“Guilt and love often feel the same.” August 5 Daily Nugget

Take a breath. Let yourself arrive.
 Sometimes we don’t need answers — just something true to hold.
 Here’s today’s grief truth.

Guilt and love often feel the same.

Guilt is one of grief’s heaviest companions.
It creeps in through the cracks of “what if” and “why didn’t I.”
But here’s something I’ve come to learn: guilt often masquerades as love.
It’s not always about wrongdoing — it’s about a love so deep, so fierce, that you would have done anything to change the ending.
Guilt says: “I failed.”
Love says: “I would’ve done anything for you.”
When guilt shows up, try to ask it what it’s trying to protect.
Sometimes, it just wants to be seen.
And sometimes, love just needs a place to rest.

 Take a breath.
 Let the truth settle where it needs to.
 You don’t have to carry everything — just what feels true today.
 You’re not lost — you’re walking with your truth.
 I’ll be here again tomorrow.
 Talk soon.

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

NEW July 30, 2025 ---> FIND the $9 Lighthouse Community for Moms Here!!

Resources for ALL --> Find Here

One-on-One Grief Coaching for Moms after suicide loss ---> Find Here

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada

Today's Grief Truth - “Some days are lighter. Some days are heavy — and that’s okay.”

 Welcome, fellow griever.
This is your Daily Nugget from me, Melissa, your host of The Leftover Pieces.
Today we will share a moment of presence, a breath of truth, and a reminder.

Take a breath. Let yourself arrive.
Sometimes we don’t need answers — just something true to hold.
Here’s today’s grief truth.

Yes, some days are lighter. Some days are heavy — and that’s okay.

There are days when your chest feels less tight. When the world feels a little brighter.
 And then there are days where breathing feels like work.
 Both are part of the journey.
Grief doesn’t move by calendar or clock. It doesn’t care about what you should feel today. It arrives on its own terms.
Your job isn’t to chase the light or escape the dark — your job is to honor what is.
Whether you’re standing in sunshine or shadow today, you are still walking forward.
And that is enough.

 Take a breath.
 Let the truth settle where it needs to.
 You don’t have to carry everything — just what feels true today.
 You’re not lost — you’re walking with your truth.
 I’ll be here again tomorrow.
 Talk soon.

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

NEW July 30, 2025 ---> FIND the $9 Lighthouse Community for Moms Here!!

Resources for ALL --> Find Here

One-on-One Grief Coaching for Moms after suicide loss ---> Find Here

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada

Today's Grief Truth -" Grief is Not Linear".

 There’s no finish line here. No checklist.
Grief is wild and unpredictable. You might feel “okay” one day — and the next, the wind knocks you flat.
But that doesn’t mean you’re back at the beginning. It means you're walking through it honestly.
Progress in grief doesn’t move forward like an arrow — it spirals. It folds back on itself.
It teaches you again and again what it means to hold love and pain in the same palm.
If today feels hard, it doesn’t erase how far you’ve come.
 You’re still healing — even here, even now.

 Take a breath.
 Let the truth settle where it needs to.
 You don’t have to carry everything — just what feels true today.
 You’re not lost — you’re walking with your truth.
 I’ll be here again tomorrow.
 Talk soon.

[P.S... Like this podcast? Support the show by clicking...thank you]

SEE YOU TOMORROW!!! 

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

NEW July 30, 2025 ---> FIND the $9 Lighthouse Community for Moms Here!!

Resources for ALL --> Find Here

One-on-One Grief Coaching for Moms after suicide loss ---> Find Here

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada

 Here’s today’s grief truth.  “It’s okay to laugh and cry in the same hour.” 

Grief is full of contradictions — and also full of truth.

One moment, you’re sobbing in the car because their favorite song came on. The next, you're belly-laughing at the memory of something wild they once did.

That swing? That unpredictability? It doesn’t mean you’re unstable — it means you’re human.

We are wired to hold both heartbreak and humor, joy and sorrow, love and longing.

You are allowed to laugh, even in your sadness.
 You are allowed to cry, even in your joy.

Grief contains multitudes — and so do you.

Take a breath.
 Let the truth settle where it needs to.
 You don’t have to carry everything — just what feels true today.

You’re not lost — you’re walking with your truth.
 I’ll be here again tomorrow.
 Talk soon.

