When tragedy collides on one of America's biggest stages, something extraordinary happens. Michele Davis takes us behind the scenes of her unforgettable American Idol appearance where she introduced her student Slater Nally before he performed a song honoring her late son, Carter. What began as an expected 30-second interview transformed into a seven-hour journey culminating in Michele walking alone into the famous audition room to present Slater to three celebrity judges: Lionel Ritchie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan.

The emotional aftermath was intense – profound joy mixed with debilitating grief that left Michele physically ill. She describes this as "living in the and" – the challenging reality of holding space for both celebration and sorrow simultaneously. Their story reveals how tragedy created an unexpected bond between teacher and student when Slater approached Michele with a profound question about forgiveness, asking if she had forgiven her son's killer. This vulnerable conversation became the foundation for their friendship and ultimately led to the song that would reach millions.

Perhaps most touching is the moment Michele shares about lending Slater her necklace containing Carter's ashes before his audition. "You can put this necklace in your pocket if it would make you feel better," she told the nervous performer who wanted nothing more than to "do justice for Carter." This profound connection between loss and creativity, between remembrance and moving forward, exemplifies how grief can transform into something beautiful without diminishing the pain.

Beyond their American Idol journey, Michele and co-host Amy share exciting news about their Warrior Moms website and forthcoming book featuring fourteen women's strategies for navigating loss. Their work doesn't promise to help others "get over" grief but rather to work at "living with it" – a crucial distinction for anyone walking this difficult path. Visit warriormoms.me to follow Slater's American Idol journey, to learn more about their upcoming book, and to meet more of the Warrior Mom authors!

Thank you so much for listening! We'd love to hear from you---what you would love to hear, what you like, what helped, etc. With love, Warrior Moms Michele & Amy

"Dream Bird" by Jonny Easton

Thank you for listening to Warrior Moms podcast. It is an honor to share about our beloved children gone too soon, and we hope by telling of our loss, it may help someone in their grief journey. Please note that we are not medical professionals and encourage those listening to seek help from mental health professionals.

We'd love to hear from our followers!
Website: https://www.warriormoms.me/
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With love,
Warrior Moms Amy & Michele