Loss Episodes

How do you grieve a father you loved, resented, and barely knew? For Ali, grief after losing his dad didn't look like sadness at first. It looked like anger, numbness, ambition, and a 15-year refusal to visit his father's grave. Ali spent much of his life wanting his dad to say four words: "I'm proud of you." He never did. In this episode of Dead Dads, Ali talks about losing his father after a complicated father-son relationship shaped by absence, addiction, resentment, and the search for p...

🎧 In this episode, you'll get: Language for the guilt that can follow suicide loss Permission to stop chasing an answer you may never get A reason to ask for help before you think you “need” it A better way to think about therapy when the first person isn't the right fit A frame for the three paths grief can put in front of you: fall apart, white-knuckle it, or use it Permission to cry, talk about your dad, and stop treating emotion like weakness Ideas for keeping your dad present through ...

This episode is for anyone who has kids. If you've ever frozen when your kid asked where grandpa went, start here. Dr. Korie Leigh is a thanatologist — a grief scientist. She told us the exact words to use. And the word is "died." Not "passed away." Not "went to sleep." Most of us use soft language to protect kids from death. Dr. Korie's research says that backfires — hard. Kids fill gaps with stories scarier than the truth. We cover the fish story, the fence story, why the five stages of grie...

Jordan's dad rode 60km on an e-bike with a chemo bottle taped to the frame. Stage four cancer. Then one day the bike stayed in the garage. Jordan didn't fall apart. He felt… neutral. Then guilty for feeling neutral. This episode explores the quiet grief nobody talks about. The feeling that 30% of you disappears when your dad dies. You're still functioning, but you're running on less. If you've lost your dad and wondered why you're not more of a wreck, this one's for you. 🎧 In this episode: •...