Father’s Day isn’t simple for everyone. This special episode answers real community questions about surviving Father’s Day after losing a dad - the firsts, the advertising, becoming a dad yourself while grieving your own, and more. If this day is hard for you, you’re not alone. Follow the podcast for weekly episodes and share with someone who needs it.

What happens when grief begins long before someone dies?

In this episode of Too Young To Grieve, Luke is joined by Ryan Ashton for a powerful conversation about dementia, anticipatory grief and the experience of slowly losing someone whilst they’re still physically here.

Many people know Ryan through his humour and social media content, but behind that is a deeply personal story of watching his dad live with dementia and navigating the grief that comes with losing someone in stages rather than all at once.

Together they explore anticipatory grief, family, identity, humour, social media and what life looks like after loss.

We discuss:

• what anticipatory grief actually feels like

• grieving someone before they die

• the realities of dementia

• losing a parent in stages

• what people misunderstand about dementia

• humour as a coping mechanism

• social media and grief

• carrying grief whilst living life publicly

• life after loss

• what grief teaches us about life

• supporting families affected by dementia

One of the most honest conversations we’ve had about the complexities of grief before death.

Why does grief feel so different when loss happens outside the timeline we expected?

In this special crossover episode of Too Young To Grieve x Death On The Daily, Luke is joined by Tanya Wilkinson for an honest conversation about grief that arrives far earlier than expected.

Tanya is the host of Death On The Daily and a certified Grief & Life Transitions Coach. In 2023, her greatest fear became reality when she lost her daughter, Ngākau Raiona, five months into pregnancy. Since then, she has become a powerful voice in the grief space, creating conversations around loss, love, identity and the version of ourselves that emerges through grief.

Whilst their experiences are very different, Luke and Tanya share a common reality: grief arrived long before it was expected to.

Together they explore what it means to lose a parent young, lose a child, carry grief through everyday life and navigate a world that often assumes these losses belong much later in life.

This is a conversation about grief, love, identity, expectations and learning how to build a life around loss.

We discuss:

• losing a parent young

• losing a child

• grief arriving outside the expected timeline of life

• grieving futures that never happened

• life after profound loss

• friendship, identity and grief

• carrying grief whilst continuing to live

• purpose and meaning after loss

• the pressure to move forward

• what grief teaches us about life

• the tension between pain and growth

• finding connection through shared experiences of loss

One of the most thoughtful and unique conversations we’ve shared on either podcast.

After 35 episodes of Too Young To Grieve, I wanted to do something different.

35 grief lessons from 35 episodes, five years of grief, hundreds of conversations and everything this community has taught me along the way.

In this solo episode, I explore the realities of grief that people don’t often talk about - identity changes, friendships, guilt, loneliness, purpose, hope, moving forward, carrying love after loss and why grief is so much more than sadness.

Whether you’re newly grieving, years into loss or supporting somebody you care about, I hope there’s something in this conversation that helps you feel a little less alone.

Topics include:

• Why grief changes your identity
• The difference between coping and healing
• Grief and friendships
• Men’s mental health and grief
• Guilt after loss
• Purpose and ambition after grief
• Why grief isn’t a problem to solve
• Joy after loss
• Hope, healing and moving forward
• The biggest lessons from 35 episodes of Too Young To Grieve

Follow Too Young To Grieve on Spotify and leave a rating if this episode resonates with you. It helps us continue these conversations and reach more people who may need them.

How do you keep building a life while carrying grief?

In this episode, I’m joined by Amber Jeffries, founder of Grief Gang, for a really honest conversation around grief, identity, friendships, ambition and the pressure to keep functioning after loss.

We talk about feeling disconnected from life, friendships changing, pressure to “be okay”, balancing grief with everyday life and future plans, and the emotional tension that can come with growth after loss.

One of the most reflective and relatable conversations we’ve had on the podcast.

What does grief actually look like for men?

In this episode, I sit down with Leodhais Macpherson, who after experiencing grief young went on to run 128 marathons in 128 days - using it as a way to channel loss into something meaningful.

We talk honestly about men’s mental health, emotional suppression, staying busy to cope, and the reality that grief in men often doesn’t always “look” emotional on the surface.

A really powerful conversation around masculinity, grief, endurance and what’s happening behind closed doors when men are struggling.

Connect with us:

@tooyoungtogrieve

@the.marathon.man

@lukealfano11

Grief and mental health are not separate. Grief doesn’t just affect your emotions.

It can affect your mental health, your nervous system, your relationships, your identity, and the way you experience everyday life.

In this solo episode, I talk honestly about the hidden mental health side of grief - the anxiety, exhaustion, disconnection, emotional avoidance, and internal changes so many grieving people quietly carry.

After 30+ conversations on this podcast, this episode explores some of the biggest emotional patterns I keep hearing from people navigating loss.

A really personal and honest conversation about what grief actually does to us mentally for Mental Health Awareness Week.

What does it feel like to grieve someone you barely remember?

In this episode, I sit down with Miranda Keeling to talk about the reality of losing a parent young, growing up without memories of them, and grieving the absence of a relationship you never fully got to have.

We also speak about motherhood, connection, rituals, and the ways grief can quietly follow you throughout life.

A really honest conversation about a type of grief many people struggle to put into words.

Grief is always difficult…

But when it happens young, it can feel incredibly isolating.

In this episode, I sit down with Ria Kalsi to talk about the reality of young grief: what it’s like being in the minority of people your age going through loss, and why it can feel so hard to relate to others around you.

We also explore the types of grief we don’t always talk about, what school never teaches us about loss, and what meaningful support for young people actually looks like.

A really honest and important conversation.

Connect with us:

@tooyoungtogrieve

@riakalsi

Grief doesn’t just change how you feel…

It changes your relationships too.

In this episode, I sit down with Sally Douglas to talk about why people don’t always show up when you’re grieving, how friendships and family dynamics shift after loss, and how your perspective on people can completely change.

We also get into the reality of grief itself: what it actually feels like day to day, why it’s so hard to explain, and the parts no one really prepares you for.

A really honest conversation about both the internal experience of grief and the external impact it has on the people around you.

Connect with us:

@tooyoungtogrieve

@goodmourningpodcast

@sallydouglasgrief