[P.S... Like this podcast? Support the show by clicking...thank you]

SEE YOU TOMORROW!!! 

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada

Support the show

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

NEW July 30, 2025 ---> FIND the $9 Lighthouse Community for Moms Here!!

Resources for ALL --> Find Here

One-on-One Grief Coaching for Moms after suicide loss ---> Find Here

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada

Hello Fellow Griever— and Welcome Back.

If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been… you’re not wrong. July was quieter than usual here on the podcast (totally quiet!) — but it wasn’t in vain.

Behind the scenes, I’ve been pouring myself into some powerful new offerings: two brand-new grief coaching programs — each with their own beautiful workbook now published and available — and the long-awaited launch of The Lighthouse Community.--- >LINK HERE

The Lighthouse is a sacred space just for grieving moms — a soft landing place full of connection, support, and deep healing. There’s so much available inside for just $9/month… and your first month is on me. Use code TRIAL2025 to get started. I’d love to have you join us.

And now, we begin a new month together.

This is the start of the August Daily Nugget series — a month of Grief Truths.

Every day, I’ll meet you here with a short reflection — something honest, real, and hopefully helpful — a small truth to anchor you in the middle of this big, unrelenting thing we call grief.

I’ve done this before — and I’ll be doing it again. There will be new daily series in October and December too, each with its own theme and rhythm. 

But for now, we’re in August. And this month, we sit with the truths. The ones that might not fix anything, but help you feel a little more seen, a little less alone.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for showing up.

Let’s begin.

NOW.... Our AUGUST 1 DAILY NUGGET

“Healing doesn’t mean forgetting.”

We live in a world obsessed with closure. It urges us to “move on,” as if grief is a task with a tidy ending. But those of us living it — we know better.

Healing doesn’t mean forgetting.

Healing means learning how to carry the weight. How to breathe around it. How to let love lead, even when your heart still aches.

Forgetting was never the goal.

Our love for them deserves a lifetime. And healing? It’s simply the process of building a life where that love can still live.

You’re not doing it wrong. You’re remembering — and healing — all at once

Take a breath.
 Let the truth settle where it needs to.
 Take what serves you — and leave the rest.
 And come back tomorrow, because…

You’re not broken — you’re grieving.
 And you are never alone in this.

I’ll be right here.

Talk soon.

[P.S... Like this podcast? Support the show by clicking...thank you]

SEE YOU TOMORROW!!! 

____________________

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

NEW July 30, 2025 ---> FIND the $9 Lighthouse Community for Moms Here!!

Resources for ALL --> Find Here

One-on-One Grief Coaching for Moms after suicide loss ---> Find Here

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada

Welcome today fellow griever. I appreciate you, I see you and thank you so much for listening and if you can, please ---Support the show

Today, I’m taking you behind the scenes — not just of the podcast, but of why I do all of this.

Spoiler alert: it’s not about making six figures. Not even close to what it's about!
It started with a mic, a grieving heart, and the hope that I could create the kind of podcast I couldn’t find after losing my son Alex to suicide. And in many ways, most ways that matter, it still is about that same 'seed' that was planted when the podcast started... the desire to create the space i couldn't find and to walk alongside others on this journey.

In this episode, I share how The Leftover Pieces was born — and how everything that’s followed (coaching, community, books, retreats…) has grown out of real conversations with other survivors like you. We talk about how I approach grief support differently, why I resist cookie-cutter coaching models, and how I’ve built this space with heart, not hustle.

Yes, I left a full-time job to do this.
No, I don’t have sponsors or ads.
Yes, this work is sacred.

And yes — if the podcast has helped you, you can support it (there’s a button on the website) — but this episode? It’s just me, being real, with no pitch. Just truth. The link is also here in the show notes (top and bottom) BUT I would love you to check out all of the new and newly "spruced up" things on the website! I have been working hard and am so proud of what you will find there.

Take what serves you, leave the rest. And thank you — truly — for being here.

