Don't Forget To Breathe: A Podcast for Living after Child Loss.
Don’t Forget To Breathe is a podcast for parents living after child loss, and for those walking beside them through grief.
Hosted by bereaved parents Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn, this show offers honest, compassionate conversations about life after child loss, long-term grief, healing, and learning how to keep living while carrying profound loss. Together, Bruce and Kristin create a space where grief does not need to be explained, and where parents can feel understood, supported, and less alone.
Originally launched in 2020, the podcast began as a form of soul-cleansing and healing, as Bruce shared his journey as a father who suddenly lost his 20-year-old daughter in 2006, a tragedy no parent should ever have to endure. After a three-year hiatus marked by deep personal transformation, including divorce, closing a business, intensive therapy, and continued healing, the podcast returns with a renewed heart and a deeper, more expansive perspective.
With Kristin joining as co-host in Season 4, the conversation widens. Drawing from decades of lived experience, Bruce and Kristin are joined by parents who bravely share their stories of grief, resilience, and life after the loss of a child. Together, they explore how grief changes over time, and how sorrow, hope, love, and even laughter can exist side by side.
The podcast also creates space for spouses, family members, friends, and anyone walking beside a bereaved parent, offering insight into the realities of grief and the power of simply showing up with compassion and presence.
You’ll hear the shift in voice, perspective, and presence, from surviving to living. Wherever you are in or around grief, this podcast offers connection, understanding, and the quiet reassurance that no one has to carry loss alone.
Don't Forget To Breathe: A Podcast for Living after Child Loss.
When Grief Finds A Circle -E545
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What happens when a group of mothers who have experienced the death of a child step away from everyday life and into the mountains together?
In this special episode of Don't Forget To Breathe, Kristin reunites with several of the moms who shared a retreat weekend in the Colorado mountains. Together, they reflect on what they carried home with them, the connections they formed, and what it means to spend time with people who understand a grief that so often feels impossible to explain.
Their conversation explores the isolation of child loss, learning to be gentle with yourself around anniversaries and milestones, allowing others to show up for you, and discovering that laughter and joy do not betray the children we love and miss.
They also talk honestly about how different grief can look from one parent to another, and why sometimes the greatest gift isn't advice or the right words, but simply having someone willing to sit beside you and say, "Your tears are safe with me."
There is no retreat that can change the reality that our children died. But finding people who understand can change how we carry that loss.
If you've been feeling alone in your grief, we hope this conversation reminds you that you don't have to carry it alone.
The Don't Forget To Breathe Foundation is planning additional retreat weekends for bereaved parents, including an upcoming Mother's Retreat in November 2026. Visit dontforgettobreathefoundation.org or reach out to us to learn more.
Come as you are. We'll meet you there.
Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:
What
Why These Moms Went To Mountains
SPEAKER_03happens when a group of mothers who have lost their children step away from the world and into the mountains together? For three days, these women did just that. And they shared their stories, their tears, laughter, memories, and understanding. We recorded this shortly after the retreat, so the experience was still fresh in their hearts and their minds. Hear what they've discovered and what they carried home and why it matters. This conversation is about grief, connection, courage, and most importantly, not being alone.
Carrying Grief After The Retreat
SPEAKER_03We were just talking, um, Mama's about the fact that it's been just a couple months since we gathered together in a very remote little cabin up in the mountains of Colorado. First of all, I'm just really honored that we could take time to gather together. And all of us will kind of address some of these questions. Six of us were able to gather today, and we are thinking of the three other bereaved moms that were unable to join us that were part of our retreat experience. But I do want to just kind of start with reflecting on the last couple months.
SPEAKER_02I feel like I try to be more intentional about honoring or remembering or thinking of others that came, and just trying to be more intentional about how I bring Parker with me every day and make it it doesn't always have to be so sad, it can be joyful and and meaningful, not just sad all day. So yeah, I've been trying to do that more often.
SPEAKER_03I think that's beautiful. And I think you know, people around us sometimes anticipate that if we're saying we're having a day of you know, really intentional remembrance, they do often automatically feel like, oh, then that's really sad. And in fact, it can be one of our better days to have an intentional remembrance moment or hour or day.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_03Because like the memory jars that we did.
