The Unfiltered Truth About Losing a Parent

The Unfiltered Truth About Losing a Parent

What does it really feel like to lose a parent? In this episode of Grieving Son, Stephen shares the unfiltered truth of losing both parents, first as a child and then again as an adult. This conversation isn’t wrapped in clichés or easy answers. It’s an honest look at what grief actually does to your sense of safety, identity, and time itself. From the trauma of sudden loss, to the anger that shows up years later, to the quiet fear of losing the people who knew you since birth, this episode speaks to the parts of grief most people are afraid to ask about. If you’ve lost a parent, love someone who has, or are trying to understand what that loss really changes, this episode is for you

What Becoming A Father Taught Me About Grief

Becoming a father didn’t erase my grief, it reshaped it. In this episode of Grieving Son, I share how stepping into fatherhood opened parts of my heart I didn’t even realize were still hurting. The joy of welcoming my daughter was real, but so was the ache of knowing my parents would never meet her. What I thought would heal me instead revealed the depth of my love, my loss, and the quiet weight I still carry. This episode is about learning to hold joy and grief at the same time, understanding your parents in new ways once you become one yourself, and discovering that new life doesn’t replace loss. It simply teaches you how to live alongside it. If you’re navigating parenthood and grief, or know someone who is, this one is for you.

When Silence Is Loud

After the funeral ends and the world moves on, grief doesn’t disappear — it gets quiet. In this episode, Stephen shares what that silence felt like after losing his mother — the loneliness, the disorientation, and the strange peace that comes when the noise finally fades. He reflects on the days leading up to the funeral, the moment everything went still, and how he began to find healing in the quiet that once terrified him. This isn’t an episode about moving on — it’s about learning to listen in the silence, and realizing that love still speaks there. This episode is dedicated to my Aunt Gerell in the loss of her mother, Sheila Marshall, and my friend and brother, Marcus Maclin, in the loss of his wife, Tondrea Maclin. May their memories continue to shine through the lives they touched, and may those who love them find comfort in knowing their light still lives on.

When the Fear of Death Let Go

After losing his mother, Stephen noticed something unexpected — his lifelong fear of death began to fade. In this episode, he opens up about how grief transformed his relationship with mortality, from years of health anxiety and fear to a deeper sense of peace. Through raw honesty and reflection, Stephen explores what it means to stop fearing death and start truly living. Because when we stop running from loss, we begin to understand love in its purest form.

The First Goodbye

A story about the first time I truly understood loss. When I was ten years old, my dad and I were in a car accident while moving across the country. That day changed everything, not just because I lost him, but because it was the first time I realized that people could leave and never come back. In this episode, I talk about what it was like to navigate grief as a child without the language to describe it, surrounded by adults who didn’t know what to say. I share how fear crept in, how silence shaped my understanding of loss, and what I’ve learned since about how grief lives in the body long after the moment passes. “Grief isn’t just sadness. It’s confusion, silence, fear, and the slow return to hope.” In this episode: * The day everything changed * How grief first shows up in childhood * The fear that follows loss * Finding language and peace decades later If this episode resonates with you, share it with someone who might need to hear it. And if you’re navigating your own grief, know that you’re not alone, and that healing, in your own way and time, is possible.