Episode 100 of Grief and Light marks a meaningful milestone shaped not only by consistency and care, but by the relationships formed along the way. Nina Rodriguez chose to honor this moment with a feed swap: a deeply personal episode originally recorded for The Life Shift Podcast, hosted by fellow podcaster and friend Matt Gilhooly.

***

Read: 

Grief and Light Podcast: Exploring Grief & Lighting the Way to Hope by Frank Racioppi, EAR WORTHY

***

This episode reflects one of the most unexpected and beautiful ripple effects of saying yes to grief work: the genuine connections that emerge when we choose to stay in honest conversation over time. In this role-reversed dialogue, Matt interviews Nina about the sudden loss of her brother and the life-altering moment that reshaped everything that followed.

Nina reflects on the spontaneous decision to visit her brother on his birthday, followed by the shock, surrealism, and disorientation of receiving the news of his unexpected death. She speaks openly about his long-term sobriety, the hope and plans they held for his future, and the complexity of grieving someone whose life carried both struggle and profound love.

Nina and Matt explore the unpredictable nature of life, the emotional disconnection that often accompanies sudden loss, and the quiet ways grief changes how we move through the world. What emerges is a story of learning how to live with grief.

Nina shares how creating Grief and Light became a way to stay in relationship with her grief, transforming pain into presence, isolation into connection, and making meaning.

This episode is a meditation on human connection, the power of curiosity in times of loss, and the possibility of honoring grief without needing to resolve it.

Key Takeaways:

• One of the beautiful ripple effects of this journey is the meaningful connections it has forged.
• About 5% of podcasts make it past the 100th episode.
• You don’t need answers or clarity to be present with grief.
• Meaning-making after loss is not linear or prescriptive; it unfolds in its own time.
• Grief can change how we relate to ourselves, our relationships, and our sense of the future.
• Curiosity can be a gentler companion than certainty when navigating loss.
• Honoring someone’s full story (including struggle, hope, and love) matters in grief.
• Human connection is one of the most sustaining forces during times of loss.
• Joy and sorrow are not opposites; they can coexist.
• Staying in relationship with grief can transform isolation into connection.

Connect with Matt Gilhooly:

• thelifeshiftpodcast.com
• @thelifeshiftpodcast

Connect with Nina Rodriguez:

• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Tools:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Pause, Pivot, Podcast Workbook

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

An honest exploration of grief, creativity, and community with the visionary behind Women Who Podcast magazine—covering storytelling, anticipatory grief, and the movement to amplify women’s voices in podcasting.

In this conversation, Nina Rodriguez sits down with Kathy Barron, founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women Who Podcast Magazine, to explore the power of women’s voices, the complexity of grief, and the courage it takes to tell honest stories.

***

Video available here

***

Kathy shares the origin story behind the magazine: a space born from her desire to see women not just represented in podcasting, but truly celebrated. As the conversation unfolds, Kathy opens up about her own relationship to loss, including the quiet, complicated ache of anticipatory grief as she navigates her mother’s aging, as well as moments of soul-level connection she feels with farming communities and Mexican culture.

Nina and Kathy explore how grief shapes identity, creativity, and the way we move through the world. They talk about the tension between what we hold privately and what we offer publicly, the healing potential of artistic expression, and the moments of clarity that come from living inside “the dash”—the space between birth and death.

Kathy also reflects on the evolving landscape of podcasting, from the pressures of imposter syndrome to the new possibilities—and challenges—posed by AI. She offers grounded, generous advice for aspiring women podcasters seeking connection, mentorship, and confidence in a space that hasn’t always made room for them.

This episode is a reminder that storytelling is community-building, grief is deeply personal but never solitary, and women’s voices deserve to take up space—loudly, boldly, and without apology.

Key Takeaways

• Women Who Podcast magazine amplifies and uplifts women’s voices across the industry.
• Community is essential for creative collaboration, support, and sustainability.
• Grief manifests differently for everyone, shaped by personal and generational experiences.
• Artistic expression—writing, podcasting, humor—can deepen connection and understanding.
• Anticipatory grief involves mourning who someone once was while caring for who they are now.
• Hard conversations about mortality, aging, and loss are uncomfortable—but necessary.
• Sarcasm can be a tool for truth-telling and authenticity in storytelling.
• Aspiring podcasters benefit from mentorship, collaboration, and supportive networks.
• Critical thinking is more important than ever in a rapidly shifting tech landscape.
• Reclaiming creativity in the age of AI matters for podcasters, writers, and artists alike.

Guest: Kathy Barron

• Founder & Editor-in-Chief
• @womenwhopodcastmagazine
• womenwhopodcastmag.com

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack
• Grief Tending Toolkit

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

Sometimes, healing begins in motion. In this episode, Nina Rodriguez sits down with Bianca Alba, founder of This Latina Travels, to explore how grief, identity, and travel intertwine. What starts as a conversation about exploring the world becomes a deeper story about returning to yourself.

***

Video available here

***

Her story begins in a single-parent household where vacations felt like something other people did, faraway dreams that didn’t belong to families like hers. Today, Bianca has traveled to six continents and uses her platform to show women of color what’s possible when you give yourself permission to go. Her work reminds us that representation isn’t just inspiring, it’s necessary.

Nina and Bianca also reflect on the power of community, having recently shared virtual space as speakers at the Latinas in Podcasting Summit 2025. The conversation moves through grief, identity, purpose, and the courage it takes to keep expanding your life after loss.

Bianca opens up about the Lola Challenge, a three-day running event in Puerto Rico that connects her to her body, her resilience, and the island she now calls home. She recounts a deeply emotional moment on a beach in the Virgin Islands that reminded her how grief meets us wherever we are.