SPEAKER_02The memory jars. I have that to where I as soon as I walk in the room, it's right there, and I can see the little fox I drew for Parker. And it just, I don't know. It's just something we're gonna remember regardless as soon as we wake up. Absolutely. So if we want to wake up and remember the little fox, the little snarky, sneaky turkey bird he was, then that's what I want to remember instead of find all the sad parts about it.
SPEAKER_03The heaviness, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So
Memory Jars And Joyful Remembrance
SPEAKER_03any other reflections on what's been different about how you carry your grief these last couple months?
SPEAKER_01Since the retreat, I try to be more present and not so involved in my own thoughts, but to be open to other people and their experiences. And it's made me my son's death, Chris's death, has changed me in a way for the better. I'm I'm more resilient, I'm a lot stronger than I thought I'd ever be, and I'm more open to other people and what they go through and their journey. And I can relate to that, to many things about that. The retreat has brought me closer to people and a and a and a really profound connection with other people that I didn't think I had before. I certainly have been to grief groups before, but hanging out with a bunch of women over the weekend, it's different. It's so much more intimate. And I came away feeling really good about myself and about my son. And that the love that I have for him will remain. It's beautifully said.
SPEAKER_03Was there a moment or experience um at the retreat that specifically has stayed with you?
SPEAKER_06I would have to say the memory jar. I I um keep it in my living room by Hayden's pictures. And I just think of all of you knowing that I'm not alone, that we're in this together, and that we all lost someone that we love so much. And they'll be with, I mean, Hayden is with me, and I just I know that I'm not alone in the sadness and also the good the good memories, and I just know that when I'm crying or I'm suffering, other moms maybe are having a bad day too, and the memory jar just brings me comfort in knowing that it was something that we all shared together. And we we all have I kind of like it, just put your child in there knowing that that's how much you love him. You put the things in there that you that you know that nobody else knows, you know, and that's part of something that's special, very special. Thanks for sharing that.
Connection That Breaks Isolation
SPEAKER_03You all are, you know, really commenting on like some connections that were made. And I'm wondering about I think we all mention um as we talk about this journey that grief can be really incredibly isolating. What has being connected with other mothers, whether it's during the retreat or just in your life, meant to you during your own journey?
SPEAKER_04Um It has meant the world to me. Um before I was feeling extremely isolated and uh just alone. Because I I mean, while you you want to connect with other people, it's it's hard. It's it's not the same anymore. I mean, you've got this huge piece of grief on your heart, and no one understands it up until I met, you know, you moms, and I I really I got to see what what that looked like and what that was and how you all were dealing with it, and it's it just helped me out tremendously.
SPEAKER_03Other thoughts on that? I know a lot of people had said that they had some thoughts about the fact that grief grief is isolating and what does it mean to be connected to other moms? Who else wants to comment on that? Microphone across the table.
SPEAKER_05Great. So I too I still feel very isolated lately, but I think it's because I'm coming up on the anniversary. Um but I will tell you that after the retreat, I didn't cry for almost a whole month, which was like the first time since Jordan passed away. So now I'm crying every day again, but this will pass. I just have to be really gentle with myself until I get through all the anniversaries.
SPEAKER_02I think sometimes you forget how many other mothers share the same pain and you think you are all alone and that you don't have anybody. But then, you know, when you're able to connect in a group or connect at a retreat and sit with others, you realize you're you're not alone and that you're not isolated. Sometimes it is still tricky to try to form those bonds and and get connected deeper, but we all know that we we have each other and that we're always here for each other, and so I I find comfort with that. That especially after meeting everybody at the retreat and getting to know other moms, it it's definitely helpful.
SPEAKER_01For me,
Empowerment And Permission For Joy
SPEAKER_01connecting with other parents that have lost a child has been empowering. That's the word I'd like to use. Empowering. For almost a solid two years, I didn't talk to anyone about my son's death. They all knew he died, but I didn't want to share details, I didn't want to share my thoughts. I didn't want to be a burden to anyone because it's not about me. This is what this is what I felt. It's not about me, it's about my son. So for the first couple years, I didn't have anyone to talk to. Sure, there was my husband and two surviving children, his brothers, but they just don't get it like maybe a mom does, you know? And so for me, it was empowering. And that's why I'm so drawn to all of you great moms with great hearts.
