What happens when a mother loses her young child—and chooses to live bigger than grief?
In this heart-opening episode of Grief to Growth, Brian D. Smith sits down with Melissa Hull—author of Dear Drew: Creating a Life Bigger Than Grief, speaker, and coach—on the very day her book launches.
Melissa shares the heartbreaking story of her 4½-year-old son Drew’s drowning, and how that unimaginable pain became the foundation for a new life of purpose, faith, and healing. But this isn’t a story of “moving on.” It’s about carrying love forward, rewriting the rules of grief, and honoring your child’s life through your own.
💡 What You'll Learn in This Episode:
💔 Why the traditional grief model often fails parents
🌱 How Melissa transformed guilt into growth through mindfulness and creativity
✍️ The healing power of writing, art, and telling your story
🧘♀️ Simple practices to stay connected to your loved one in spirit
📚 The letter from a stranger that saved Melissa’s life
💬 Why continuing the relationship with your child is not only possible—but necessary
🔗 Links & Resources:
💜 Buy Melissa’s book, Dear Drew: Creating a Life Bigger Than Grief
➤ https://melissahull.com
🛟 Free Water Safety Resources (a cause close to Melissa’s heart):
➤ https://melissahull.com
📬 Join Brian’s Substack for more grief and growth insights:
➤ https://grieftogrowth.substack.com
🗣️ Let’s Hear from You:
What part of Melissa’s story resonated with you the most?
💬 Leave a comment on the episode
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00:00 🌱 What if grief is the beginning, not the end?
00:50 🎙️ Meet Melissa Hull: Author of *Dear Drew*, grief transformation coach
03:00 💔 The Day Drew Passed: A mother's worst nightmare
09:10 🧸 Guilt, exhaustion, and that haunting “what if?”
12:20 😠 Why “moving on” feels like betrayal
15:00 🔄 Grieving her way: Letting go of expectations
17:40 🔮 Exploring mediums, Reiki, and spiritual healing
20:30 📚 The books that shaped Melissa’s awakening
23:00 ✍️ Writing as healing: Letters to Drew & painting pain
26:10 💌 The letter from a stranger that changed everything
29:30 🙏 Giving back: How service became salvation
32:10 🌻 Daily practices for remembering Drew with love
35:45 💬 “He comes with me”: Keeping the connection alive
38:30 💖 What grief is like now, 25 years later
42:00 👣 Advice for early grievers: Feel it *all*
45:00 🛟 Water safety education: Melissa’s mission to save lives
48:20 📘 *Dear Drew*: Why she wrote the book and who it’s for
52:00 🌠 The ripple effect of grief, love, and legacy
56:30 🎯 Final thoughts: Choosing love over bitterness
59:00 🙌 Outro: Join the movement, share your story
