The Courage to Stay Soft: Connection Without Performance

A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!👉 The Leftover Pieces AppThis is December 20 — Welcome, Fellow GrieverA Saturday to Breathe — A Daily Journal Prompt:“What space — emotional or physical — can I offer myself today, and why does it matter?”Today’s ReflectionToday’s episode acknowledges the unique emotional landscape of a December Saturday. You're invited to find small pockets of space, breath, and gentleness, whether the weekend feels soft, heavy, or anything in between.Quoted or Referenced In This Episode– “What if we joined our sorrows? What if that is joy?” — Ross GayA Gentle Closing ReminderLet today give you room to breathe.Stay Connected💜 TheLeftoverPieces.com💜 Instagram @theleftoverpieces💜 Download the Leftover Pieces AppSupport the show__________________________________________________________________________ Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE 💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts. 🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement. 🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope. 🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here. 🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here. 📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.

In this episode of The Leftover Pieces; Suicide Loss Conversations, I’m joined by Jacquelyn Dickey, a mother navigating early suicide loss after the death of her son, Austin, who died on April 4, 2025, at the age of 30. Austin left behind a loving family — his mom, dad, younger sister Victoria, girlfriend Rachel, and his beloved dog Luna — as well as an extraordinary body of photographic work that continues to speak to his creativity and spirit.Follow The Empty Chair Movement HEREJacquelyn’s journey through grief has been uniquely courageous. Within weeks of Austin’s death, she leaned into movement, connection, and purpose — returning to horse training and immersion in things that grounded her — not to bypass her grief, but to survive alongside it. In the process, she brought Austin’s work into the world through a beautiful and powerful book, The Dash, honoring his legacy while also inviting others into honest conversation around suicide loss.You will want to add this book to your Amazon Cart -- It is incredible! We explore early grief and survival, creativity as connection, the varied ways people find a way forward, and how advocacy — through art, horses, and community — can be both deeply personal and broadly meaningful.This episode also highlights Jacqueline’s advocacy work, including the Austin Dickey Creativity in Advocacy Fund, which supports young creatives advancing mental-health awareness, and her moving freestyle performance at the 2025 Thoroughbred Makeover with her horse Donner — a moment that was widely shared for its message of resilience and hope.Episode Links & Resources 📖  The Dash — Book & Austin’s Photography  📷  Austin Dickey Creativity in Advocacy Fund 🌐 Austin’s Legacy Website 🐎 Thoroughbred Makeover 2025 — Donner & Jacqueline (YouTube) To learn more about Austin’s life, Jacqueline’s advocacy, and the legacy being built in his name, check out the links above and take time to witness the creativity, love, and meaning that continue to move forward.Support the show__________________________________________________________________________ Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE 💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts. 🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement. 🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope. 🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here. 🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here. 📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.

A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!👉 The Leftover Pieces AppThis is December 19 — Welcome, Fellow GrieverThe Courage to Stay Soft — A Daily Journal Prompt:“What would softness look like for me today — and what truth does that softness protect?”Today’s ReflectionToday’s episode honors the courage it takes to stay soft in a season that expects performance. You’re invited to let connection be grounded in honesty rather than obligation.Quoted or Referenced In This Episode– “I found God in myself and I loved her. I loved her fiercely.” — Ntozake ShangeA Gentle Closing ReminderSoftness is courage in disguise.Stay Connected💜 TheLeftoverPieces.com💜 Instagram @theleftoverpieces💜 Download the Leftover Pieces AppSupport the show__________________________________________________________________________ Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE 💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts. 🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement. 🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope. 🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here. 🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here. 📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.

A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!👉 The Leftover Pieces AppThis is December 18 — Welcome, Fellow GrieverA Pause to Notice Yourself — A Daily Journal Prompt:“What do I notice about myself today — emotionally, physically, spiritually — without judgment?”Today’s ReflectionToday’s episode marks the midpoint of December with an invitation to slow down and notice your inner landscape. You're reminded that self-awareness is a form of connection — with your grief, your truth, and your becoming.Quoted or Referenced In This Episode– “You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.” — Mary OliverA Gentle Closing ReminderNoticing yourself is an act of care.Stay Connected💜 TheLeftoverPieces.com💜 Instagram @theleftoverpieces💜 Download the Leftover Pieces AppSupport the show__________________________________________________________________________ Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE 💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts. 🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement. 🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope. 🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here. 🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here. 📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.

A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!👉 The Leftover Pieces AppThis is December 17 — Welcome, Fellow GrieverLet Yourself Be Met — A Daily Journal Prompt:“What would it look like to let myself receive care in one small way today?”Today’s ReflectionToday’s episode explores the courage and complexity of receiving care while grieving. You’re invited to soften to the possibility that connection — in any form — can support you without taking away your autonomy or truth.Quoted or Referenced In This Episode– “It is a strange thing to be so broken and so whole at the same time.” — John SteinbeckA Gentle Closing ReminderYou deserve to be met exactly where you are.Stay Connected💜 TheLeftoverPieces.com💜 Instagram @theleftoverpieces💜 Download the Leftover Pieces AppSupport the show__________________________________________________________________________ Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE 💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts. 🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement. 🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope. 🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here. 🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here. 📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.