SPEAKER_03I think um when you're talking about how can you know the worst devastation also bring empowerment and resilience and a better self, and I have felt that too. And sometimes it feels like, is it okay to have something come from this tragedy that's making me look at life more positively? Is that is that okay? And it it's been a long time for me to realize yes, whether it's work that I've done or outreach or meeting incredible people that I would never have known. It is okay. This wasn't my plan or anything I would imagine, but I think it would be an additional tragedy to not take away something that felt like we were living a life that felt very authentic to our children. I don't know, but that's something I've learned about kind of grief that I didn't really understand before, and really come to understand that having joy isn't betraying him. That actually, and I felt like that for a long time. Like if I was joyful at all, I was betraying my son. And now I actually feel like not finding joy would be betraying him because he was my first and only for so long, and he taught me joy, so I would be really letting him down by not finding some joy and and still holding on deeply to the grief and the sorrow that will never go away. Um that's what I've learned. I I would love to hear like something that you've under you've come to understand about grief that maybe you didn't initially really understand about your own grief or others' grief that was at any point of your journey or brought up during the creep, you know, the retreat. But we know this is a day-to-day journey.
SPEAKER_04So any aha moments I think one of my biggest moments was when it was hard and difficult for me just dealing with grief. And and so I I like I became a hermit and I just I I didn't process things and I didn't feel things, and I I was very like closed off for a while, but I I I actually had um a friend of mine say that I I don't need to, you know, like deal with it that way. I don't have to tell people all of you know my history. And I, you know, for me that was just like I I feel like I would be taking away from from my son, from Cameron, from from everything that that I went through, from you know, the birth of him to you know, it's it that was the most significant thing in my life. For me, grief I don't know, it's it's it's not all negative. You know what I mean? It's it's oftentimes it's it's remembering, it's that's that's who I am, and that's a part that I played.
Milestones And Self Gentleness
SPEAKER_03I want to circle back to when you talk about milestones before we you know address and and you said it's really important that I'm gentle with myself. Can you talk a little bit about what does that look like you for you, the the gentleness around your day-to-day, your heart, how how you're different during this this time of these milestones?
SPEAKER_05Sure. Um so part of how I'm gentle with myself is I have found ways to be in the world without exposing myself to violence, for example. Um, like right now during the anniversary, I watch only movies that I've already seen. So that I'm very conscientious of what's coming into my psyche right now. I always have cut flowers in my house, mostly orange roses, because he loved orange. That was his favorite color. I give myself permission to not be around people that are difficult, and even to the point where I'll say to them, like, this is my month where I just am gonna take take it easy. And so I'm gonna shut off my phone a lot, and you're not gonna hear from me for a while, just to take a break from people that are difficult that are in my life, because that really is helpful. More snuggles with my kitties right now, then maybe you know, they're getting more treats, which they love, so that they'll be more snuggly. Um, yeah. I'm doing puzzles so that I'm really giving myself, my brain, time to rest and process and think and meditation. I do, I'm really much more conscious around being consistent with my meditation every day so that my nervous system can get settled down. So those are some of the things that I do.
SPEAKER_03When I'm with um moms that offer those types of insights, sometimes I want to say, Where were you 30 years ago when I needed someone to mentor me? Because I was so clueless and so young. And I would have, I don't think there's a manual to this, but I would have really appreciated someone giving me those choices of possibilities to be gentle with myself. You know, I kind of felt like you just go back to your everyday, I guess, and didn't know I could have permission to be as intentional as what movies am I exposing my brain to? Am I using my left brain to do puzzles? And I think you offer such beautiful and and choices. And thing that strikes me being with people that are bereaved, and they're my favorite people, the authenticity and also the lack of advice giving. We tend to be like, well, this is what worked for me, but I have no idea what you need because you're lost, your relationship is different, but I'm just stand right next to you, and I'm gonna give you space and I'm not gonna shy away from your your tears. I'm not gonna have ex high expectations of return phone calls, you know, all of those things because we give each other more grace than kind of the outside world. So I think that's really beautiful insights. I want to
Retreat Lessons For Early Grief
SPEAKER_03um kind of go back to what when you were able to step away from everyday life and be, you know, in the mountains. And I know you and I share a love of nature and that kind of grounding space, but what was it like for you specifically to step away from daily life for, you know, those three days and um be in a retreat setting?
