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The Grief Between Us

The Grief Between Us

By: Patti Merrill
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About this listen

 The Grief Between Us is a podcast about the many ways grief reshapes our lives and the conversations that help us carry it.

Hosted by Patti Merrill, founder of The Waiting Place, this podcast creates space for honest conversations about loss, faith, identity, and the long journey of learning to live after life changes in ways we never expected.

Each episode features thoughtful conversations with people who have experienced grief in different forms. Parents, friends, caregivers, and professionals who walk alongside others through loss share their stories and reflections. Together, these conversations explore what it means to mourn, to remember, and to continue forward while holding what cannot be fixed.

Rather than offering quick answers or easy solutions, The Grief Between Us honors the reality that grief is complex, personal, and ongoing. These conversations invite listeners to slow down, reflect, and recognize that none of us carry grief alone.

This podcast is part of The Waiting Place, a non profit dedicated to supporting people navigating grief and trauma through conversation, reflection, and connection. If you are grieving, supporting someone who is grieving, or simply seeking a deeper understanding of loss and healing, you are welcome here.

New episodes explore topics such as grief support, bereavement, faith and loss, trauma healing, and the emotional journey of life after loss.© 2026 The Waiting Place Foundation. All rights reserved. Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Management Management & Leadership Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Spirituality
Episodes
  • The Years We Should Have Had: Learning to Carry a Sister's Absence

    The Years We Should Have Had: Learning to Carry a Sister's Absence
    Apr 22 2026
    What does it mean to grieve not just who someone was, but everything that never got to be?

    In this episode of The Grief Between Us, Patti sits with Arianne to explore the lifelong experience of sibling grief after the suicide of her sister, Megan. Nearly twenty years later, Arianne reflects on what it means to carry both love and loss over time, and how grief continues to evolve rather than disappear.

    She shares the complexity of their relationship, the memories that still feel close, and the moments where her sister’s absence feels just as real as it did in the beginning. From anger and confusion to acceptance and peace, this conversation holds the full range of what it means to grieve someone deeply.

    This episode also explores the tension between wanting answers and learning to live in the unknown, the impact of suicide loss on families, and the quiet ways we continue relationships with those who are no longer here.

    If you’ve ever grieved a sibling, or felt the weight of the life you didn’t get to share with someone, this conversation offers a place to feel understood.

    The Grief Between Us is part of The Waiting Place, a non-profit dedicated to supporting those navigating grief and loss.

    Learn more about us and upcoming events below!
    The Waiting Place Foundation
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    54 mins
  • When You Can’t Choose to Keep Your Family: A Father's Grief

    When You Can’t Choose to Keep Your Family: A Father's Grief
    Apr 15 2026
    What happens when the life you built is no longer something you can choose to keep?

    In this episode of The Grief Between Us, Patti sits with John, a divorced father, to explore the kind of grief that doesn’t come from death, but from the loss of a family as it once was, and the future that was imagined.

    John speaks honestly about what it means to live with limited agency, to miss your children while still showing up for them, and to carry grief quietly while continuing to function. He shares the reality of coming home to an empty space, the emotional weight of separation, and the responsibility of staying strong for his children even when it’s hard. T

    his conversation also explores mental health, identity, and what it looks like to rebuild a life from the inside out. Through his story, John offers language for a kind of grief that is often unseen, especially for fathers, and a reminder that even in the midst of loss, there is still purpose in showing up.

    If you’ve ever felt alone in your grief, or like your loss doesn’t quite fit into the way people talk about it, this episode offers a place to feel understood.

    The Grief Between Us is part of The Waiting Place, a non-profit dedicated to supporting those navigating grief and loss.

    Learn more about us and upcoming events below!
    The Waiting Place Foundation
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
  • The Gift of Being Witnessed

    The Gift of Being Witnessed
    Apr 8 2026
    Sometimes what we need most in grief is not answers, but to be seen.

    In this episode, Patti sits with Rob, a chaplain, to explore what it means to truly accompany someone in pain. Through personal experiences and reflections from his work, Rob shares how healing can begin when someone is willing to sit with us, without trying to fix, solve, or take the pain away.

    Together, they talk about the quiet, sacred moments where people allow themselves to be seen in their grief, the tension between wanting to fix suffering and learning to simply be present, and the impact of listening with curiosity instead of assumption. This conversation also explores faith, uncertainty, and the emotional complexity that can come when grief and belief intersect. Rather than offering answers, it invites a different way of showing up for ourselves and for others.

    If you’ve ever wondered how to support someone in grief, or how to navigate your own, this episode offers a gentle and meaningful place to begin.

    The Grief Between Us is part of The Waiting Place, a non-profit dedicated to supporting those navigating grief and loss.

    Learn more about us and upcoming events below!
    The Waiting Place Foundation
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
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