A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! 👉 The Leftover Pieces AppThis is December 16 — Welcome, Fellow GrieverThe Company You Keep — A Daily Journal Prompt: “What kind of connection feels possible for me today — with others, or with myself?”Today’s ReflectionToday’s episode continues Week Three with a reflection on connection in grief — not forced socializing or holiday expectations, but the quiet, honest companionship that meets you where you are. You’re invited to notice the places where connection, in any form, might already be reaching toward you.Quoted or Referenced In This Episode– “I want to be the wilderness, and also the path out of it.” — Ada LimónA Gentle Closing ReminderConnection doesn’t have to be loud to be real.Stay Connected💜 TheLeftoverPieces.com💜 Instagram @theleftoverpieces💜 Download the Leftover Pieces AppSupport the show__________________________________________________________________________ Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE 💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts. 🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement. 🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope. 🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here. 🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here. 📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.

A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.Week 3 Begins: “This past week, we’ve explored boundaries as acts of care — the small ways we protect our energy, honor our capacity, and stay close to what feels true. This week, we’re exploring connection — the kind that comes from truth, tenderness, and compassion. Not forced connection. Not holiday performance. But the real, humankind that meets you exactly where you are.”Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!👉 The Leftover Pieces AppThis is December 15 — Welcome, Fellow GrieverCarrying What Matters Forward- A Daily Journal Prompt:“What truth from this past week do I want to carry with me — and what can I gently set down?”Today’s ReflectionAs Week Two comes to a close yesterday , today’s episode helps you reflect on what has supported you, what has drained you, and what truths you want to carry with you into the coming days. You are encouraged to honor your inner guidance as you move into a new week.Quoted or Referenced In This Episode– “You can cut all the flowers, but you cannot keep spring from coming.” — Pablo NerudaA Gentle Closing ReminderCarry forward only what supports you.Stay Connected💜 TheLeftoverPieces.com💜 Instagram @theleftoverpieces💜 Download the Leftover Pieces AppSupport the show__________________________________________________________________________ Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE 💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts. 🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement. 🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope. 🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here. 🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here. 📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.

A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! 👉 The Leftover Pieces AppThis is December 14 — Welcome, Fellow GrieverJournal PromptWhat could it look like to let today be softer on my spirit — in one small, honest way?Today’s ReflectionToday’s episode invites you into the gentleness of a Sunday in December — a day to slow down, feel your truth, and tend to your heart without pressure or expectation.Quoted or Referenced In This Episode– “The times are urgent; let us slow down.” — Bayo AkomolafeA Gentle Closing ReminderLet today be soft in whatever ways you need.Stay Connected💜 TheLeftoverPieces.com💜 Instagram @theleftoverpieces💜 Download the Leftover Pieces AppSupport the show__________________________________________________________________________ Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE 💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts. 🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement. 🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope. 🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here. 🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here. 📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.

A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!👉 The Leftover Pieces AppThis is December 13 — Welcome, Fellow GrieverThe Impossible Math of Time (Our Birthday) - A Daily Journal Prompt:“How has grief reshaped my sense of time — and who have I become in the years between then and now?”Today’s ReflectionToday's reflection honors the impossible math of grief and time — especially on birthdays, anniversaries, and milestones. You’re invited to acknowledge every layer: the ache, the gratitude, the survival, the identity changes, and the love that continues.Quoted or Referenced In This Episode– “Where there is deep wound, there is deep understanding.” — John O’DonohueA Gentle Closing ReminderYou’re allowed to feel every layer of this day.Stay Connected💜 TheLeftoverPieces.com💜 Instagram @theleftoverpieces💜 Download the Leftover Pieces AppSupport the show__________________________________________________________________________ Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE 💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts. 🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement. 🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope. 🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here. 🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here. 📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.

A daily December series offering tender, truthful support for surviving the holidays after suicide loss — with grief, grace, and gentle company.Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything!👉 The Leftover Pieces AppThis is December 12 — Welcome, Fellow Griever The Softness of the Weekend - A Daily Journal PromptIf I offered myself one simple act of care this weekend, what would it look like — and why does that matter to my heart?Today’s ReflectionToday’s episode honors the softness of the weekend and invites you into self-care that feels real and honest for your grieving heart. Rest becomes an act of protection and an expression of tenderness.Quoted or Referenced In This Episode– “Rest is not a luxury; it is a spiritual discipline.” — Cole Arthur RileyA Gentle Closing ReminderLet the weekend meet you where you are.Stay Connected💜 TheLeftoverPieces.com💜 Instagram @theleftoverpieces💜 Download the Leftover Pieces AppSupport the show__________________________________________________________________________ Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE 💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts. 🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement. 🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope. 🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here. 🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here. 📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.