When someone says, “Brian’s dead,” life divides into a before and an after. For Chuck Winings, it divided twice. What began as an ordinary Super Bowl Sunday became a season of heartbreaking loss. First came the passing of his father. Soon after came the fight no family is ever ready for, when his wife Rhonda was diagnosed with triple negative metastatic breast cancer. On BeTempered, hosted by Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr, Chuck opens his heart and tells the story from the very beginning: high school sweethearts, a surprise third child, years spent teaching and coaching, and the long road of hospitals, hope, and hard decisions.

This conversation takes you inside the moments most people never see. Chuck talks about the diagnosis delivered on a blank sheet of paper, the infusion days filled with silent prayers, and the moment the word “curable” slipped away. Through it all, Rhonda remained a teacher. She wrote notes for the future, made plans for the children, and showed what love looks like when it prepares to let go. Chuck explains why honesty with his kids mattered more than pretending to be strong, and how trust was built by telling the truth, even when it hurt.

He shares how their community stepped in, not with answers, but with presence. Meals left at the door. Friends who sat in silence. Small signs that felt like messages from above. A lone cardinal on a beach fence. A quiet breeze when he needed one most. These moments stitched a fragile thread of comfort through unbearable days.

You will hear about the strength of his children. Theo calling every day just to check in. Gavin choosing to wear his mother’s number eight and making a play he still believes she was part of. Emma asking simple questions that cut straight through the noise of adult grief. These stories are not about tragedy, but about the proof that love continues in those who remain.

We also talk about the part of loss no one prepares you for. The mornings that feel like climbing out of concrete. The day Chuck realized he was stuck in a hole. The first walk he took just to breathe. The decision to speak goals out loud, including 75 Hard, because sometimes choosing discipline is the only way to choose life again.

This episode is not about having the right words. It is about standing when your legs shake. It is about fathers trying to be anchors for their children when they feel like they are drifting. It is about carrying a legacy forward without letting it crush you. If you have ever whispered, I am not okay, or wished someone would simply check on you, this conversation is a hand on your shoulder.

If this story reached you, do not carry it alone. Share it with someone who needs proof that hope can survive heartbreak. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what keeps you going when life hits hardest.

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