Don't Forget To Breathe: Where grieving parents find voice, hope, and connection.

Bruce Barker
  • 5.0 (5)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Don’t Forget To Breathe is a podcast for parents who have lost a child. Hosted by bereaved parents Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn, this show offers honest, compassionate conversations about life after child loss, long-term grief, healing, and learning how to keep living while carrying profound loss. Together, Bruce and Kristin create a space where grief does not need to be explained, and where parents can feel understood, supported, and less alone. Originally launched in 2020, the podcast began as a form of soul-cleansing and healing, as Bruce shared his journey as a father who suddenly lost his 20-year-old daughter in 2006, a tragedy no parent should ever have to endure. After a three-year hiatus marked by deep personal transformation, including divorce, closing a business, intensive therapy, and continued healing, the podcast returns with a renewed heart and a deeper, more expansive perspective. With Kristin joining as co-host in Season 4, the conversation widens. Drawing from decades of lived experience, Bruce and Kristin are joined by other parents who bravely share their stories of grief, resilience, and life after loss. Together, they explore how grief evolves over time, and how sorrow, hope, love, and even laughter can coexist. You’ll hear the shift in voice, perspective, and presence—from surviving to living. Wherever you are on your grief journey, this podcast offers connection, understanding, and the quiet reassurance that you are not alone.

  1. 5D AGO

    S4/E35- Why Time Doesn’t Heal the Loss, But What Might Help (Part 1)

    Send a text “Time heals all wounds.” Most grieving parents have heard that phrase. Many of us have been hurt by it. In part 1 of this 3-part series, Bruce and Kristin challenge the myth that time alone heals the loss of a child. This isn’t a scraped knee. It’s an amputation. Time doesn’t replace what was taken. Grief evolves; it softens, shifts, and integrates, but it doesn’t expire. The love hasn’t diminished, so why would the grief? Bruce shares about the landmines that still feel sharp years later, the void that remains, and the difference between distraction and true healing. Together, they begin exploring what actually helps: intentional grief work, sitting with the pain, and learning to move with grief instead of trying to move on. If time really healed grief, we'd all be fine by Tuesday. But we're not. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

    25 min

  2. FEB 7

    S4/E34- Season 4: Roadmap For Grieving Parents

    Send us a text This conversation opens with a promise: we will talk about child loss with honesty, tenderness, and practical care. Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn outline the intention for Season 4 of Don’t Forget To Breathe: honest, compassionate discussions about child loss that replace clichés with clarity and care. They outline episodes designed for parents in the earliest, raw weeks of grief, for those years down the road still carrying love and pain together, and for friends and family who want to support without causing harm. Together, they explore what grief really looks like, why it isn’t linear, how meaning is rebuilt over time, and what it means to live after loss rather than “move on.” The conversation touches on relationships, mental health, and the outside world, how partners grieve differently, how silence can deepen isolation, and how anxiety, trauma, and depression show up along the way. Bruce and Kristin also open space for spirituality, uncertainty, and continuing bonds, and invite bereaved parents from all backgrounds to share their stories. A grounding, invitational episode that sets the tone for a season focused on connection, understanding, and hope, without silver linings. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

    30 min
  3. S4/E33- You Get It: Grief, Healing & Connection

    JAN 31

    S4/E33- You Get It: Grief, Healing & Connection

    Send us a text As we launch this Season 4 conversation of Don’t Forget To Breathe, host Bruce Barker is joined by Kristin Glenn as they officially begin their journey together as co-hosts. This episode centers on a powerful truth shared by bereaved parents everywhere: “You get it.” In part 1 of our conversation, Bruce and Kristin reflect on decades of life after child loss, exploring why shared understanding matters more than advice, and how grief can feel isolating even in a room full of people. They talk openly about the comfort of being in spaces where no explanations are required, the wisdom passed between parents through lived experience, and the quiet relief of being truly seen. This episode also introduces the heart of Season 4—continuing parent stories, creating safe and compassionate spaces for grief, and expanding the conversation to include friends, family, and coworkers who want to support but don’t always know how. Bruce and Kristin discuss why grief makes people uncomfortable, how avoidance can unintentionally deepen loneliness, and how sorrow and joy can coexist over time. This episode is for bereaved parents, those walking alongside grief, and anyone seeking to better understand loss, connection, and healing. A reminder that while every story is different, you are not alone. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