💜
 Melissa

Sending love, peace and enough hope for us both! (See, that's just one way community helps -- we need others to be our strength and motivators and accountability partners when we can't get there alone!) "This is so lonely, but you do not have to be alone." - XO Melissa

Go to my WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central. GET ON MY EMAIL LIST THERE (Blue buttons on home page)

Have you seen the NEW Anthology Book  "Becasue They Are Loved" -- submit your poems and letters TODAY!! Be an author-- tell their story! Because legacy matters

And what about Legacy? Let's remember your child together!! I start the ONE & ONLY Legacy Project this year (2025) --- and NOW is the time to get on the list for Jan 2026 LET"S CHAT - SCHEDULE A CHAT HERE

PS....The Legacy Writing Project

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

NEW July 30, 2025 ---> FIND the $9 Lighthouse Community for Moms Here!!

Resources for ALL --> Find Here

One-on-One Grief Coaching for Moms after suicide loss ---> Find Here

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada

Welcome today fellow griever. I appreciate you, I see you and thank you so much for listening and if you can, please ---Support the show

You may have seen soft mentions of some new things I’ve been building — maybe in your inbox or on social — and today I’m diving all the way in. If this is the first you’re hearing of it, then welcome — you’re right on time.

In this heart-led episode of Down the Rabbit Hole, I’m walking you through what’s new — and what’s next — here at The Leftover Pieces™. Each of these new offerings has grown out of real conversations with grieving survivors — and from the truth of my own lived experience.

💜 First, I talk about Destination: Me™ — my intimate 12-week 1:1 coaching experience for moms ready to rebuild their identity, release guilt, and walk forward with purpose. This isn’t therapy. It’s future-focused healing. And as of now, there are just 3 open spots.

💜 Next, I share the details of the Because They Are Loved Anthology — a collaborative book of poems and letters written by those left behind after suicide loss. If you want to write for someone you love, you have until June 30 to submit.

💜 Then, for the first time, I reveal the name of my upcoming online community: The Lighthouse Community. This space will offer gentle connection, topic-based resources, and real-time support for grieving moms — all at an affordable monthly cost. It's built to be soft, welcoming, and real.

✨ I also talk briefly about the January 2026 Legacy Writing Project — and why now is the right time to join the waitlist and begin a longer payment plan if it’s been on your heart.

And yes — I still dream of bringing back retreats. 2026, if the world allows.

Come take a listen — not just to learn what’s coming, but to understand the why behind it all.

As always, take what serves you, leave the rest. I’m just so glad you’re here.

Sending love, peace and enough hope for us both! (See, that's just one way community helps -- we need others to be our strength and motivators and accountability partners when we can't get there alone!) "This is so lonely, but you do not have to be alone." - XO Melissa

Go to my WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central. GET ON MY EMAIL LIST THERE (Blue buttons on home page)

Have you seen the NEW Anthology Book  "Becasue They Are Loved" -- submit your poems and letters TODAY!! Be an author-- tell their story! Because legacy matters

Andt he 1:1 Coachin

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

NEW July 30, 2025 ---> FIND the $9 Lighthouse Community for Moms Here!!

Resources for ALL --> Find Here

One-on-One Grief Coaching for Moms after suicide loss ---> Find Here

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada

"Hello --It is May 31st and welcome to Wonderland Fellow Griever. — “You’ve just stepped Down the Rabbit Hole — where mental health meets madness after loss. This is your daily dose of truth, grief, and yes, just the right bit of madness.”

WEEK 5: The FINALE for may 2025 Daily Nuggets

Day 31: Today’s truth is: "You're still here. That matters." Idea: Completion, continuation, and gratitude. Day 31. We made it. This is something! THANK YOU

You've shown up—for 31 days—inside your grief, your heart, and your truth. That is not small. It is extraordinary. Your courage is inspiring. You are an extraordinary person.

This wasn't about fixing anything. It was about witnessing and giving voice to the parts that often go unseen. And you've done that.

You're still here. And that matters. It matters immensely.

Wherever you go from here — know that you carry love. That you are love. And that your story and your loved one's story are still unfolding.

This is not the end—just a pause. Remember, I'll be right here when you need me, and there's a bright future waiting for you.

Thank you for walking through May with me. Remember, you're not alone—not in this life, not in this grief, and not in this strange, sacred, mad little world we share. I'm here for you, always.

So, this is where I leave you - the finale May Nugget -- but by far, not our last time together -- I am so very, very grateful for you. If you have seen my new link in the show notes, or on my podcast, and have donated, please know I am grateful from the depths of my heart - all of it helps me continue being able to help other grievers. 

