Parenting Through Grief & Tragedy [with Robin Bailey]

In this deeply moving episode of the Happy Families podcast, Dr. Justin Coulson sits down with longtime friend and fellow radio personality Robin Bailey to discuss her extraordinary journey through profound grief and resilience. Robin shares the heartbreaking loss of her first husband, Tony, to suicide in 2014, and how she navigated telling her three young sons—aged 9, 12, and 14—about his death. She reflects on the raw, immediate aftermath, the media attention, and the emotional weight of being a parent in the wake of such tragedy. Years later, Robin recounts her second love story with a man she reconnected with after decades, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Despite knowing the end was near, they chose to marry in a joyful, celebratory ceremony that became the most meaningful weekend of her life. The conversation turns to parenting boys in a world that often undervalues male vulnerability, with Robin emphasizing the critical need for positive male role models to counteract the heightened risk of suicide among children of same-sex suicide parents. Her memoir, *Flamingos Aren't Born Pink*, emerges as a testament to love, hope, and the beauty of living fully despite loss.