    35 min

  4. JAN 25 · BONUS

    S3/E32- Child Loss, Grief, and Healing: Season 3 Recap

    Send us a text This episode of Don’t Forget To Breathe reflects on Season 3, a season focused on parents who have lost a child, life after child loss, long-term grief, and healing. Hosted by a grieving father, this recap honors the voices of bereaved parents who shared their stories of love, loss, and learning how to keep living while carrying grief. Season 3 centered on conversations with mothers and fathers navigating parental grief years after losing a child. This recap is both a thank-you to the parents who bravely shared their stories and a moment of reflection for grieving parents who may be listening quietly from wherever they are in their grief journey. The episode also looks ahead to Season 4 of Don’t Forget To Breathe and how the podcast will continue offering child loss grief support, honest conversations, and a place for bereaved parents to find voice, hope, and connection. If you are a parent who has lost a child, or someone supporting a grieving parent, this episode is for you. You are not alone. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

    8 min

  5. 11/29/2025

    S3/E31- Kristin's Story (part 2): Loss, Compassion, and Showing Up for Others

    Send us a text In this first half of a two-part conversation, host Bruce Barker talks with Kristin—one of the founders and former Executive Director of a Colorado nonprofit that supports grieving parents. Kristin opens up about her child, her loss, and the early days of her grief journey. She reflects on how her pain transformed into compassion and why she dedicated herself to walking with families through unimaginable moments. In this episode: • The story of her child and the grief that followed • The beginnings of her nonprofit work • What it’s like to show up for grieving families • The emotional labor of holding space for others • How community and connection help sustain healing Part Two continues the conversation and explores what comes next after years of serving others. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

    25 min

  6. 11/23/2025

    S3/E30- Kristin's Story (part 1): Loss, Compassion, and Showing Up for Others

    Send us a text In this first part of a two-episode conversation, host Bruce Barker sits down with Kristin, one of the founders and former Executive Director of a Colorado-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting families who have experienced child loss. Kristin shares the early chapters of her grief journey and the deeply personal story that led her to create a safe haven for parents in their darkest moments. She reflects on her own loss, the compassion that shaped her work, and the emotional weight of walking alongside countless families over the years. This episode explores: • The origins of her grief and the impact of her child’s loss • How her personal pain led to community support • The realities of supporting grieving parents day after day • The heart, strength, and vulnerability behind her leadership Part One lays the foundation of Kristin’s powerful story. Part Two continues the conversation as she explores what comes after years of serving others. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

    27 min

  7. 11/10/2025

    S3/E29- The Holidays After Child Loss: Grief, Memory, and Survival

    Send us a text The holidays can be one of the hardest times for grieving parents. Between memories of what once was and the silence of what’s missing, emotions can feel overwhelming. In this heartfelt episode of Don’t Forget To Breathe, host Bruce Barker shares gentle reflections and practical coping strategies for navigating the season after child loss. Discover ways to approach family gatherings, honor your child’s memory through meaningful traditions, and give yourself permission to rest and feel. Whether this is your first or fifteenth holiday season without your child, this conversation reminds you that grief and love can coexist; and that hope, connection, and compassion can still be found, even in November and December. You’re not alone. Together, we can find meaning and connection in the season that reminds us to breathe, remember, and hold onto hope. grief support, child loss, holidays, coping with grief, bereaved parents, emotional healing, hope after loss, grief podcast. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

    18 min

  8. 09/22/2025

    S3/E28- Loss, Grief, and Healing: A Conversation with Sheila Johnson Wilson

    Send us a text My guest, Sheila Johnson Wilson, a writer, musician, and professional coordinator, has endured the loss of more than 20 loved ones, including 17 in just five years. Through deep personal work, she’s found healing and now shares her story to inspire others with courage to heal, support one another, and dream again. Contact information for Sheila and William Wood are: ohohsheilaonline@gmail.com William Wood: william.wood@northernutahhypnosis.com Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

    47 min
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About

Don’t Forget To Breathe is a podcast for parents who have lost a child. Hosted by bereaved parents Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn, this show offers honest, compassionate conversations about life after child loss, long-term grief, healing, and learning how to keep living while carrying profound loss. Together, Bruce and Kristin create a space where grief does not need to be explained, and where parents can feel understood, supported, and less alone. Originally launched in 2020, the podcast began as a form of soul-cleansing and healing, as Bruce shared his journey as a father who suddenly lost his 20-year-old daughter in 2006, a tragedy no parent should ever have to endure. After a three-year hiatus marked by deep personal transformation, including divorce, closing a business, intensive therapy, and continued healing, the podcast returns with a renewed heart and a deeper, more expansive perspective. With Kristin joining as co-host in Season 4, the conversation widens. Drawing from decades of lived experience, Bruce and Kristin are joined by other parents who bravely share their stories of grief, resilience, and life after loss. Together, they explore how grief evolves over time, and how sorrow, hope, love, and even laughter can coexist. You’ll hear the shift in voice, perspective, and presence—from surviving to living. Wherever you are on your grief journey, this podcast offers connection, understanding, and the quiet reassurance that you are not alone.

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