They also explore the complexities of traveling during political and social turbulence, including recent US disruptions affecting travelers. Bianca speaks honestly about the privilege and guilt of being a travel content creator during difficult times, and how she balances joy with responsibility, visibility, and awareness.

Her love for Puerto Rico weaves through the conversation—its beauty, its challenges, and the hope she carries for change. Bianca shares her vision for future retreats on the island: spaces rooted in culture, learning, healing, and community. Places where women can breathe, honor their grief, and rediscover parts of themselves that got lost along the way.

This episode is an invitation to rethink how movement, land, and connection can hold us through grief. A reminder that healing isn’t linear; it’s lived, mile by mile, moment by moment.

Key Takeaways:

• Travel can be a companion to grief, offering new ways to process loss.
• Representation matters—It can be life-changing for women of color to see themselves in spaces historically closed to them.
• Grief and joy often coexist, and choosing adventure after loss isn’t forgetting—it's honoring the fullness of being alive.
• Community heals—from podcast summits to shared stories, connection lights the way forward.
• Travel during turbulent times is complex, and it’s okay to hold both gratitude and discomfort as you navigate privilege and responsibility.
• Puerto Rico holds deep lessons about resilience, culture, and what it means to belong to land and community.

Guest: Bianca Alba

• Blogger & Podcaster
• @thislatinatravels
• thislatinatravels.com

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack
• Grief Tending Toolkit

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

What happens when you gather a circle of grievers, creators, and grief-literacy leaders around one table and ask them to tell the truth about how loss has reshaped their families, and their lives?

In this special Grief Week episode of Grief and Light, we find out.

*** Watch the video here. ***

This episode is an offering for anyone navigating family changes after loss, for anyone bracing for the holidays, and for anyone who needs to hear that their grief makes sense, that their story matters, and that connection is still possible even in the midst of heartbreak.

Each year, the first week of December marks Grief Week—a global invitation to slow down, raise awareness, open conversations, and build a more grief-informed world. In honor of this mission, Nina Rodriguez brings together members of the Get Griefy Small Business Collective for a roundtable conversation that feels equal parts honest, tender, and unexpectedly uplifting.

From the moment the mic turns on, the episode unfolds like a shared living room, where stories overlap, tears sit beside laughter, and the complexity of grief is met with curiosity instead of fear. Together, Nina and her guests explore how loss ripples through families: the shifting dynamics, the roles we grow into (or out of), the unspoken tensions, and the surprising places where connection begins to mend what grief has fractured.

What emerges is not just a conversation, but a reminder:
Grief may isolate, but community brings us home to ourselves.
Through creativity, storytelling, mutual witnessing, and the simple act of speaking honestly, this group shows what’s possible when we don’t grieve alone.

Connect with our guests & their offerings:

• AMANDA MCKOY FLANAGAN: amandamckoyflanagan.com
• ANGIE HANSON: butterfliesandhalos.com
• CHARLENE LAM: curatinggrief.com
• KERA SANCHEZ: getgriefymagazine.com
• LIZ QUINN: @lizquinnheals

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

What happens when three grief podcasters sit down to talk about the happiest–saddest time of the year?

In this special Grief Awareness Week episode, three grief storytellers and space-holders — Nina Rodriguez (Grief and Light), Liz Quinn (Healing Hearts Podcast), and Tara Accardo (Life with Grief podcast) — come together for a conversation that’s equal parts honest, tender, and deeply human.

***

The video version is available here.

***

What unfolds is a spacious, story-rich dialogue about the many faces of grief: the way it evolves over time, the way it reshapes who we are, and the way the holidays often magnify both the ache and the sweetness. Together, the three share how their losses — Nina’s 32-year-old brother, Liz’s newborn daughter and both parents, and Tara’s parents and beloved 19-year-old dog — continue to ripple through their lives in ways that are both painful and illuminating.

They explore the early fog of grief, the physicality of sorrow, the rituals and traditions that tether us to our people, and the power of setting boundaries when the world expects more than we can give. They reflect on identity, envy, unexpected joy, and the healing that happens when we speak our stories out loud and are met with understanding instead of silence.

This episode feels like sitting with friends who get it. Three women navigating grief personally and professionally, carving out space for truth, connection, and the radical permission to feel it all.

It will air on all three podcasts.

Key Takeaways

• Grief evolves constantly, shifting shape over time but never disappearing.
• Storytelling creates connection, offering validation, healing, and community.
• The first year of loss is disorienting, full of numbness and overwhelm.
• Rituals and traditions can honor loved ones, especially during the holidays.
• Clear boundaries are essential — it’s okay to opt out, slow down, or protect your energy.
• Grief impacts the body, not just the heart and mind.
• Community support softens the edges, reminding us we’re not alone.
• Every grief journey is unique, and there’s no one “right” way to move through it.
• Joy can coexist with grief, even when it feels fragile or unexpected.
• All emotions are valid, especially during tender seasons like the holidays.

The Grief and Light podcast is hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

Some stories are written in ink. Others are written in loss, love, and everything that comes after. 

Today’s guest is Tiriq Rashad, spoken word artist, whose life has been shaped by the grief of losing his daughter, brother, and mother, and by the courage to transform that pain into poetry, music, and meaning. Through his books Shine Through Our Shade and A Diamond in God’s Dirt, and now his new album Kiss My Art, Tiriq invites us into the alchemy of survival where art becomes a way home to ourselves.

***

Watch video version here

***

Together, Nina and Tiriq explore the unpolished, raw realities of grieving: the trauma that lingers, the relief of finally speaking your truth, the grounding power of therapy, and the courage it takes to show up vulnerable. Tiriq shares how grief propelled him toward expression, how strength can emerge through vulnerability, and how poetry, music, and storytelling became a space where love and pain coexist.

