simply change our lives, it changes us. We also devoted two episodes to one of the most requested topics we've received. I don't know what to say to a grieving parent. Those conversations weren't just for brief parents, they were for friends, family members, coworkers, churches, and anyone who wants to love someone well after an unimaginable loss. One of my favorite things about this season has been hearing from listeners afterwards messages saying, I thought I was the only one. Or I finally felt understood. Or I I sent this episode to my husband. I shared it with my sister. Those words mean more than you'll ever know. Because at the end of the day, that's why we do this. Not because we have all the answers, because we don't. But because none of us should have to navigate this alone. Before I tell you what's ahead in season five, I want to give you a preview of one of our first episodes. Every year, July carries a different weight for bereaved parents. It's recognized as National Bereaved Parents Month, but for many of us, it isn't something we celebrate. It's something we survive. This past July was especially meaningful. Kristen represented the Don't Forget to Breathe podcast and the Don't Forget to Breathe Foundation at the Compassionate Friends National Conference in Baltimore, while I had

July, Conferences, And Anniversaries

SPEAKER_01 6:55

the privilege of attending the bereaved parents of the USA national gathering in Pittsburgh. Between the two conferences, we met hundreds of grieving parents, heard countless stories, shared hugs, shared tears, and watched complete strangers become lifelong friends in a matter of minutes. For Kristen, July also marked another anniversary of Zack's death. And for me, July 26 marked 20 years since my daughter Kristen died. Needless to say, it was a heavy month for both of us. One of our first episodes of season five will be a very personal conversation about that month. We'll talk about what it's like to walk into rooms filled with grieving parents while carrying our own grief. We'll reflect on children's anniversaries, the emotions that resurface, no matter how many years have passed, and why remembrance is both painful and profoundly important. We'll also talk about something we witnessed over and over again at both conferences. And that's hope. Not the kind of hope that tells us everything is okay, but the kind that quietly reminds us that we're not walking this road alone. If July is a difficult month for you, or if you've ever wondered whether anyone truly understands what these anniversaries feel like, I hope you'll join us for that conversation as we begin season five. This season also marked another exciting milestone, the official launch of the Don't Forget to Breathe Foundation. The podcast will always remain at the heart of what we do, but now we're beginning to build something even larger. Retreats, facilitator resources and trainings, support for mothers, support for fathers, support for couples, tools for churches and grief organizations, all to help those who walk beside grieving parents feel more confident in supporting them. This isn't about replacing what's already being done,

Launching The Foundation’s Next Step

SPEAKER_01 8:55

it's about joining others in the work. Because no family should have to navigate child loss alone. Now, let's look ahead. Season five is already taking shape. We're planning conversations with more brief parents, also authors, grief educators, counselors, faith leaders, and a funeral director. All grieving parents. And we'll talk with people whose lives have been forever changed by loving a child that they now carry in their hearts. Some names we're hoping to bring to the microphone include Aaron Bleckman, Anne Marie Farino, Tim Schram, and several

What Season Five Will Tackle

SPEAKER_01 9:38

guests many of you have recommended throughout the year. We're also planning more practical episodes, supporting dads, supporting marriages, helping grandparents, helping siblings, navigating holidays, finding purpose, living with anniversaries, and continuing conversations that most people are afraid to begin. Because that's really why this podcast exists, to normalize conversations about death, to normalize conversations about grief, and to normalize speaking our children's names. We've also been working on something special behind the scenes. Over the coming weeks, you'll hear more about new foundation resources, some exciting partnerships, a growing volunteer network, and opportunities for you to become involved in helping grieving families across the country. This is only the beginning. Okay, before we close, I want to share something very personal. Many of you know the phrase, don't forget to breathe, didn't begin as a podcast title. It began with my daughter. Those words became an anchor during some of the darkest days of my life. Over time, they become the heartbeat of this podcast. And now they become something else. A song. A song written to honor every parent who continues loving a child they cannot hold. A reminder that even in the hardest moments, even

Turning “Don’t Forget To Breathe” Into Song

SPEAKER_01 11:05

when breathing feels impossible, love continues, hope remains. And you're never walking this road completely alone. I truly hope that it speaks to your heart, and you can find the lyrics in the show notes for this episode. So here is the very first public release of the song.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

I still talk to you in empty rooms in the silence in the Sunday afternoon. Some days I laugh, some days I break, some days I don't know what my heart can take. So we carry what we cannot

Song Premiere And Listening Together

SPEAKER_00 12:20

leave somehow. Like keeping love alive as I desire. Maybe Greece just love that stays long after someone slip stories. No grand release.

SPEAKER_01 16:19

Thank you for trusting us with your stories, and thank you for allowing us to speak the names of your children. We'll take a very short break as we prepare for season five, but we'll be back very soon with more conversations, more stories, and more reminders that none of us has to carry this journey alone. Until next time, take care of yourselves, take care of each other. Keep saying their names, keep telling their stories, and as always, don't forget to breathe.