SPEAKER_05It was really exactly what I needed. I had looked for something similar to that and hadn't found anything. And so when you approached me and and talked about the idea, I was so excited. It was definitely the connection with other moms and being in nature, but I felt like it was giving myself a break. It was like this is gonna be my sacred time to really get reconnected with Jordan and the grief, and that I knew I could cry and I didn't have to use tissues, and everyone there would be okay with it, which is really lovely to be around a bunch of people who can just you can just watch the tears come down your face, and they're not trying to shove tissues into your face. So that was really um a gift of that experience, and knowing that I didn't have to look at my phone or answer my phone, knowing that there was someone there that was providing us with the most incredible meals. So I didn't have to think about that. I think one of the things that surprised me about um the retreat was how much we also got to fill our own cups as women. It wasn't only about our grief, but it was also about us as women and our value as women, and we got to laugh. I actually we played this great game, and I went and bought the game. And um, I'm going to be uh having a get together at my house on the 4th of July, and I'm gonna play that game with everybody. So it was, you know, just the laughter was really refreshing, and it was such a nice break from my everyday suffering.
SPEAKER_03That brings smiles to me as well. For someone earlier, um, kind of in the grief journey, you know, we have moms that attended this inaugural grief um retreat that were bravely months away from their tragic loss of their son and then decades, you know, years of distance. And um so I think as I was saying to Jenna, just that mentoring piece of I know you can't tell me how to navigate this, but can you be comfortable with my sadness and can you model for me survival? And you know, we talked about the retreat of survival then turning into a day where we want to survive and the difference of that waking up every morning and thinking, oh man, I'm still here, versus is there a time where we think I want to be here most of the days? So I'd love to hear wisdom on for someone that is very early in their grief. What do you want them to know about this journey for some of us that kind of have some insights around that?
SPEAKER_01It changes. Grief changes. For me, in the beginning, I would wake up and say, why am I awake? Why do I have to go through a whole entire day without my son? And now I don't fear that. I wake up, I try to I try to wake up before the sun comes up. And I like to watch the sunrise. And I always think of my son. And maybe he's part of that now. I sure hope he is. I sure hope he can see the sunrise.
SPEAKER_03It's beautiful. Other thoughts from mamas around this table?
SPEAKER_06I know when Hayden first passed, each day was really hard to get up and know that. I'm never gonna see him here on earth again. You know, he's not here. And that was hard, hard emotionally, you know, because it's your baby. It is your baby, it is your son, it's your child, it's someone that you love so deeply that the only person can ever understand is a mother that who's lost someone. Because you don't understand that, that, that deep, deep, just you can't, you have no control over it. And it's something that you carry with you just like a I don't know I mean how to explain, almost like an unwanted guess because it's so sad. But now, I mean, I'm at 125 days and I miss him every day. I do, I miss him, and I tell him I love you and I miss you every day, but it wouldn't be honoring to him to not do something and be myself. Just be myself, share my share who I am, you know, but maybe I don't even know how to say it. Just because you carry that grief with you. It's something that you carry with you every single day. And I like how you said instead of being sad, I want to be joyful. I want to just, I want to be, I want to be positive because I don't want my days here to be sad. I want to be, would be honoring to Hayden to do, to do the right thing, to be joyful, to be happy, and to have a good life, because he wouldn't want me to be sad. And I know that. I know that he wouldn't want me to be sad, but it's hard because you you have your milestones, you have your birthdays, you have Mother's Day, you have Christmas, which it's just those are hard because you're a family, you know, and I just have to think of ways to honor those days and do something that would make me and my husband happy, you know. And that's it's hard to wrap your mind around trying to be joyful. Because I feel guilty if I'm gonna be joyful because I feel like I'm not grieving, you know.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, and you you touched um, you know, on the milestone of Mother's Day, that is right around the corner for us. We were
Mother’s Day Support What Helps
SPEAKER_03talking about the fact that the first Sunday of every May is a designated day for bereaved mothers. So it's bereaved Mother's Day in just a few days from now, and then a week later or Mother's Day. And I think people will listen sometimes to these podcasts that haven't gone through the process of having a child loss but want to know how to do better. That's my hope, right? How can we do better as far as holding space and not shying away from grief like it's some kind of contagious disease? So when you think of this upcoming Mother's Day, is there a way that you would like others to honor your boy around Mother's Day? What would feel supportive? What has someone done for you that you felt really landed well in your heart? Of and I guess on the other side, what have what have people done that maybe was hurtful so we can learn from that? But as you um imagine Mother's Day, and there's no right way to spend those days, no perfect recipe for those 24 hours. Sometimes my greatest wish is that the sun will just set and I can be done with the day. And it's always unpredictable which type of Mother's Day I'm gonna have. Is it gonna be one of those or wanna be one of the Mother's Day where it just feels joyful mostly? The days leading up often are much harder found for me personally. But so I'm giving you a minute to kind of think about what wisdom would you offer to others thinking, how do I support someone that I love on this upcoming Mother's Day? What would be meaningful?
