Grief as Love with Terri Straut

In this compelling episode, Laura sits down with Terri Straut-- a mother from Littleton, Colorado, whose world was shattered in 2011 when her son, Patrick, died by suicide at just 18 years old. There are no soft landings after a loss like that. And Terri doesn’t pretend otherwise. What she brings is raw truth, hard-won wisdom, and a story soaked in love, devastation, and the brutal, everyday work of survival. She shares the moment it all cracked open — her husband’s scream, the last written words of her son, the last signs Patrick left behind. And in the wreckage, there were strange, revealing glimmers of something bigger — unexplainable signs, sacred moments stitched into the painful moments. Through it all, yoga became more than a practice. It became breath. It became staying alive. It became a connection to Patrick. This isn’t only a story about the all-too-soon death of a child. It’s about what happens after. When the casseroles stop coming, when you still have to get up, still have to mother, still have to live in a world your child no longer occupies. It’s about carrying grief like a second skin and learning, slowly, painfully, how to keep going. Together, Terri and Laura hold space for the ache, the rage, the softness, and the sacred. This is a conversation about rebuilding when you don’t even recognize the wreckage. It's raw, it's real, and it's a tribute to the fierce love that grief cannot kill. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit griefonpurpose.substack.com/subscribe