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

Fifty moms stepped into a Georgia barn and turned a hard weekend into a living map for anyone walking through child loss. We opened the floor for questions and went straight to the heart: how do you start a local grief group when it’s just you and one friend, how do you keep it going nine years later, and what do you do when the room is a mix of newly bereaved, step-parents, and moms farther down the road? We shared the simple moves that make a group work—consistent dates, low-friction spaces, private social posts, and the courage to begin small—and the deeper habits that protect the culture: honesty, listening, and gentleness.

Our conversation dug into the story behind our book: why we wrote it from real mom voices, how messy drafts became clear chapters, and how love for our children pulled us through endless edits and publisher hoops. We explored what’s next—possible sibling and warrior dad projects—and how transcripts and short interviews can help hesitant writers find their words. When dads came up, we talked about shoulder-to-shoulder ways men connect—on a boat, at a game, or over quiet work—and how small groups and brief, steady touchpoints often fit how fathers process grief.

Listeners asked about warmth after the fog, rebuilding joy at home, and parenting a rainbow baby while honoring the child who died. The answers were lived-in: a playlist that fills a kitchen with memory, permission to be “stone” during awkward hugs (LOL), grace as a daily practice, and the holding gratitude and sorrow together. 

We also named the engine behind the retreat’s hospitality and for our own grief: ask for help. People want to cook, set tables, and open doors when we give them a way to show love.

If you or someone you love needs a map for the early days—or a way to lead in your community—this conversation offers steps you can use tomorrow, and stories that will keep you company while you try. Subscribe, share this with a friend who shows up for others, and leave a review to help more moms find their way to us.

NOTE: apologies for the quiet parts. I didn't want to delete the questions even when some of them are hard to hear because the answers are important. Thanks for the grace!

"Dream Bird" by Jonny Easton

Support the show

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/
DONATE * Listen to Other Podcast Episodes * Sign up for Newsletter * Get on our Retreat Waitlist * Invite Us to Speak * Contact us!

With love,
Warrior Moms Amy & Michele

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

Season two: We return after months away to share how Amy's late-night title became a finished book, how 14 grieving mothers found their voices, and how a simple idea turned into a retreat that gave hope to an entire room. We talk honestly about what it takes to write through pain—how a few fragile sentences grew into chapters filled with survival tools, trigger alerts, and small, repeatable practices that make the hardest hours more livable...all while honoring our angels.

From there, the conversation widens to community and faith. We unpack the retreat’s origin story, the curriculum we shaped from the book’s themes, and the moment so many mothers arrived with exit plans, then stayed to laugh, cry, and speak their children’s names without flinching. A hayride carried us to a quiet pond, where lantern-lit boats drifted across the water—a living ritual for memory, love, and the space grief still needs. Along the way, life kept happening: Amy's father’s illness and passing, work deadlines, school plays, and the shock of time. We are so proud of pushing through tough times to create a book and a retreat that shows how Warrior Moms survive...and thrive.

If you’ve felt alone in loss, or you support someone who is grieving, this conversation offers practical guidance, sacred pauses, and real community you can hold onto. Listen, share with a friend who needs it, and subscribe so you never miss what comes next. Your review helps other warrior moms find their people.

"Dream Bird" by Jonny Easton

Support the show

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/
DONATE * Listen to Other Podcast Episodes * Sign up for Newsletter * Get on our Retreat Waitlist * Invite Us to Speak * Contact us!

With love,
Warrior Moms Amy & Michele

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

From tragedy to publication, Michele and Amy share the Warrior Moms' writing journey. What began as raw, heartfelt yet short writings from twenty-three grieving mothers evolved into a powerful resource for anyone navigating the devastating loss of a child.

Four years ago, one of the Warrior Moms' founders, Christine McHenry, suggested they write their stories, and during a retreat, they shared these emotional first drafts around a campfire. Michele, drawing on her background as an English teacher, recognized both the potential and the need for structure. When she asked for volunteers to help shape these narratives, Amy immediately stepped forward, beginning a partnership that would ultimately lead to both the book and this podcast.

What makes Warrior Moms different from other grief resources? Through multiple writing retreats (including one memorable session where Michele and Amy arrived wearing bedazzled superhero capes), they discovered their unique approach to grief: brave, fierce, funny, intentional, and above all, supportive. The book doesn't just chronicle tragedies—it reveals strategies for survival and growth. 

After a challenging year of editing, a chance meeting on an airplane connected them with Ripples Media, who recognized the book's potential. Now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and warriormoms.me, the book offers hope to grieving mothers while also providing insights for professionals working with grief. Even psychologists who haven't experienced child loss have found valuable perspectives within its pages.