This conversation reminds us that grief doesn’t need to be fixed, it needs to be witnessed. Through Tiriq’s story, we’re invited to lean into connection, share what hurts, and trust that creative expression can guide us back to ourselves, one honest moment at a time.

Key Takeaways

• Art becomes a way to return to ourselves and rediscover meaning after loss.
• Vulnerability is essential in expressing and navigating grief.
• Every loss carries a distinct trauma and teaches us something different.
• Honoring loved ones through creativity can be deeply healing.
• Therapy provides tools, grounding, and perspective during the grieving process.
• Acceptance isn’t passive. It’s an active part of moving forward with grief.
• People “wear” grief differently; there is no right way to grieve.
• Connection and community are crucial in the healing journey.
• Sharing our stories can inspire courage and connection in others.
• Self-tending is necessary to sustain ourselves through grief.

Guest: Tiriq Rashad

• Gramy Considered Spoken Word Artist
• tiriqrashad.com
• Watch Tiriq's TEDx Talk
• @tiriq_rashad

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

Grief doesn’t just reshape us, it can redirect the entire course of our lives in ways we never saw coming. 

***

Video available here

***

For Kim Burditt Barlett, that redirection began the day her brother Jon, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, died by suicide in 2010. What followed was a profound transformation that eventually led her into suicide prevention work and, ultimately, to her role at Stop Soldier Suicide.

In this episode, Kim sits down with Nina to explore the layered reality of suicide loss—the silence, the stigma, the unanswered questions, and the way it can feel both isolating and overwhelming, even in a room full of support. Kim speaks to the particular complexities faced by military families, where grief is often compounded by systemic gaps, cultural expectations, and a lack of adequate support.

They also dive into the Black Box Project, a groundbreaking effort at Stop Soldier Suicide that analyzes digital behavior from voluntarily donated devices to better understand risk and, hopefully, save lives. Kim discusses the powerful act of families choosing to share their loved one's digital footprint, transforming loss into a legacy of prevention and protection for others.

Kim also introduces Sibling Strong Retreats, the adventure-based healing community she co-founded for sibling loss survivors.

Throughout the conversation, Kim reminds us that grief may break us open, but what grows from that fracture can be meaningful, connective, and deeply human. 

And with compassion, courage, and a willingness to stay present to our pain, post-traumatic growth is possible.

Key Takeaways

• Meaning-making is a natural and powerful response to grief.
• Life can redirect entirely after a significant loss, sometimes toward unexpected purpose.
• Peer support is crucial, especially for suicide loss survivors.
• Post-traumatic growth can coexist with grief.
• Being honest with children about loss builds trust and emotional resilience.
• Sibling loss carries unique secondary losses and identity shifts.
• Many mental health professionals lack adequate suicide prevention training.
• Military families often face systemic gaps in grief and mental health support.
• Sharing details of a loss is a personal choice; no one owes their story.
• Community-driven approaches are essential in addressing the suicide crisis.
• Choosing how to respond to grief can be empowering and transformative.

Guest: Kim Burditt-Barlett, MSW

• Sibling loss survivor of USMC veteran Jon D.S. Hoffman
• stopsoldiersuicide.org/BlackBoxProject
• @stopsoldiersuicide
• siblingstrongretreats.com

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

How does life shift when you lose the only person who shared your beginnings — your earliest memories, your inside jokes, your sense of home?

In this tender and illuminating conversation, host Nina Rodriguez sits down with Dr. Angela Dean, a licensed psychologist, thanatologist, and founder of The Broken Pack™—an organization and podcast created to validate and support adults grieving the loss of a sibling.

***

Video is available here.

***

After the unexpected death of her brother, Tony, Dr. Dean channeled her grief into advocacy, research, and community-building for those whose pain is often unseen. Together, Nina and Angela explore the unique nature of sibling loss, including how it impacts family dynamics, identity, and belonging, and why it remains one of the most overlooked forms of grief.

Angela shares the story behind The Broken Pack™, drawing parallels between the way wolves mourn a lost member and how humans experience the reorganization of their “pack” after a sibling’s death. The conversation moves through topics like grief expression, communication styles within families, the evolution of grief theory, and the power of enfranchising what has long been disenfranchised.

This episode invites listeners to reflect on the bonds that continue after loss, the healing potential of language and connection, and the importance of community in tending to sibling grief.

Key Takeaways

• Sibling loss is one of the most underrecognized yet identity-shaping forms of grief.
• After a sibling dies, family systems shift; roles, dynamics, and unspoken bonds all reorganize.
• Grieving styles differ, even within the same family; compassion and communication can help bridge those differences.
• The metaphor of The Broken Pack™ reminds us that when one member of the “pack” dies, the structure changes forever, but connection endures.
• Disenfranchised grief (grief that society doesn’t fully acknowledge) can deepen isolation; naming it helps restore dignity and belonging.
• Theories of grief are evolving, from linear “stages” to models that honor ongoing bonds, meaning-making, and the coexistence of love and loss.
• Community and conversation are vital to healing; grief needs witnesses, not fixes.
• The conversation closes with a reminder that even when our “pack” is broken, love continues to ripple outward through story, memory, and connection.

Guest: Angela Dean, PsyD, FT

•  Licensed psychologist, thanatologist, podcaster, sibling grief specialist
• Creator of The Broken Pack™
• thebrokenpack.com
• IG: @thebrokenpack | Facebook

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

When Ben Forman lost his brother Sam, his world shifted overnight, leaving him with survivor’s guilt, grief for what could have been, and a search for meaning. 

