All Episodes

October 18, 2024 66 mins

Send us a text

All right, everyone, welcome back to the podcast! We’ve got a special one today—it’s real, it’s raw, and it’s definitely not an easy conversation, but sometimes those are the most important. This episode is about grief, loss, and love. It’s a deep dive into my personal journey, starting with how my wife and I navigated the tragedy of losing our firstborn, Emmitt.

I open up about the emotions that come with not just the loss of a child but also how it hit me—a father dealing with the pain of seeing my son’s life hang by a thread. We talk about how my wife, Dakota (yes, we have the same name, which has made for some funny and confusing moments), was my rock throughout the whole experience, and how we grieved differently but still managed to come out stronger.

I get into the difficult decisions, like choosing to have Emmitt cremated so that he’s always with us. We travel with “Emmitt Bear” as a way to keep his memory alive. It’s been our way of coping and honoring him. We’ll also touch on the stigma around how men process grief, especially when society expects us to always be the strong, silent type.

This episode is tough, but it’s one of the most important ones yet. We’re pulling back the curtain and sharing our story, not just to tell you what happened but to help others going through something similar. Grief doesn’t have a playbook, but maybe by hearing our story, you’ll find some comfort or connection.

So grab a tissue, settle in, and let’s talk about life, loss, and everything in between. Trust me, this one’s from the heart.

Thank you for tuning in to my podcast! I truly appreciate your support. To stay updated on all the latest episodes and content, be sure to follow me on my social media platforms:

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube 

Website 

Episode Idea Form 

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

YouTube Podcast

Your continued engagement means the world to me. Thank you for being apart of this journey!

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.