The Conversations I Keep Coming Back To
Beginning with Child Loss
One of the unexpected gifts of taking a summer break is having time to look back.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been reflecting on the last few seasons of A Place of Yes—the topics we’ve covered, the ones we want to explore more deeply, and the places where it feels like we’ve said what we needed to say, at least for now.
It’s been interesting to ask myself which episodes have stayed with me. Sometimes it’s because of the topic. Child loss will always be different for me. Those conversations aren’t just interviews—they’re conversations I need too.
Sometimes it’s because of something a guest says that captures how I feel better than I ever could. And sometimes an episode opens a door to a person or an idea that makes me want to keep learning.
Throughout the summer, I want to revisit some of the conversations that have stood the test of time for me and share why they’ve stayed with me. It feels fitting to start with the episodes about child loss.
As a mom who lost a child, I know how lonely this road can feel. Every one of these guests understands that loneliness in a way very few people can. I hope these conversations help someone else feel a little less alone.
I know they’ve done that for me.
If you’ve never listened to these episodes—or if it’s been a while—I hope you’ll spend some time with them. We’ve begun reorganizing our YouTube channel, and many of our Child Loss episodes can now be found together here.
Brian Straughter – 15 Years Without Jake
One of the most personal conversations we’ve ever shared. Brian and I sat down on the anniversary of Jake’s death, pulled questions out of a jar, and answered whatever came up. And as is always the case when he’s a guest on the show, we learned things about each other that we didn’t know before.
Child loss is unimaginable. Losing two children is something few can comprehend.
When Elizabeth is asked the question every bereaved parent knows so well—” How many children do you have?”—her answer is simple:
“Four. Two are here on earth, and two are in heaven.”
It’s a perspective that’s helped me with the question I hate to answer.
Every time I hear Jeff tell the story of how his son, Josh, communicates with him through the lights, I smile.
For those of us who’ve lost a child, those moments of connection matter. Whether someone else believes them doesn’t matter. They remind us that our relationship with our children didn’t end—it just changed.
“What’s the downside?”
Those three words have stayed with me ever since my conversation with Chuck about losing his daughter, Liv. As we talked about signs and the ways we continue our relationships with the people we love, he asked a simple question about believing:
“What’s the downside?”
I still think about that often.
I’d love to know— what episode(s) have stayed with you? Sometimes the conversations that resonate most aren’t the ones I expect, and I’d love to hear which ones have found a place with you.