Ready to find your own warriors? Whether you're grieving or supporting someone through loss, join this movement of strength and connection. Michele and Amy invite listeners to reach out if they're interested in creating Warrior Mom groups in their own communities. As they say: "Feel the feels, take the naps when you need them, but then get back up and get going."

"Dream Bird" by Jonny Easton

Support the show

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/
Facebook: Warrior Moms-The Club No One Wants to Be In
Instagram: WarriorMoms.SurvivingChildLoss

With love,
Warrior Moms Amy & Michele

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

Mary Leopold never expected to find herself on the other side of grief—as a psychotherapist with decades of experience, she'd helped countless clients through loss, but when her extraordinary 19-year-old son Oliver died unexpectedly in December 2021, everything changed.

Oliver wasn't just another teenager. With a mind that "worked differently," he blazed through life creating lasting impact wherever he went. At his high school of 4,000 students, he became known as "the voice", making morning announcements. During COVID, while many teens struggled with isolation, Oliver graduated early to work as an EMT in emergency rooms and on ambulances. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to create an app used by local firefighters and even purchase a decommissioned 42-foot fire truck (much to his parents' initial dismay). His passion for helping others defined him.

When Oliver passed away suddenly in his sleep from undiagnosed heart conditions, Mary found herself navigating the terrain of grief without a roadmap. The experience transformed both her personal journey and professional approach. "I'm much more patient with myself as a therapist now," she explains, "knowing there's no beginning, middle, and end to grief." Rather than focusing on fixing or resolving grief, Mary describes a process of integration—learning to incorporate profound loss into a new reality while still finding moments of joy and connection.

Perhaps most beautiful is how Mary has channeled her grief into creating the Wind Phone. 

The wind phone began in Japan in 2010 when Itaru Sasaki, a garden designer, built a phone booth in his yard so he could “talk” with a deceased relative. Months later, the Fukushima earthquate and tsumami hit; in a matter of minutes, more than 20,000 people died.

Sasaki opened the phone booth to his neighbors, who urgently needed a place to express their grief. Word spread, and soon people came on pilgrimage from around Japan to speak through the "phone of the wind" to those they loved. 

Mary heard about this and began to make plans, Soon, a British-style phone booth with a disconnected rotary phone where people can "call" their departed loved ones was set up at a local, public golf course; this public memorial has become a gathering place for community healing. 

Mary has painted hundreds of rocks bearing names of loved ones lost, creating a visual testament to shared grief, all while honoring her precious Oliver. Meanwhile, donations made in Oliver's memory have funded life-saving equipment for the fire department and scholarships for paramedic students.

Mary's story reminds us that grief doesn't follow predictable patterns, but through community connection, creative expression, and honoring our loved ones' legacies, we can learn to carry both our sorrow and our joy. Here's a wind phone website to find out about ones near you...and how to set one up! https://www.mywindphone.com/

"Dream Bird" by Jonny Easton

Support the show

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/
DONATE * Listen to Other Podcast Episodes * Sign up for Newsletter * Get on our Retreat Waitlist * Invite Us to Speak * Contact us!

With love,
Warrior Moms Amy & Michele

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

Grief impacts every member of a family differently, but we rarely hear directly from children about their experience of loss. In this extraordinary conversation, 13-year-old Layla opens up about losing her brother Alec to addiction when she was just six years old, offering a rare window into a child's grief journey.

Layla's memories of her brother shine with admiration as she recalls him as "always my biggest role model" and shares touching stories of building elaborate cardboard forts together. Her perspective challenges common assumptions about childhood grief, revealing how deeply children comprehend loss despite their limited vocabulary to express it. With remarkable wisdom, she articulates how her young mind grappled with guilt, wondering if a missed goodbye hug might have somehow changed her brother's fate.

The conversation unveils the creative ways children process grief, from the journals Layla and her mother created to write letters to Alec, to the comfort objects and memorial activities that help maintain connection. Particularly moving is Layla's description of how grief manifests in ways adults might not recognize—heightened separation anxiety, fear of losing other family members, and grief that resurfaces years later as cognitive understanding develops.

Her advice to other grieving children is equally powerful: "Don't hide your emotions from your parents, even if you think it'll make things worse...they want you to talk to them."

Listen now to this touching conversation with Michele, Amy, and Layla that will forever change how you understand and support children through grief. Have you encountered a child dealing with loss? Share this episode to help others recognize the unique needs of grieving children.

