What happens when the people you love keep leaving?

At six years old, Maddi lost her first best friend. At eight, she lost another. By the time she reached adulthood, she had made herself a promise: she would never make close friends again, because everyone she loved seemed to leave.

But that isn’t where her story ends.

In this deeply personal episode, I sit down with Maddi — someone who has been part of my life since she was a baby. And in many ways, Maddi’s story is also half of mine.

Together, we unpack the thread grief weaves through a life. How childhood loss shapes the way we love. Why so many people become over-givers, terrified that if they stop holding everything together, people will leave. And what happens when your body won’t let go of a pregnancy that is already gone.

This conversation goes where many won’t — from the loneliness of miscarriage to the question that haunts so many people in silence: am I being punished?

If you’ve ever felt like you have to control everything to feel safe, or wondered why you exhaust yourself looking after everyone else, this episode may help you recognise the thread running through your own story.

You’re not broken.

You’re not being punished.

You’re carrying a story that once protected you — and now it may be time to write a new chapter.

Please note: This episode discusses pregnancy loss and childhood grief. Emotional responses may arise. Please support yourself as you listen.