A Place of Yes | A Grief Podcast

A Place of Yes | A Grief Podcast

By Heather Straughter

Grief is messy, complicated, and deeply personal — but you don’t have to go through it alone. On A Place of Yes, host Heather Straughter creates a safe, unfiltered space to talk about the realities of... more
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Best of A Place of Yes | A Grief Podcast

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

  1. Number 1: His Dad Died on 9/11. Grief Has Shaped Everything Since.

    David Ferrugio was just 12 years old when his father was killed in the September 11th attacks. Growing up in a New Jersey commuter town, David went to school that morning knowing his dad worked in the World Trade Center but with no way to comprehend what was unfolding. More than two decades later, he still lives with a uniquely public kind of grief—one where the day his father died belongs, in some way, to everyone. From unexpectedly encountering footage of the attacks to grieving the relationship with his dad he never got to have as an adult, that loss has profoundly shaped the way David thinks about death, life, and what we do with the time we're given. In this conversation, David and Heather talk candidly about losing a parent young, the strange reality of grieving someone whose death is part of history, and why humor—even the wildly inappropriate kind—can sometimes help us carry the unbearable. David shares how repeatedly confronting the footage of 9/11 became part of his own grieving process, why he believes getting unstuck requires both grace and accountability, and how his father's death ultimately led him to create the podcast DEAD Talks. They also explore post-traumatic growth, survivor's guilt, mediumship, the possibility of an afterlife, and the importance of staying present when you know firsthand how quickly everything can change. It's an honest, sometimes funny conversation about accepting the absurdity of life and death, leaving room for the "maybe," and choosing to keep living when someone you love no longer can. Resources & Ways to ConnectYou're Not Dead Yet: https://a.co/d/0fcJmUZBDEAD Talks: https://deadtalks.net/Jake’s Help from Heaven Website: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/Jake’s Help from Heaven Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelpJake’s Help from Heaven Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelpAPOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcastHeather’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughterOur YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aplaceofyespodcastFor more of Heather’s writing and thoughts: https://ohheather.substack.com/Everything’s Jakey (Substack): https://everythingsjakey.substack.com/

    1h
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  2. Number 2: His Grandparents Survived Auschwitz. Their Message Changed His Life.

    Brad Wolfe has spent much of his life asking what gives life meaning. As the grandson of Auschwitz survivors, he grew up hearing stories of unimaginable suffering, survival, and the kind of love that can still exist after profound trauma. Later, when his close friend Sarah was diagnosed with a rare pediatric cancer, Brad found himself showing up at her bedside with the one language he knew best: music. Writing songs for Sarah during her illness became both an offering to her and the beginning of a larger question that would shape his life and work: why wait to live with more love, purpose, and compassion? In this conversation, Brad and Heather talk about grief, music, post-traumatic growth, and the ways pain can become something meaningful without ever making the loss itself okay. Brad shares the story of his grandparents, the lessons his grandmother left behind, the friendship that inspired his early work with pediatric cancer families, and the creation of Reimagine, a community built around helping people face death and embrace life. They also explore what it means to keep showing up, how small acts of service can carry someone’s memory forward, and why the people we lose can continue shaping how we live. It’s a thoughtful conversation about love, legacy, creativity, and choosing not to wait for some later moment to live more fully. Resources & Ways to ConnectReimagine Website: https://letsreimagine.org/Brad Wolfe and the Moon: https://www.bradwolfe.com/Jake’s Help from Heaven Website: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/Jake’s Help from Heaven Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelpJake’s Help from Heaven Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelpAPOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcastHeather’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughterOur YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aplaceofyespodcastFor more of Heather’s writing and thoughts: https://ohheather.substack.com/Everything’s Jakey (Substack): https://everythingsjakey.substack.com/

    47min
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  3. Number 3: Jake Turns 20: Heather Reflects on 16 Birthdays Without Her Son

    This solo episode from Heather marks what would have been Jake’s 20th birthday—a milestone that brings both reflection and reality into sharper focus. Sixteen birthdays have passed since Jake died at age four, and in this episode, Heather revisits a letter she wrote to him on his first birthday after his death, uncovering how grief has evolved in ways she didn’t fully realize until now. Heather shares what it means to live with grief over time—the shift from raw fear and constant anxiety to a more familiar, though still painful, presence in daily life. She reflects on the difficulty of imagining who Jake would be today, the weight of unanswered questions, and the quiet moments that still carry him forward. This episode is deeply personal, grounded in honesty, and a reminder that grief doesn’t disappear—it changes, softens, and becomes something we learn to carry. Resources & Ways to ConnectJake’s Help from Heaven Website: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/Jake’s Help from Heaven Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelpJake’s Help from Heaven Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelpAPOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcastHeather’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughterOur YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aplaceofyespodcastEverything’s Jakey (Substack): https://everythingsjakey.substack.com/Heather’s Substack (Oh, Heather):⁠ https://ohheather.substack.com/⁠

    26min
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  4. Number 4: What to Say When Someone Is Grieving (And What to Stop Saying)

    Shelby Forsythia is a grief coach, founder of Life After Loss Academy, and author of Of Course I’m Here Right Now—a practical, compassionate guide for anyone who wants to better support someone through grief. After losing her mother unexpectedly at 21, Shelby began searching for language that could make grief feel less isolating and more understood. In this conversation, Shelby and Heather talk about the three core feelings so many grievers carry: feeling crazy, feeling alone, and fearing life will be like this forever. Shelby shares why the words we use matter more than we think, how common comfort phrases often miss the mark, and what actually helps instead. It’s a thoughtful, deeply useful conversation about validation, presence, and the simple language that can help grieving people feel seen rather than shut down. Resources & Ways to ConnectShelby Forsythia Website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/Jake’s Help from Heaven Website: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/Jake’s Help from Heaven Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelpJake’s Help from Heaven Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelpAPOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcastHeather’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughterOur YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aplaceofyespodcast

    58min
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  5. Number 5: Guiding Families Through Their Hardest Day

    Timothy Schramm has spent more than 40 years walking alongside families in the immediate aftermath of loss. As a funeral director and national spokesperson, he has helped guide thousands of people through grief—often on the worst day of their lives—while also serving as a state and federal mass fatality responder in times of large-scale tragedy. In this conversation, Tim shares what decades in funeral service have taught him about grief, human connection, and the quiet responsibility of showing up when it matters most. He explains how funeral directors help families make decisions they may not yet understand, why gathering together is such a critical part of the grieving process, and what it means to treat this work as both a calling and an honor. From deeply personal reflections to extraordinary experiences in disaster response, this is a powerful look at the people who help carry others through unimaginable moments—and why those moments shape us forever. Resources & Ways to ConnectTim is a spokesperson for the NFDA. Find out more at nfda.org nfda.organd rememberingalife.comJake’s Help from Heaven Website: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/Jake’s Help from Heaven Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelpJake’s Help from Heaven Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelpAPOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcastHeather’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughterOur YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aplaceofyespodcast

    41min
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The podcast currently has 119 episodes available.

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