iWasErased: Reflections

Most people hear words like “parental alienation,” “abduction,” “custody,” and think they have some idea of what that means. But for alienated and left-behind parents, those words aren’t just ink on paper — they’re the doorway to a kind of pain that rewires your life from the inside out.

In this Reflection, I’m pulling the curtain back on what that actually looks like. I’ll walk you through some of the moments that changed everything for me: the day I found out my children had been abducted overseas, the months of total silence where my weekend ended with unanswered calls, and the court decision that sent them away again after I thought I’d finally won them back. Not in legal terms. Not in theory. But in real, lived, moment-by-moment impact — mentally, emotionally, and psychologically.

So, if you’re an alienated or left-behind parent, my hope is that you hear something in this episode that reminds you that you’re not crazy, you’re not weak, and you’re definitely not alone. And if you’re someone standing on the outside looking in — a friend, partner, family member, or professional — I hope this gives you a clearer glimpse of what’s really happening behind the curtain, so you can better understand the parents who are still trying to survive it.

Blended-family alienation doesn’t always show up with shouting or drama. More often than not, it slips in quietly — weaving itself through the small cracks of a home long before anyone even realizes what’s happening. And by the time those emotional shifts start showing up in a child, the damage has already begun.

In this Reflection, we step into that often unseen world — the world of subtle pressures, loyalty conflicts, and the emotional reshaping that kids experience when they’re caught in between the adults they love most. If you grew up in a blended home… or you’re raising children in one right now… you may hear parts of your own life in this message.

So stick around. Let’s peer into this topic a little deeper. And maybe, the words you hear today will help you see what’s standing right in front of you a bit more clearly — whether that’s the child you’re trying to look out for, or the younger version of yourself that you’re still trying to understand.

In this episode of iWasErased: Reflections, I open up about one of the most difficult experiences of my life — the day my children were kidnapped overseas without warning.

While I normally share Reflections about parental alienation, there is another side to my story that became something far more devastating: parental abduction. I share what happened, the warning signs I missed, and how it reshaped my faith in a system that was supposed to protect families but failed me and my children. You’ll also hear about how abduction and alienation often walk hand-in-hand, and what steps you can take to better protect yourself from suddenly finding yourself in the same nightmare.

Whether you’re a parent, advocate, or a professional working with families, this Reflection is an eye opening look into what happens when love, trust, and betrayal collide — and what survival looks like on the other side of the lens.

In this episode, I talk about those unexpected moments when a memory suddenly comes to life—when, for just a few seconds, the past and present seem to merge into one.

It’s not really about grief in the usual sense—it’s about that quiet pull that catches you off guard and reminds you that love never really disappears. Instead, it just changes form.

For parents who’ve lived through alienation, those moments can bring both comfort and pain. One minute, you can almost feel your child beside you again, and the next, the silence reminds you of everything that’s been stolen.

But those moments aren’t weakness—they’re connection. They’re love reminding us that it never left. Even in their absence, that bond still survives.

Listen as I share what it means to hold on to love when time, distance, and silence try to erase it… and how those small moments of remembrance might just be proof that love never stops reaching for home.

In this episode, I talk about that deep, quiet urge to start over — to find somewhere else when the place you are no longer feels like home.

For many alienated parents, that search isn’t just about geography; it’s about peace. After years of fighting, explaining, and being dismissed, sometimes the only way forward is to step away and breathe somewhere new.

I share what that search has looked like for me — not as an escape, but as a form of survival. Because when everything familiar becomes a reminder of loss, finding “somewhere else” can be the beginning of healing, not the end of hope.

In this episode, I talk about what it really means to keep moving forward when everything in you wants to stop. For parents living through alienation, progress rarely happens in leaps — it happens one measured step at a time.

I share how I learned to slow down, to breathe, and to rebuild my footing after every emotional hit. Some days, the only step I could take was getting out of bed; other days, it was speaking the truth out loud, even when no one seemed to hear it.

Healing isn’t a race. It’s a rhythm — a quiet, deliberate march toward peace. And each small step, no matter how shaky, still counts.

In this episode, I take an honest look at a question many of us ask but rarely get answered — who are the alienators?

I talk about what I’ve seen over the years: how they present themselves, how they manipulate, and why they’re often believed. Alienators don’t always look like villains. Sometimes they appear calm, composed, even caring — until you see what happens behind closed doors.

I’m not here to diagnose or label; I’m here to expose the patterns that tear families apart and to help other parents recognize them sooner. Because understanding who the alienators are is the first step toward stopping the cycle — and protecting what’s left of our connection with our children.

In this first episode of iWasErased: Reflections, I open up about why I started this podcast — and why I believe staying silent about parental alienation is no longer an option.

I talk about how my own experience as an alienated parent and grandparent shaped not just what I write, but how I live. The isolation, the disbelief, the long fight for truth — all of it led me here.

This isn’t about reliving pain; it’s about giving it purpose. It’s the beginning of something I wish had existed when I felt erased. Because when your voice is taken, reclaiming it becomes the first step toward healing.

Welcome to iWasErased Reflections — a podcast that gives voice to the silent pain of parental alienation. In this short trailer, host David Shubert shares why he created the show: to speak the truths that too often go unspoken.

Each week, David offers a personal Reflection drawn from his own experience and the stories of other parents who’ve been erased from their children’s lives — not by death or distance, but by deliberate alienation. Through grounded, heartfelt storytelling, iWasErased Reflections explores the grief, anger, and enduring hope that persist even when the parent-child bond is torn apart.

If you’ve ever felt invisible, questioned whether love can outlast lies, or want to understand the emotional toll of this kind of loss, this podcast is for you.

Subscribe now and join us weekly for real stories, raw emotions, and truths that deserve to be heard.