In this episode of Grief and Light, Ben shares how a 10-day motorcycle therapy trip through the Himalayas became a transformative journey of healing, reflection, and connection. Along the way, he immersed himself in nature, friendship, and mindful practices, and drew on conversations with monks and his heritage to navigate loss.

***

This episode is also available in video here.

***

Ben also discusses his deeply personal film, Higher Calling, which captures this journey and explores themes of adventure-based therapy, brotherhood, grief, and the power of storytelling to channel pain into meaning. 

Together, we explore how grief can reshape identity, open new paths for growth, and leave a lasting imprint of love.

Key Takeaways

• Grief can redefine identity and purpose. It reshapes who we are and invites us to find meaning in a changed world.
• Survivor’s guilt happens. Acknowledging it helps us honor both our life and the one we lost.
• Adventure therapy can help us move through grief. Physical journeys, like Ben’s 10-day ride through the Himalayas, can mirror emotional healing.
• Nature grounds and reflects us. In its stillness and vastness, we can find space to breathe and begin again.
• Pain reflects love’s depth. The intensity of grief feels like a measure of how deeply we’ve loved.
• Healing requires patience and self-compassion. Grief has no set timeline. Only gentle permission to mend at your own rhythm.
• Every grief journey is personal. Healing looks different for everyone; there’s no single path.
• Suffering can lead to growth. Turning toward pain opens the door to transformation and resilience.
• Art and storytelling heal. Creative expression helps us make meaning and carry love forward.
• Sibling bonds endure beyond death. The connection we share with those we’ve lost continues to shape, guide, and illuminate our lives.

Guest: Ben Forman

• Filmmaker, Producer
• Watch the Trailer
• highercallingmovie.com
• @thebenforman  and  @highercallingmovie

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

No man should have to carry it alone.

Many men are hurting in silence, and Robb Pollard knows that silence well.

In this deeply human conversation, Nina Rodriguez sits down with Robb Pollard, founder of Walk With Me Brother, a nonprofit devoted to men’s mental health and connection.

***

VIDEO AVAILABLE HERE

***

Robb shares his journey of living with bipolar disorder, navigating bullying and alcohol, and learning to face the parts of himself he once tried to outrun. What emerges is a story not just of survival, but of purpose. One of transforming pain into a path that invites others to walk beside him.

In April 2026, Robb will begin a 3,600-mile walk across America, carrying with him one message: no man should have to walk alone. 

Through his openness, Robb reminds us that vulnerability isn’t the opposite of strength. It’s the foundation of it.

Together, Nina and Robb explore what happens when men begin to talk, listen, and support one another, and how breaking the silence can change not only individual lives, but entire communities.

This episode is an invitation: to listen differently, to show up for the men in our lives, and to remember that healing starts with a single honest step forward.

Key Takeaways:

• Many men are hurting in silence and need safe spaces to talk about it.
• Asking for help can save your life.
• Vulnerability is a form of strength, not weakness.
• Bullying and shame can leave lasting marks on mental health.
• Community and connection are vital for healing.
• Therapy, medication, and alternative approaches can be life-changing.
• Listening is an act of love, and often more powerful than advice.
• Robb’s Walk With Me Brother movement is a call for awareness, compassion, and shared humanity.

Guest: Robb Pollard

• Founder of Walk With Me, Brother
• IG: @itsrobbp and @walkwithmebrother
• Connect with Robb: linktr.ee/walkwithmebrother

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

When Sara Rian’s mother unexpectedly died in 2018, her world, and her words,  changed forever. 

***

This episode is available in video here.

***

What began as a private act of survival through poetry slowly became a bridge to others who were grieving too. Her poems, often found reaching grieving hearts through social media feeds, give voice to what so many can’t yet name: the ache, the confusion, the beauty, and the brutal honesty of grief.

In this conversation, Nina and Sara trace the ways grief reshapes not only the heart but also the body, relationships, and creative expression. Sara shares how poetry became both her mirror and her medicine, helping her navigate the duality of love and pain, the tension between vulnerability and protection, and the ongoing work of tending to loss as both a therapist and a human being who lost her mother to suicide.

Together, they explore what it means to live inside the messiness of grief — where healing isn’t about tidying the pain but learning to move with it. 

The episode both opens and closes with two of Sara’s poems, a quiet reminder that love doesn’t end where life does.

Key Takeaways

• Grief reshapes how we inhabit our bodies, our creativity, and our relationships.
• Writing can become a form of survival; a place to meet emotions without needing to fix them.
• The mother–child bond leaves an indelible mark on how we grieve and love.
• Grief isn’t only love, it’s also raw, contradictory, and profoundly human.
• Healing asks for tenderness toward the body as much as the heart.
• Artistic expression can transform isolation into shared understanding.

Follow Grief and Light wherever you tune in, and join us as we keep exploring the many ways love and loss coexist.

Guest: Sara Rian

• Grief Writer • Author • Therapist
• sararianbooks.com
• Get the Books
• @sara_rian_books

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

A mother’s story of love, advocacy, and finding joy while parenting a child in hospice.

What happens when the life you imagined for your child suddenly changes forever?

For Dr. Tasha Faruqui, that question became her reality when her daughter, Soraya, was born with a rare and little-known genetic condition.

A doctor herself, Tasha thought she knew how to navigate the medical world. But nothing prepared her for the mix of love, fear, and relentless uncertainty that came with parenting a child whose life would look very different from what she’d dreamed.

In this week’s episode, Tasha — physician, advocate, and author of her debut book Keep Your Head Up: A Mother’s Story of Chasing Joy in the Face of Grief — opens up about what it means to grieve the child you imagined while fiercely loving the one in front of you.