"Dream Bird" by Jonny Easton

Support the show

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/
DONATE * Listen to Other Podcast Episodes * Sign up for Newsletter * Get on our Retreat Waitlist * Invite Us to Speak * Contact us!

With love,
Warrior Moms Amy & Michele

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

Rebecca Buddin opens her heart about the passing of her vibrant 9-year-old daughter Emily to a horse-related accident in July 2024, sharing the raw reality of grief while demonstrating extraordinary resilience.

Emily was the quintessential horse girl – determined, passionate, and sporting her beloved purple cowgirl hat earned with her first rodeo winnings. Rebecca takes us through the beautiful memories of Emily's fierce love for barrel racing, from the moment at age four when she asked if spare change could buy her a horse, to becoming a competitive young rider whose spirit touched everyone around her.

The conversation shifts powerfully when Rebecca reveals how her younger daughter Harper, just seven at the time, declared "We're not quitting riding" after Emily's passing. This moment sparked Rebecca's profound realization: "If I tell her she can't quit, but I do, what am I showing her?" It's this question that propels her forward each day, even through tears and heartache.

Through the Purple Cowgirl Foundation, she's ensuring Emily becomes the famous barrel racer she dreamed of being, just not in the way they planned, while creating safety resources for the equestrian community and support for families facing similar losses.

Ready for a powerful reminder about living purposefully through unimaginable pain? Listen as Rebecca shows us what it means to take Harper's wise advice after grieving her best friend and sister: "You can take a minute," then keep moving forward with love and intention. Follow the Purple Cowgirl Foundation on Facebook to learn more about their safety awareness initiatives and support for grieving families.

"Dream Bird" by Jonny Easton

Support the show

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/
DONATE * Listen to Other Podcast Episodes * Sign up for Newsletter * Get on our Retreat Waitlist * Invite Us to Speak * Contact us!

With love,
Warrior Moms Amy & Michele

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

A remarkable transformation unfolds when heartbreak meets creativity. Michele Davis, co-host of Warrior Moms podcast and grieving mother, shares the extraordinary journey of how her poem about her son Carter became "Traces of You" - a song her student Slater performed on American Idol that's now touching millions of lives across America.

Michele reveals how she broke through her emotional writing block during a writing retreat, finding inspiration in the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus -  another parent who lost a son. This breakthrough led to a poem exploring how we search for remnants of our loved ones in everyday moments - the fingerprints, both literal and figurative, that remain when someone is gone. When her student Slater transformed these words into music, neither anticipated how far their collaboration would reach.

The conversation delves into the complicated emotions of navigating both joy and profound grief simultaneously. Michele describes performing the song with Slater at their school, the physical exhaustion of grief, and how the American Idol platform has connected Warrior Moms with grieving parents nationwide who are reaching out for support. The hosts challenge the misconception that "time heals all wounds," emphasizing instead that healing requires intentional work, community, and the courage to find meaning amid loss. As Michele poignantly shares clips of the original poem alongside the song's impact, listeners witness how art can transform personal tragedy into collective healing.

Have you experienced loss? Listen as Michele and Amy demonstrate how sharing our grief stories creates connection and how, despite the pain, our loved ones were "worth every single breath." This episode offers not just comfort to those grieving, but insight for anyone seeking to support someone navigating loss.

Bonus: Listen to Michele Davis and Slater Nalley's duet of "Traces of You"

"Dream Bird" by Jonny Easton

Support the show

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/
DONATE * Listen to Other Podcast Episodes * Sign up for Newsletter * Get on our Retreat Waitlist * Invite Us to Speak * Contact us!

With love,
Warrior Moms Amy & Michele

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

Christy Howard joins Amy Durham and Michele Davis to share their unique experience on organ donation few have experienced - being both a recipient family and a donor family. Her journey began when her father-in-law received a life-saving liver transplant in his seventies. The miracle wasn't lost on Christy's daughter Ashley, who eagerly registered as an organ donor when getting her learner's permit at 15.

Tragically, just seven months later, Ashley suffered a catastrophic brain injury in a boating accident. After four days of intensive care, she was declared brain dead. Without hesitation, Christy and her husband honored Ashley's wishes, beginning a complex process that would ultimately save four lives - including an 8-year-old girl who received Ashley's heart after being confined to a hospital, dependent on an artificial heart device.

The symmetry is profound: Ashley shared a birthday with her grandfather who received a transplant, spent four days in the hospital and saved four lives. "She literally lives on," Christy explains, finding purpose in this continuation of Ashley's presence in the world.

