Episode Details

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Do you ever feel like you should be "past" your grief by now? Like there's some invisible finish line you haven't reached?

On what would have been her sister Corinne's 49th birthday, Heather opens up about the moment that cracked her wide open and why grief doesn't expire, it shape-shifts. In this deeply personal episode, she walks through the five stages of grief not as a checklist, but as a living landscape and draws a powerful through-line between personal loss, the hidden grief parents of LGBTQ+ youth carry, and the collective heartbreak so many of us are feeling right now.

Whether you're an ally looking for guidance, a parent navigating your child's identity, or simply a human carrying something heavy you haven't been able to name, this episode is for you.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why the five stages of grief aren't linear and why that's actually good news
• How denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance show up for parents of LGBTQ+ kids and for allies navigating a world in crisis
• A powerful reframe: acceptance isn't complacency, it's the birthplace of sustainable action

This is the first episode in a three-part grief series. Next week, we'll explore how personal grief maps onto the collective, and what it looks like to hold space for LGBTQ+ families while also holding space for yourself.

If you're ready to stop judging your grief and start getting curious about what it's teaching you, press play now.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

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This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out.

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous connection.

For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I s