We talk about how she’s learned to balance hope and surrender, the ways her other children have shaped her understanding of anticipatory grief, and how joy has become an act of resistance against the unfairness of it all.

Nina and Tasha explore:

• What it means to grieve the ideal while embracing what is
• How advocacy and agency intertwine in a child’s care
• The quiet grief of siblings walking their own path beside medical complexity
• Why hope and heartbreak can live side by side
• How spirituality and creativity help her family keep going
• Why joy isn’t found, it’s chosen, over and over again

If you’ve ever lived between grief and gratitude, this conversation will remind you you can hold both.

Guest: Tasha Faruqui, DO

• Physician • Author • Speaker • Advocate
• Read: KEEP YOUR HEAD UP
• tashafaruqui.com
• Fundraising & Merch
• @thefaruqui5

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

How do you grieve while parenting? How do you tend to your own heartbreak and hold space for your children’s?

In this heartfelt conversation with Reshma Kearney, a Trauma-Informed Mindfulness and Healing Guide, shares her journey after losing her husband, Sean, to suicide. She opens up about navigating grief as a solo parent, communicating loss with honesty, and finding moments of presence through mindfulness in the first three years of grief.

***

This episode is also available in video here.

***

Reshma’s story touches on the complexities of mental health, cultural perspectives on grief, and the delicate balance of creating new traditions while honoring those we’ve lost. Through her experience, she reminds us that grief is not something to fix, but something to tend to, with gentleness, awareness, and grace.

Whether you’re parenting through loss, supporting someone who is, or learning to meet your own pain with compassion, this episode offers warmth, wisdom, and ways forward.

Key Takeaways:

• Grief is non-linear, and there’s no “right way” to heal.
• Mindfulness helps bring steadiness and presence to painful moments.
• Children grieve differently; their process deserves honesty and patience.
• Truthful communication about death fosters safety and healing.
• Cultural background shapes how grief is expressed and supported.
• Emotions like anger, guilt, or relief are natural parts of grief.
• Creating new traditions can help families honor loved ones meaningfully.
• Small moments of joy can coexist with deep sorrow.
• Open conversations about mental health can save lives.
• Parenting through grief calls for grace, flexibility, and self-compassion.

Guest: Reshma Kearney

• Trauma-Informed Mindfulness and Healing Guide
• @reshmakearney
• reshmakearney.com

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

If this conversation moved you, please share it with someone who might need to hear it.

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This week, I’m honored to share something special with you—a guided meditation created exclusively for Grief and Light listeners by Hannah Castillo, host of the Love Your Calm podcast.

Hannah has been a Mental Health Counselor for over 20 years and is passionate about making meditation approachable and supportive, especially in tender seasons of life. After her own health challenges led her to discover the power of daily meditation, she began sharing these practices with her clients, helping them find balance and calm. Her meditations are short, beginner-friendly, and designed to make the practice feel less intimidating.

When I invited Hannah to create a meditation specifically for grievers, she graciously said yes. Together, we decided to release it on both of our podcasts as a way of widening the circle of care.

Grief is a universal part of our human condition, and though your experience is uniquely yours, you don’t have to walk through it alone. Our hope is that this meditation offers you a moment of pause, comfort, and connection as you navigate your own path.

A gentle note: This practice is best listened to when you have a few uninterrupted minutes and can settle into a quiet, comfortable space. Take what feels supportive, leave what doesn’t, and return to this meditation whenever you need it.

To hear more of Hannah’s work, check out her Love Your Calm podcast below. 

And if this is your first time here, I invite you to explore past episodes of Grief and Light for more reflections and conversations about living with loss.

Guest: Hannah Castillo

• Creator & Host, Love Your Calm Podcast
• Love Your Calm: mini meditations podcast
• Love Your Calm website
• @love_your_calm

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

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What if you gave yourself permission to pause? 

This episode explores why rest is essential, not optional, covering the seven types of rest, the cost of burnout, and practical ways to create your own “pause week.” Consider this your reminder that what doesn’t bend, breaks; and that even small pauses can refill your cup.

Rather than a luxury, rest is a necessity for our mental, emotional, and physical well-being

Key Takeaways:

• Pause is rest, and rest is essential for survival and life.
• There are seven distinct types of rest as identified by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith—physical, mental, emotional, social, sensory, creative, and spiritual—and each plays a role in our well-being.
• Burnout isn’t just exhaustion; it’s a warning sign that something has to change.
• Burnout is not sustainable; intentional rest prevents breakdown.
• Long-form content and slower rhythms can reawaken our capacity for focus and depth.
• You don’t have to pause from everything; you can choose one area to pull back from in order to nourish another.
• Rest strengthens resilience, helping us bend instead of break.
• Scheduling rest in your calendar is an act of self-commitment, just as important as any external obligation.
• A pause can look different for everyone: travel, nature, time with loved ones, or simply creating quiet space at home.

This solo episode with Nina Rodriguez is also your invitation to look at your own calendar and schedule in a "pause week", whatever that looks like for you.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• "You Deserve Rest" social media post
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

About the Host:

Nina Rodriguez is a podcaster, grief-informed coach, speaker, writer, and the creator of GRIEF AND LIGHT, a podcast and support platform born from the sudden loss of her only sibling. She helps grievers navigate life after loss with curiosity, compassion, and agency, on and off the mic. Through her work, Nina invites others to honor the full spectrum of being human and build sustainable practices that embrace the both/and of life.

• Visit: griefandlight.com
• Connect: @griefandlight

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Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

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You just lost your loved one. Now what?