AND Here is the Coupon Code: Podcast5 - to use at checkout

It is good for BOTH the "Because They Lived" Anthology  Info & Submit HERE 

and The One-on-One Coaching (for moms) HERE

Both coupons good through June 30, 2025 - Thank you for listening! - Melissa

Take a breath. Take what you need. leave the rest. And come back tomorrow because, remember, you're not broken—you're grieving. And you're not alone in this madness. ---I'll be right here Talk Soon."

[P.S... Like this podcast? Support the show by clicking...thank you]

SEE YOU TOMORROW!!! 

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

NEW July 30, 2025 ---> FIND the $9 Lighthouse Community for Moms Here!!

Resources for ALL --> Find Here

One-on-One Grief Coaching for Moms after suicide loss ---> Find Here

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada

"Hello --It is May 30th and welcome to Wonderland Fellow Griever. — “You’ve just stepped Down the Rabbit Hole — where mental health meets madness after loss. This is your daily dose of truth, grief, and yes, just the right bit of madness.”

WEEK 5: The 3 Day Wrap -up for the Month

Day 30: Today’s truth is: "Life, what is it but a dream?"  Idea: The surreal nature of life after loss. 

Grief makes reality feel hazy — like you're walking through someone else's life. Or maybe the world is continuing without you.

It's okay to feel lost in this surreal, poetic, and incomprehensible life. But remember, you're not alone in this journey.

It's okay to feel like you're simultaneously living in a dream and reality. Your emotions are not only valid but also a testament to the depth of your love.

And know that your child's love still threads through this dream. You're not living it by yourself. All of us in this community are walking this path with you, sharing the same love and loss.

So, let's end here. One more day to go. This was the second to last nugget for May. 

AND Here is the Coupon Code: Podcast5 - to use at checkout

It is good for BOTH the "Because They Lived" Anthology  Info & Submit HERE 

and The One-on-One Coaching (for moms) HERE

Both coupons good through June 30, 2025 - Thank you for listening! - Melissa

Take a breath. Take what you need. leave the rest. And come back tomorrow because, remember, you're not broken—you're grieving. And you're not alone in this madness. ---I'll be right here Talk Soon."

[P.S... Like this podcast? Support the show by clicking...thank you]

SEE YOU TOMORROW!!! 

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

NEW July 30, 2025 ---> FIND the $9 Lighthouse Community for Moms Here!!

Resources for ALL --> Find Here

One-on-One Grief Coaching for Moms after suicide loss ---> Find Here

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada

"Hello --It is May 29th and welcome to Wonderland Fellow Griever. — “You’ve just stepped Down the Rabbit Hole — where mental health meets madness after loss. This is your daily dose of truth, grief, and yes, just the right bit of madness.”

WEEK 5: The 3 Day Wrap -up for the Month

Day 29: Today’s truth is: (Finale echo) "I can't go back to yesterday..." Idea: Reinforcing transformation.

We began this month with this truth and return to it now — because some truths don’t get easier, only more familiar.

You can’t go back. And that’s a heartbreak you’ll carry. But remember, you've also carried your love. Your memory. Your child's spirit-all the way to this moment. That's a testament to your resilience.

So today, take a moment to acknowledge your emotional journey. What has shifted in you this month? What feels a fraction lighter, clearer, or braver?

You didn’t go back. But you did move. And that’s not just something; it's a significant step forward in your journey.

So, let's end here. That's your truth - your nugget for today.

AND Here is the Coupon Code: Podcast5 - to use at checkout

It is good for BOTH the "Because They Lived" Anthology  Info & Submit HERE 

and The One-on-One Coaching (for moms) HERE

Both coupons good through June 30, 2025 - Thank you for listening! - Melissa

Take a breath. Take what you need. leave the rest. And come back tomorrow because, remember, you're not broken—you're grieving. And you're not alone in this madness. ---I'll be right here Talk Soon."

[P.S... Like this podcast? Support the show by clicking...thank you]

SEE YOU TOMORROW!!! 

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.

NEW July 30, 2025 ---> FIND the $9 Lighthouse Community for Moms Here!!

Resources for ALL --> Find Here

One-on-One Grief Coaching for Moms after suicide loss ---> Find Here

If you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 in the US or Canada OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA & Canada