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Grief has no timeline, but what happens when it consumes your entire life for 17 years? In this raw and unflinching conversation, Mike and Jason share their parallel journeys through unthinkable tragedy—both losing teenage sons in the same accident in 2007. 

Mike's candid testimony reveals how alcohol became his only coping mechanism after his son Michael's death. "I felt that there's no way I could ever be okay again with this tragedy," he confesses, describing years spent driving drunk, hiding vodka bottles, and pushing away his grieving wife who feared she would soon bury him too. Despite multiple rehab attempts and hospitalizations for pancreatitis, true recovery remained elusive.

What makes their story extraordinary is the bond formed through shared grief. Despite his own pain, Mike dedicated himself to helping Jason's injured son Tyler experience life—taking him driving, shooting, and to wrestling tournaments, all while battling his own demons. "He just let him be the most human being that he could be," Jason acknowledges, expressing profound gratitude for these moments before his own son passed.

The turning point came just eight months before this recording when Mike finally surrendered to recovery. Now both men walk a path of healing, with Jason urging Mike to complete the 12 steps that transformed his own life: "I'm living like that never happened," he says of his trauma, a statement that seems impossible to those still drowning in grief.

Their conversation offers hope to anyone convinced they'll never emerge from darkness. As Mike slowly discovers, healing doesn't mean forgetting—it means finding a way to honor memories while embracing life again.

If you're struggling with addiction, grief, or loss, please reach out to [email protected]. Recovery is always possible, no matter how long you've been suffering.

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