Welcome to Grief and Light, a podcast about the honest truth of life after loss. Hosted by Nina Rodriguez, whose world was forever changed after the sudden death of her only sibling, this show explores the reality of grief, not as something to fix, but as a lifelong companion we learn to live with.

On Grief and Light, you’ll hear:

• Honest reflections on the complexity of grief
• Conversations about post-traumatic growth without bypassing pain
• Stories that remind us grief and joy can coexist

Here, we live in the "and", where sorrow and joy, darkness and light, loss and love all belong. Nina calls this felicitreza: life through grief-colored lenses, where our stories become lighthouses for one another, steady glows in the dark that say, you are not alone, and we are in this together.

This is a place where your grief is seen, your story belongs, and light still breaks through.

About Nina:

Nina Rodriguez is a podcaster, grief-informed coach, speaker, writer, and the creator of GRIEF AND LIGHT, a podcast and support platform born from the sudden loss of her only sibling. She helps grievers navigate life after loss with curiosity, compassion, and agency, on and off the mic. Through her work, Nina invites others to honor the full spectrum of being human and build sustainable practices that embrace the both/and of life.

• Visit: griefandlight.com
• Connect: @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Subscribe to Grief and Light wherever you watch or listen to podcasts, and join us in creating a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one story and one conversation at a time.

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Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

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What if death wasn’t the end of the conversation?

In this episode of Grief and Light, Nina Rodriguez sits down with psychic medium and mentor Karen Docherty to explore how mediumship can become a powerful source of comfort, connection, and healing after loss. With warmth and clarity, Karen shares her own journey of discovering and embracing her calling, and how she now supports both the grieving and the departed through spirit communication.

Together, they unpack what mediumship really is (and isn’t), why discernment matters when seeking a practitioner, and how the messages that come through can transform grief into moments of peace, reassurance, and even joy. Karen also opens the door to the idea that intuitive and spiritual connection isn’t just for a select few — but something we all have the capacity to cultivate.

This heartfelt conversation invites you to look at grief, love, and connection in a new light — one where bonds endure, guidance continues, and healing stretches beyond the veil.

3 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode

1. How mediumship brings healing — and why it can ease the ache of grief by affirming our continued bonds with loved ones.
2. What to know before seeking a medium — including how to spot integrity and avoid common misconceptions.
3. Why intuition belongs to all of us — and simple ways to begin trusting your own inner connection.

Key Takeaways:

• Mediumship as a bridge – How mediumship connects the living and the spirit world, offering not only evidence of an afterlife but also profound comfort for the grieving.
• Karen’s path to her calling – From her earliest experiences with Spirit to becoming a trusted mentor, Karen shares how she came to embrace her gifts and the responsibility that comes with them.
• The importance of discernment – Karen emphasizes the value of seeking out practitioners who lead with integrity, compassion, and clarity.
• Healing through continued connection – Messages from loved ones can affirm that our bonds don’t end with death, helping us find peace, reassurance, and even moments of joy.
• The role of spirit guides – Karen offers insight into how guides support us, reminding us that while they walk alongside us, we still hold the power of free will.
• Clearing up misconceptions – Together, we explore common myths about mediumship and what genuine spirit communication really looks like.
• Awakening our own intuition – Karen encourages listeners to explore their own connection to Spirit, showing how tuning in can support both personal growth and a deeper sense of guidance in everyday life.

Guest: Karen Docherty

• Medium & Mentor
• karendocherty.com
• Facebook
• @karendochertyspiritmedium

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

And just like that, we're an award-winning podcast!

In this special episode, I’m sharing a replay of my conversation with Kathy Barron, founder and editor-in-chief of Women Who Podcast Magazine. We talk about the journey behind Grief and Light, the power of being recognized as an award-winning podcast, and why grief isn’t a linear process—it’s deeply personal, unpredictable, and life-changing.

We dive into stories of life after loss, the sneaky ways grief shows up in everyday life, and how giving yourself permission to feel can actually deepen your connection to life and others. Whether you’re a griever, a podcaster, or simply curious about the human experience, this conversation offers insights, validation, and hope.

Key Takeaways:

• There are no “steps” in grief—everyone experiences it differently.
• Grief shows up unexpectedly, even in ordinary places like grocery stores.
• Giving yourself permission to grieve is essential for healing and integration.
• Recognition and community make a difference—even in the often-lonely world of podcasting.
• Facing grief can deepen connection, empathy, and the richness of life itself.

If you’ve ever experienced loss, or want to understand grief more deeply, tune in, follow and subscribe to Grief and Light wherever you listen to podcasts, and connect with me on social media for more conversations, resources, and support.

Related Links:

• Award-Winning Podcast Announcement on IG
• Live Conversation replay on IG

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Subscribe for more conversations that explore grief, healing, and what it means to be human.

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Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

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If you’ve ever wondered how to keep living, and even loving, after losing someone you can’t imagine life without, this episode is for you. 

I sit down with Shawn Dinneen, creator of HeartStrings Journals, to hear her deeply personal story of grief, resilience, and rediscovering life and new love after the devastating loss of her fiancé to an overdose in 2022.

***Video version available here***

Shawn shares how journaling became a lifeline during her healing journey, inspiring her business and mission to support others navigating loss. We explore the messy middle of grief, how community, self-reflection, and courage help us carry sorrow while making room for hope and love again. This is an honest, tender conversation about loss, resilience, and the ways grief and joy can coexist.

Key Takeaways:

• Healing after loss is personal, nonlinear, and requires compassion toward yourself.
• Journaling and reflection can provide a powerful outlet for processing grief.
• Stigma around addiction obscures the humanity of those affected.
• Systemic barriers make seeking help for addiction challenging.
• Unresolved pain and trauma frequently underlie addiction.
• Community and shared experiences help break the isolation of loss.
• Opening your heart to love again is possible, even after profound heartbreak.
• Grief and joy can coexist, and healing doesn’t mean forgetting.

