Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com

Grief doesn’t arrive as a single moment, and it rarely leaves in a straight line. This creative, story-driven retelling of a father’s experience living with baby loss, uses one extended metaphor to make the invisible feel real: drifting onto open waters and tides that keep changing when you least expect them.

The poem, "Grief", written by Kelly Jean-Philippe, starts with the quiet drift, the subtle pull away from what used to feel familiar and safe. Then the current strengthens. Loneliness and isolation become the unseen forces that carry you farther out than you realized, until “wherever there is” stops making sense. If you’ve lived through infant loss, miscarriage, or the death of a child, you may recognize that disorientation. If you’re supporting someone who has, this story offers a clearer window into why grief can look like distance, silence, or exhaustion.

Then the unexpected part: a sudden surge. Memories and emotions rise like a storm, with fear and anxiety breaking overhead and pulling you under.

This poem honors the truth that grieving can be menacing, physical, and cyclical, and that “coping” sometimes means doing whatever it takes to resurface. The ending holds a sliver of peace after the tide retreats, along with the dread of drifting out again.

If this resonates, subscribe for more episodes, share this with someone who needs language for their grief, and leave a review so more listeners can find stories like this.

What line hit you the hardest?

SUPPORT PATHWAY

If you are a bereaved dad who's struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.

Go to dadalways.com for more information.

PEER-SUPPORT

Black Dads in Loss Support Group

Dads in Loss Support Group

For a list of other support groups through Postpartum Support International click here.

THEME MUSIC

"Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host.

Sound effects from Soundstripe

RELATED EPISODES

Narrative pt. 1 | Narrative pt. 2 | Narrative pt. 3 | Narrative pt. 4

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com

Some of the most damaging moments after baby loss don’t come from strangers, they come from people who think they’re helping. That's what my guest, Ryan Brown, and I talked about at the conclusion of a conversation that began last week. We discuss the phrases that quietly poison grief support, why autonomy and boundaries matter, and what it looks like to care for a bereaved parent without trying to fix them.

Ryan walks us through the real origin story of his book, “Words That Wound, Words That Heal: What Not To Say, And What To Say Instead.” What starts as anger in therapy turns into a practical resource shaped by years of hearing the same painful lines, comparing notes with other bereaved fathers, and rewriting raw reactions into clear language people can actually use. We dig into the “at least” comments, the religious one-liners, and the silence that shows up when friends ghost because they don’t know what to do.

We also get concrete about what helps: saying the child’s name, remembering birthdays and anniversaries, and showing up after the first wave of support disappears. We talk about why baby loss is a universe of its own, how grief stretches across years, and what to do when the person who says the words that wound is your spouse and you’re both grieving differently.

If you want better words, better timing, and a better way to stand with someone in profound loss, press play.

Subscribe, share this with someone who wants to support well, and leave a review so more families can find this conversation.

SUPPORT PATHWAY

If you are a bereaved dad who's struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.

Go to dadalways.com for more information.

PEER-SUPPORT

Black Dads in Loss Support Group

Dads in Loss Support Group

For a list of other support groups through Postpartum Support International click here.

THEME MUSIC

"Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host.

SHOW MUSIC

Together Again by CMJ

Soundstripe

RELATED EPISODE

A Bereaved Father's Story of Birth Trauma (October 5, 2026)

How has Dad Always helped you redefine fatherhood after your loss?

On this week's episode, Ryan Brown Jr. joins me as a fellow bereaved father and tells the story of his son Andreas, who lived for thirteen and a half hours, and what it feels like to watch your world shatter while you're powerless to stop it.

We also get into the choices that came before the crisis and why they mattered. Ryan explains why he and his wife sought out a Black OB, shaped by the very real risks of Black maternal mortality and the fear of not being taken seriously in healthcare. That context makes the hospital handoff even harder, especially when communication breaks down and a parent is left trying to translate jargon while advocating for urgency.

From the NICU transfer to the devastating final call, Ryan names the parts people rarely say out loud: the helplessness, the isolation, and the “comforting” phrases that actually wound. We talk about grief boundaries, family pressure, religious clichés, and what real support looks like when someone says, “I need distance.” If you’ve lived through birth trauma, infant loss, or perinatal grief, or you’re trying to support someone who has, this conversation offers language, clarity, and an honest map of what not to say.

If this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more grieving parents and bereaved dads can find this kind of support.

THE BOOK

Words That Wound, Words That Heal

SUPPORT PATHWAY

If you are a bereaved dad who's struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.

Go to dadalways.com for more information.

PEER-SUPPORT

Black Dads in Loss Support Group

Dads in Loss Support Group

For a list of other support groups through Postpartum Support International click here.

THEME MUSIC

"Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host.

SHOW MUSIC

First Bloom by Moments

Velox by Isaac Joel

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Talking Platitudes with Miscarriage Mumma Support (October 12, 2025)

"Cliche-anity" - When Consolation Becomes Controversy (ft. Mary - April 8, 2024)