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Grieving My Kids While They're Still Alive — Luke O'Neill

Some episodes change you. This is one of them.

Luke O'Neill is one of my closest mates ..someone I've known for over 20 years. And for the first time, he sat down and told his story publicly.

Four years ago Luke came home from work and his kids were gone. What followed was 3.5 years of family court, $180,000 in legal fees, ambiguous loss, identity collapse, and a fight to stay alive.. not for himself, but so his kids would one day know they were worth fighting for.

This episode isn't about the system that failed him. It's about the man who had everything stripped away and refused to break.

We go deep on:

• What ambiguous loss actually is ..and why it might be harder than grief
• How Luke future-paced his way through the darkest days
• What real support looks like when someone is suffering
• Why isolation can be healthy..and when it isn't
• The identity death that comes with losing your role as a father
• How love ..not anger ..became the thing that kept him going

This is the conversation men need to be having. No performance. No anger. Just the truth of what it costs to stay standing when everything is taken from you.

Part 2 is coming. There's a lot more story to tell.

If this episode hit you ..if you've been through something like this or you're in it right now ..reach out. To Luke directly at @luke_o.neill_ on Instagram. Or to me at @thetechnician — I'm always open to hearing what landed for you and what questions you want answered in Part 2.

You are not alone in this.

Trigger warning: This episode contains discussions of grief, family separation, mental health, and the emotional impact of family court on children and parents.