SPEAKER_02I have a couple friends that always are super good, and not just on Mother's Day, but when you get that photo of the day on your phone, like you'll get a memory. My friends, they get photos of the day of Parker, and they could be silly or you know, or a cute photo that was intentionally taken, but a lot of times there was some sort of silly face or something going on. But they're always really good at sharing those photos, which just are the greatest gift. Like I love getting a photo of him that I haven't seen before. That just that's the sweetest. Just anybody that is not afraid to share those or to say we love you, Parker loves you, you know, whatever. That's what's the most meaningful.
SPEAKER_06I have a friend also. She's her and I were neighbors when our kids were little and we kept each other from going crazy. And she is just a true blessing in my life. She calls me every day. What are you doing today? What are you up to? And she just every, like you say, brings me happy presents, tells me, brought me a tea towel the other day that said, I wish we still live next door, you know, and she'll bring me flowers. And she has four kids of her own. And even though she doesn't know grief, she understands like she's there. She's a constant, steady thing that is, she's just a beautiful person, and I I'm very blessed to have that. And I think just being able to like just accept yourself to be loved is just from other people, is just it's a good thing.
SPEAKER_03I think what you said there as far as accepting love, I think sometimes as women, we're kind of taught to be like, I'm fine. I'll be fine. I'm take care of everybody else, I'm fine. And just the gift to allow others to show up for you. Because maybe we're not as used to being a receiver of support as giving of support.
SPEAKER_01That's absolutely true. We're we're not always I'm not always a very good receiver. And it's really awesome that Lisa that you have a such a good friend. Not everyone has that in their life. But what I'd like to add about Mother's Day is every day is Mother's Day. It doesn't have to be one day on the calendar. And if you just want to crawl into a hole and not talk to anyone that day, you can do that too. It's okay. If you want to call me, just know that your tears are safe with me.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you all have such really important messages. I think you bring up the point that sometimes people feel like if I haven't journeyed through the loss of a child, I have no space in offering support. Or I had someone even say, I really want to listen to your podcast, but I feel like maybe I don't belong there. I want to know what people go through so I can support you best. But is it okay for me to listen if I'm not a bereaved mom? And I think our answer is like, please do. Please hear us, please listen to us. And some of the most sensitive, compassionate, beautiful people in my life have been non-bereaved people that are just curious about our grief, right? Just curious about what is this like for you. Not assuming that, as you you so wisely said, that, oh, it has to be Mother's Day. Sometimes I would have people say to me, Oh, here comes his birthday. I bet you're really sad. And I kind of want to be like, oh, you missed it. Last Wednesday at 2 a.m., I was, you know, hysterical on the bathroom floor. Sorry, you missed the window, and I didn't schedule my deepest grief for the milestone day. And then there's almost guilt in like those days that come and you're like, oh, it wasn't as heavy as I thought, or it was the week before, or it was some random heard a lavin in the grocery store that took me to my knees one time. Right? It's like a whole new world. I'll show you a whole new world to turn that music off. Wanted to go talk to the manager of grocery stores. Grocery stores are tough. Yeah. Man, grocery stores are brutal. Man. Ugh, seeing all their favorites and it's tough. And then they throw in some kid music and you're like, great. This is perfect, perfect storm. Yeah. So I think I hope people will understand that it doesn't take journeying through this. We don't wish this on anyone ever. It just takes a curiosity of witnessing and a lack of fear of what we may or may not be going through on a given moment. Other things you want to offer to whoever chooses to listen?
