EPISODE · Jul 15, 2026
12 Years After Losing My Daughter, My Body Was Still Holding Grief
from Truth After Loss · host Kendra Merrill
Episode 1: 12 Years After Losing My Daughter, My Body Was Still Holding GriefIn the first episode of Truth After Loss, Kendra Merrill sets the stage for the podcast and shares three cultural messages about grief that she's learned aren't true.What we cover:Why "getting over" grief isn't the goal, and what to aim for insteadHow grief stays with you for life, even as its intensity changesWhy unprocessed grief gets stored in the body (with a nod to Bessel van der Kolk's The Body Keeps the Score)The Yosemite hike that left Kendra in pain for days, and the moment on her floor that showed her whyWhy feeling your feelings, even years later, is the way forwardWhat Kendra's daughter Adeline taught her about worth, value, and building a life around truthAbout Kendra: Kendra Merrill is the host of Truth After Loss. Her story includes the stillbirth of her daughter Adeline, losing her father six weeks later, and a decade of loss that followed. This podcast is where she shares what grief has revealed to her, and invites you to find your own truth in what you've carried.Notable line: "What if the point was never how do we get through it, but more how do we learn to carry it?"Connect: Subscribe on YouTube or follow on your podcast app so you never miss an episode. Share your story in the comments — Kendra reads every one.
Embed this episode
What this episode covers
Twelve years after her daughter Adeline was stillborn, Kendra Merrill still carries that loss — just not the way she did on day one. In this first episode of Truth After Loss, Kendra breaks down three cultural messages about grief that felt misaligned with her experience: that grief has an ending, that it stays where you put it, and that feeling your feelings sets you back instead of moving you forward. She shares her own story, including the stillbirth of her daughter, losing her father six weeks later, and a recent hike that taught her exactly where her body had been holding grief for over a decade. Truth After Loss is a space to explore what grief reveals and the life you build from it. Follow the show so you never miss one, and share your story in the comments — Kendra reads every one.
Ready to play
12 Years After Losing My Daughter, My Body Was Still Holding Grief
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.
Similar Podcasts
No similar podcasts found.