Guest: Shawn Dinneen

• heartstringsjournals.com
• Submit your story to Paths of Purpose
• Shop HeartStrings Journals
• @heart_stringsjournals

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Subscribe for more conversations that explore grief, healing, and what it means to be human.

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Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

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How can we better support grieving kids and teens? 

In this episode of the Grief and Light podcast, Nina Rodriguez sits down with Michelle Cove, award-winning media maker, communications manager of Experience Camps and Grief Sucks,  in charge of making content across multiple platforms to build a more grief-smart culture. Together, they explore how teens navigate loss, the misconceptions surrounding teen grief, and the importance of creating safe spaces where young people can both process pain and simply be kids.

***Click here to watch on YouTube***

Michelle shares powerful insights from her work at Experience Camps, where children connect, play, and heal, emphasizing that grieving teens often seek companionship over solitude. They also discuss the dual process model of grief, the role of intuition in both grief and life decisions, and how storytelling through digital platforms, pop culture, and personal experience can foster understanding and community. 

This episode is a reminder that grief doesn’t have to be faced alone and that creating space for honest conversation is one of the most healing acts we can offer.

Key Takeaways:

• Grief is universal, yet we often struggle to talk about it openly.
• Experience Camps provide a safe, supportive space for grieving children to connect and heal.
• Building a grief-smart culture involves learning how to communicate about loss effectively.
• The dual model of grief allows fluid movement between processing intense emotions and returning to daily life.
• Pop culture can be a powerful tool for starting conversations about grief with teens.
• Teens often seek companionship over solitude when navigating loss.
• Validating a grieving person’s feelings without trying to "fix" them is essential.
• Grief can manifest differently across various life milestones.
• Intuition plays a crucial role in guiding grief and life decisions.
• Sharing stories of grief fosters connection, understanding, and community.

Guest: Michelle Cove

• Grief Sucks!
• Experience Camps
• Freeway Ride
• michellecove.com

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Subscribe for more conversations that explore grief, healing, and what it means to be human.

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Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

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Whether you’re a griever, creative, or lover of independent film (and puppies!), this conversation is a moving exploration of how film can help us navigate trauma, honor legacy, and find our way back to light.

In this powerful episode of the Grief and Light podcast, acclaimed filmmaker and educator Michael Flores shares the deeply personal journey behind his award-winning feature film, Dogs on the Sendero. The film follows Sol, a grieving teacher who embarks on a transformative road trip with his dog, Rosie, after the devastating loss of his wife. Through their journey, the story explores grief, cultural identity, healing, and the quiet power of companionship.

***Click here to watch on YouTube***

Michael opens up about the emotional and creative process of making a film inspired by real-life experiences with gun violence in schools, the delicate balance of weaving humor and hope into stories of loss, and the role that pets, art, and cultural roots play in the healing process. He also discusses the challenges and serendipity of independent filmmaking during the pandemic, the importance of building a small but dedicated team, and how storytelling can foster empathy and human connection.

Free Grief Support Resources:

1. Grief Tending Toolkit
2. Access our online community

Key Takeaways:

• Storytelling can help us navigate grief and find healing.
• Gun violence in schools leaves long-lasting emotional ripples.
• Independent filmmaking requires trust, resilience, and creativity.
• Cultural identity can anchor and guide healing journeys.
• Grief is universal and can be processed and expressed through art.
• Pets can provide comfort, grounding, and purpose in the aftermath of loss.
• Humor and grief can coexist, offering balance in emotional storytelling.
• The creative process is often shaped by personal experiences and cultural identity.
• Signs and serendipity often guide creative journeys and personal healing.
• Empathy and emotional connection are at the heart of impactful storytelling.

Guest: Michael Flores

• senderomovie.com
• IMDB
• @dogs_on_the_sendero

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Subscribe for more conversations that explore grief, healing, and what it means to be human.

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Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

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In this powerful episode, strategist, musician, and author Mike de la Rocha opens up about healing generational trauma, redefining masculinity, and reconnecting with his father through emotional truth-telling.

***Click here to watch on YouTube***

Drawing from his debut book Sacred Lessons: Teaching My Father How to Love, Mike explores how grief, silence, and inherited definitions of manhood shaped his early life—and how choosing vulnerability, mentorship, and collective healing became transformative. This intimate conversation unpacks the emotional cost of disconnection, the ancestral wisdom that guides us, and why healing the masculine lineage is essential for future generations. From the power of Ubuntu to the ongoing presence of loved ones beyond the veil, Mike reminds us that true healing is never solitary—it’s sacred, relational, and deeply human.

Whether you're navigating your own father wound, unpacking what it means to be a man in today’s world, or seeking connection with those you've lost, this episode offers insight, hope, and a path toward repair.

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

1. Grief Tending Toolkit
2. Access our online community

Key Takeaways:

• Healing yourself can create ripple effects across your family, including your father.
• Sacred Lessons is both personal memoir and a collective call to interrupt cycles of silence and disconnection.
• True healing is communal—it requires community, mentors, and intergenerational support.
• Redefining masculinity starts with emotional honesty, not suppression.
• Nature, ancestral practices, and rituals can anchor us during times of grief and transformation.
• The philosophy of Ubuntu ("I am because we are") underscores our collective healing journey.
• We remain connected to those we’ve lost through continued bonds and spiritual presence.
• Societal norms around manhood are shifting—and there is real hope in that change.
• Listening with openness is the first step toward breaking inherited patterns.
• Healing the masculine is healing the world.