SPEAKER_06I think that um allow yourself, like you say, allow yourself to have time to cry. Because we as women are very emotional creatures. We for myself, I like to process all that and I try to, I'm a weird deep thinker. I try to figure, I don't know, I just way overthink usually, but I think it's it's okay to crawl back into bed and just hug your pillow and cry. It's okay. Because if if I hold on to that emotional sadness and I don't cry and let it out, I don't feel better. I do not feel better. And it is okay to have a day where you don't take a bath, you don't brush your teeth, and you don't put a bra on. You just lay in bed and you cry. And it it is soothing to your soul. It really is. And then other days you're like, nope, I'm putting both feet on the floor and I'm rocking this day. So a lot, yeah, bra on, yes. And I think it's it's okay, and teeth brushed as well. Um that's a big day, yeah. And some days I do really good, and other days I'm not as good, and I'm it's okay. It is. I have had to learn to should give myself grace because I'm kind of a type A perfectionist, and I've learned that it's really not that important. It isn't. Loving yourself is important and figuring out how to love yourself, you know. It is, it's it's it's a tough journey. But just know that you're not alone, you know, you're not. And you I've had to, like you say, let other people in to love me because I've always been I'm fine, I can do it, but I'm not fine. I need that love.
Different Grief Single And Married
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I just was thinking about the difference that I see um when I go to grief groups um between the moms who have partners and the moms who don't. So as a single woman, I I think my grief is different. In a lot of ways, my son was the man that showed up for me. So I feel like there's a lot of time where I'm alone, where I think someone who's married wouldn't have that much time alone. And it would be a different experience. Rachel, would you like to share about that?
SPEAKER_04Yes. I I I do. I think that there is a big, big difference between single moms and um moms who are married and it and especially this whole process, there's been a huge, huge difference because well, you know, if I was grieving and I had somebody else to kind of, you know, I don't know, just to be there and to talk with and to relate with and it it it would be a different picture, but I mean it it it's just me. And that's a really isolating feeling, especially being I don't know, just I don't know. It's it's isolating, yes.
SPEAKER_01I am married and I have a loving husband who cares about me very much. I found after my son's death I self-isolated. I didn't want to be a burden to him or to anybody. And I didn't feel safe sharing my innermost thoughts, even with the people that I love the most. I pushed them away. I don't know why I did that. Many friends were recommending counselors that perhaps I should go see, or because they didn't understand it. I was broken, and I didn't want to be fixed, and I just wanted to wallow in my own self-pity, my own self-isolation, and I didn't want to be a burden to those that I love the most. But today I realized these people care about me. They love me, they love me, every part of me. The good, the bad, the ugly. And some of those days were really ugly. But I've grown a lot since then, and it's okay. I've given myself so much more grace, and I wish I had that early on. I wouldn't have suffered for so long alone.
SPEAKER_02I think the biggest thing I've learned too is just that everybody's grief is so different. We all have the same common denominator, but yet, you know, my husband was also hit in the accident that killed our son. And, you know, he has survivor's guilt. And so it's hard to want to even talk to him or express my sadness because he feels so bad that he didn't die and that he didn't save Parker. So that's hard too. I think that I just have learned that it's just so hard regardless. And trying to just be there for each other is all that we can we can do, and to try to help each other not feel alone or isolated because I just I had one mom who lost her child also say like she also didn't understand how hard this was until it happened to her that she knew another family that lost their son, and she still got to go home and have her own life, and she was sad about it, but it was still not in her home, and then it was in her home, and she's just like I I still didn't get it until it was until it was me. So I I think that's hard too, is that we have friends that care about us, but they still get to go home, and they still get to hug their kids and have their normal life. I feel like once they step away from us, it's like out of sight, out of mind a little bit. And so I think if we can try to help each other and make sure we all know that we're here for each other, that's super important. And also to have a place like this to have other people realize it's important for our friends to step up and co-workers or, you know, other family members to recognize these things too is helpful.
