A birthday arrives, the phone stays silent, and what lingers is not just absence but the weight of everything left unsaid. 

In this episode I share a personal story about my birthdays and my dad. We didn’t have the closest relationship, but  he always called first thing in the early hours to wish me a happy birthday. That simple ritual—quiet, consistent, and unspectacular—became a compass for what love looked like in an imperfect relationship. When the calls stop, the mind rushes to guilt: I should have said more, visited more, made more of an effort. 

We discuss the pull of self-blame in grief.  Instead of hunting for perfect closure, we focus on how care hides in patterns: the check-ins, the remembered dates, the small gestures that repeat over time. I share how a hard day arrived before the birthday itself and how tears came early. Together we explore how two truths can live side by side: a relationship didn’t meet the dream, and there were real acts of love that mattered.

If you’re wrestling with unsaid words or a bond that never had time, this episode offers compassion.  

Grief is heavy enough without the extra weight of guilt and regret. 

Join me to honor relationship complexities, to recognize love in its quieter forms, and to extend grace—to your loved one and to yourself. 

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs it today, and leave a review to help others find a softer path through grief.

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