June 18 marks another anniversary in my journey as a mother, a survivor, and a human being learning to live after profound loss.In this deeply personal episode, I share the story of my son James.Not just the details of how he died, but the lessons he continues to teach me.For a long time, I lived inside questions that had no answers.What if?Why?Could I have done more?Could I have saved him?Those questions became cages.This episode explores the truth about love and control, the reality of addiction and pain, and the lessons it took a lifetime and two funerals to fully understand:Carrying someone is not the same thing as loving them.Guest applicationhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfN9yfm-wru69iTlUvGO8Im8xXuk8fvkaO4_FQxHfq1X9YbIg/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=112792830403090931601#fedoras4james will get you to his pagehttps://linktr.ee/Angeliquestrang

Courtney Weidner is a Connection Catalyst and the founder of ALIVE, a global Village of people on purpose.

She brings together humans who share a common core, creating spaces where people are fully self-expressed, share their gifts, and grow alongside others who are evolving exponentially.

ALIVE is a community where meaningful connection turns into friendship, friendship into collaboration, and shared experiences into global impact.

ALIVE isn’t about finding belonging — it’s a deep knowing: you belong here.

https://www.skool.com/alive/about?ref=f4e8889557ce4059b173975cd26cfab4

When Matthew Melvin started working at a car dealership in South Burlington, Vermont, he never thought that one mistake would lead to a life-changing stint in prison.Feeling he wasn’t being paid his full commissions on car sales, he made an impulsive decision to get what he felt he was owed.

He hatched a badly-thought out plot to steal a car, sell it as his own and keep the profits.However, a basic reference and background check quickly revealed that the vehicle’s title was not in his name, but still belonged to the dealership. He was arrested andsentenced to prison.

While Matthew has taken responsibility for his poor life choices, hebelieves he has been treated unfairly due to his sexual orientation,religious and political affiliations, and his adult diagnosis ofautism.

While he and his lawyer argued that his punishment would bebest served in a mental health facility, Matt was unfortunatelysentenced to 18 months in prison to be served in general population.Terrified and alone, Matthew began his prison term with the best of intentions—to keep his head down and serve his time as uneventfully as possible.

But being a gay, Christian, Trump supporter brought him unwanted and negative attention. He was bullied by cellmates, targeted by gangs and even raped in one facility. The months he was imprisoned felt like decades and there were times he doubted he would make it out alive.

Bullied Behind Bars chronicles Matthew Melvin’s life feeling like anoutcast, enduring a lonely and friendless childhood, and beingpunished for a crime that began with the honorable goal of him just trying to make a living.

Website https://bulliedbehindbars.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/matthew.melvin.5621

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bulliedbehindbars