SPEAKER_03I uh remember feeling that so intensely in those early days and probably years of the envy that people were able to go on with their lives, even passing strangers in cars and thinking, you're just having a whole normal day without this heavy awareness of a void that's unfillable. And it it seems shocking that the world continues to spin when our child isn't on this earth. I think that normality of other people's lives can feel really um stunning or enviable or I don't know. And I think sometimes that's what makes people really hesitant to reach out to grieving people because there's almost this guilt of like, do I know enough to be in your presence? I don't know that kind of grief, but I'm still here. I think having a mix of all those people in our lives and being very picky. I like what you said about um being pretty selective about who you have in your circle because um I have found that grieving people don't have a lot of bandwidth for extra lacking in authenticity. And I I appreciate that and I get it for sure.
Community Resources Retreats And Farewell
SPEAKER_03I guess in closing, um, I know people from all over lots of different countries um in the United States do listen to this. And our commonality too is that there is a compassionate friends group in our local community, and there are compassionate friends group throughout the United States and even in some other countries. So if you're feeling quite alone and isolated, that would be something that you could look up on their website to see a place that's local to you. And um, this podcast also has a platform that you can reach out to if something we spoke about today really landed with you and you'd like to talk with someone one-on-one, or if you'd like to also share your thoughts on the podcast. But I want to thank everyone for gathering. I think we feel a really um new closeness after what I call having jammy moments together at a retreat. Um, I don't think there's anything like having that moment where you don't have to run back to your life right away. You are really just immersed in this intentional time of processing and taking care of your needs. So I'm really honored that you all took that time and took the time today. And, you know, wishing you both a bereaved Mother's Day and a Mother's Day that feels like you can be whatever you need to be on that day, authentic to your needs. So thank you all. There certainly is no retreat that can change the fact that our children died. But sometimes being surrounded by others who understand can change how we carry this weight of our losses. If something that you heard today in today's podcast spoke to your heart, we invite you to reach out. Our next mother's retreat is coming right up November of 2026, and we have many other retreats in the works, and we would love to welcome you. You don't have to know exactly what you need. You don't have to be ready to move forward. You just have to know that you don't want to carry this alone. Come as you are, we're gonna meet you there.
SPEAKER_00Thank you to Kristen and to each of these moms for allowing us into such a personal and honest conversation. You know what struck me as I listened was how much of this conversation really came down to one thing: connection. Grief can convince us that we're alone, that no one could possibly understand what it feels like to wake up and carry the absence of our child into another day. But when grieving parents are given the opportunity to sit together without having to explain, apologize, or pretend that they're okay, something powerful happens. And I loved hearing these moms remind us that remembering our children does not always have to be sad. There can be laughter, there can be joy, there can be stories that make us smile. None of that diminishes our grief, and none of it means we love or miss our children any less. Maybe most importantly, there is no single way to do this. Some days we put both our feet on the floor and face the day. Other days, just getting through the day is enough, and both are okay. To the moms who shared their hearts today, thank you for saying your children's names, for sharing what you've learned, and for reminding another grieving mom somewhere that she is not alone. And to everyone listening, whether you are a bereav yourself or someone who loves one, you do not have to have the right words. You don't have to understand everything about this kind of grief. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give is simply being willing to stay, to listen, and to remember with us. As Kristen mentioned, if hearing this conversation has made you think that a retreat weekend like this might be something you need, we have retreats in the planning stages right now, including the one coming up this November. Our retreats offer bereaved parents an opportunity to step away from everyday life, connect with others who understand, and simply have some space to breathe. You can learn more about future retreat weekends through the Don't Forget to Breathe Foundation website. That's don'tforget to breathe foundation.org, or simply drop us an email and let us know you're interested. That is why we keep having these conversations and why we are continuing to create opportunities for connection beyond this podcast. So until next time, take care of yourself, take care of each other, and don't forget to breathe.