Christy dispels common misconceptions about organ donation, explaining that medical teams exhaust every life-saving option before donation is considered. She highlights the urgent need - over 100,000 Americans currently await transplants, with 17 dying daily while waiting, and a new name added every eight minutes.

For fifteen years, Christy has channeled her grief into advocacy, educating hospital staff, high school students, and community groups. Through her storytelling, Ashley's impact extends far beyond the four lives she directly saved - countless others have registered as donors after learning about this remarkable young woman's legacy.

Have you registered as an organ donor? More importantly, have you shared your wishes with your family? These conversations matter - you truly have the power to donate life.

"Dream Bird" by Jonny Easton

Support the show

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/
DONATE * Listen to Other Podcast Episodes * Sign up for Newsletter * Get on our Retreat Waitlist * Invite Us to Speak * Contact us!

With love,
Warrior Moms Amy & Michele

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

What happens when grief and love collide? Robyn and Bart's powerful story answers this question with extraordinary grace and honesty.

When Robyn lost her children Shaun and Morgan in a devastating house fire, she never imagined finding love again. Yet a year after the fire, she found herself on a dating app, boldly telling a stranger named Bart about the worst night of her life. "I come with no things, but I come with a lot of baggage," she admits with characteristic candor. Rather than running, Bart listened with compassion that would become the hallmark of their relationship.

Their journey defies conventional wisdom about grief and relationships. Bart fell deeply in love not just with Robyn, but with Shaun and Morgan too—children he would never physically meet but whose presence became integral to their family life. Meanwhile, Bart's young daughter Isabelle embraced them as her "bonus brother and sister," asking questions about them and carrying their stories forward in the most beautiful way.

The most remarkable aspect of Robyn and Bart's relationship is their authentic approach to balancing joy and sorrow. They've created space for both celebration and remembrance, exemplified in their Disney wedding where Shaun and Morgan's photos adorned Robyn's bouquet. As Robyn puts it, "We're a family of five and we'll always be a family of five, but only getting to celebrate earthly things as a family of three is sad."

Their story offers profound lessons about resilience, honest communication, and finding purpose through pain. They've established a foundation in Shaun and Morgan's names, with even young Isabelle participating in their mission to educate others about fire safety. Through it all, they've maintained a steadfast faith that guides them, with Robyn's mantra becoming Bart's strength: "They wouldn't want me to quit."

Ready to be inspired? Listen now and discover how two people found extraordinary love after unimaginable loss, proving that hearts can expand to hold both grief and joy—sometimes in the very same moment.

"Dream Bird" by Jonny Easton

Support the show

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/
DONATE * Listen to Other Podcast Episodes * Sign up for Newsletter * Get on our Retreat Waitlist * Invite Us to Speak * Contact us!

With love,
Warrior Moms Amy & Michele

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

How do we find moments of light after unthinkable loss? Alison Chick joins us to share how her life transformed when her son Alex died in a motorcycle accident just days after his high school graduation. Her raw honesty about that devastating day—from the moment she saw a traffic advisory near their home to the unbearable hospital visit—captures the shattering reality of losing a child.

Yet within this heartbreak, Alison reveals the unexpected ways she's found connection and meaning. She tells us about the "Alex winks"—those inexplicable moments when coincidences feel like something more. Like discovering that one of the women who stopped to comfort Alex after his accident had a meaningful encounter with Alison's husband years earlier. Or finding a heart-shaped petal in her memorial garden on a difficult Mother's Day.

What strikes deepest is Alison's grace-filled approach to grief. Six years later, she still keeps Alex's room largely as he left it, including his last load of laundry. Her philosophy—"Maybe someday, but not today"—offers permission to process loss without timelines or judgment. This same compassion extends to how she honors Alex's kind spirit through "pay it forward" cards, performing random acts of kindness in her son's memory.

For fellow grieving parents, Alison's wisdom is both simple and profound: "If you want to talk about your child, talk about your child." And for everyone: "Give grace. Just give everybody grace." Including yourself.

This conversation reminds us that grief evolves but doesn't disappear, and that finding peace comes not from "moving on" but from carrying our loved ones with us as we continue living. As Alison puts it, success in grief can be as simple as putting your feet on the floor each morning—a powerful reminder for anyone navigating life after loss.

"Dream Bird" by Jonny Easton

Support the show

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/
DONATE * Listen to Other Podcast Episodes * Sign up for Newsletter * Get on our Retreat Waitlist * Invite Us to Speak * Contact us!

With love,
Warrior Moms Amy & Michele