Guest: Mike de la Rocha

• sacredlessons.com
• Get the book
• Instagram: @mrmikedelarocha
• Photo Credit: Wade Brands

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• Learn more: griefandlight.com
• Instagram: @griefandlight

Subscribe for more conversations that explore grief, healing, and what it means to be human.

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Maryam De Groef on child and sibling loss, organ donation, food allergy awareness, faith, and the many ways her daughter, Zeynah, lives on.

In this heartfelt and powerful episode of the Grief and Light podcast, host Nina Rodriguez speaks with grief educator, somatic practitioner, and mother Maryam De Groef about the unimaginable: the sudden loss of her 9-year-old daughter, Zeynah, to an anaphylactic reaction caused by a severe food allergy in 2023.

*** Watch on YouTube ***

Maryam shares the deeply personal journey of navigating profound grief, witnessing her surviving child process sibling loss, and the life-affirming decision her family made opting for organ donation—a decision that has saved and transformed the lives of others, with ripple effects that may span generations.

Together, they explore the urgent need for greater awareness around food allergies and anaphylaxis, especially in children, as well as the power of cultural sensitivity in medical care, and the often-overlooked grief of siblings left behind. 

Maryam also speaks to the role of faith, nervous system healing, and her work guiding others through trauma with somatic tools like breathwork, reiki, grounding, and emotional regulation practices.

This conversation is a tender and inspiring reminder that legacy isn’t just what we leave behind, it’s also what we give forward.

Key Takeaways:

• Food allergies can be fatal—awareness, preparedness, and education save lives.
• Grief affects the whole family, including siblings, who often go unseen in their pain.
• Organ donation is an act of profound love, capable of impacting dozens of lives now and in the future.
• Cultural and spiritual sensitivity in how loss is communicated matters deeply in trauma-informed care.
• Embodied healing practices like breathwork, grounding, and nervous system regulation, can offer relief and resilience through overwhelming grief.
• Legacy can ripple for generations, transforming pain into purpose and continued life.

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

1. Grief Tending Toolkit
2. Access our online community

Mentioned in this episode:

• Trillium Gift of Life Network
• Red Sneakers for Oakley
• Natasha Allergy Research Foundation

Guest: Maryam de Groef

• Instagram: @maryamdegroef
• Personal website

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• Learn more: griefandlight.com
• Instagram: @griefandlight

Subscribe for more conversations that explore grief, healing, and what it means to be human.

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Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

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What if preparing for death could actually help you live more fully?

In this powerful episode, Nina Rodriguez speaks with Marni Blank, certified end-of-life doula and founder of Begin With The End, about why planning for death is one of the most compassionate acts we can offer, both to ourselves and those we love.

***Click here to watch on YouTube***

This conversation weaves together the legal logistics of wills, advance directives, and digital assets with the emotional and spiritual tools needed to live with more intention and prepare with less fear. Marni also shares her deeply personal journey into this work, sparked by her mother’s car accident, a moment that exposed the overwhelming reality of end-of-life care when you're unprepared.

*** Plan Well Organizer: Download Here ***

Whether you're grieving, caregiving, or simply ready to get your affairs in order, this episode offers clarity, comfort, and a gentle push toward meaningful, compassionate action.

Topics We Explore:

• How to start honest, heart-centered conversations about death
• Why everyone over 18 needs a will and advance directive
• How to protect and pass on your digital legacy
• The biggest myths about grief, and what it actually looks like
• What a death doula does and how they support families
• How to shape a legacy rooted in values, not just valuables
• Why compassion and curiosity are essential in grief support
• How emotional presence and practical planning can coexist

Key Takeaways:

• Preparing for death is a profound act of love
• Grief is nonlinear and deeply individual
• Legal and digital planning is essential at any age
• Legacy lives on through stories, values, and human connection
• You don’t have to navigate end-of-life or grief alone
• Talking about death early can ease suffering later
• It’s possible to be both prepared and present during loss

Whether you’re facing loss, supporting someone in grief, or simply want to live with more intention, this episode will give you language, tools, and hope.

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

1. Grief Tending Toolkit
2. Access our online community

Guest: Marni Blank, Esq

•  Founder, Begin With The End
•  beginwiththeend.co
•  Instagram: @beginwith_theend

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• Learn more: griefandlight.com
• Instagram: @griefandlight

Take action today:

✅ Create or update your will
✅ Have a conversation about end-of-life wishes with someone you love
✅ Organize one part of your digital life
✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it

Subscribe for more conversations that explore grief, healing, and what it means to be human.

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Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

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Grief doesn’t pause when you arrive at work, so why do so many workplaces expect us to carry on as if nothing happened?

In this powerful episode of Grief and Light, host Nina Rodriguez is joined by Dr. Mekel Harris and Janet Gwilliam-Wright, co-founders of Bloomwell Partners, a consulting firm transforming how organizations handle grief and loss in the workplace. 

***Watch on YouTube***

Drawing from their personal experiences of loss and their expertise in psychology, leadership, and organizational development, they dive into how employees can advocate for themselves while grieving, and how leaders can meet them with compassion instead of confusion.

From navigating the emotional toll of returning to work after a death, to shaping grief-informed policies and building a workplace culture rooted in empathy, this conversation offers tangible strategies for both individuals and organizations.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to perform while grieving, or if you're a leader unsure how to support a grieving team member, this episode is for you.

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

Key Takeaways

• You have agency while grieving at work. Learning to speak up about your needs is part of healing, not a disruption.
• Grief impacts performance, presence, and decision-making. It’s not just emotional, it’s physical and cognitive too.
• Compassionate leadership is a skillset, not a personality trait. It can be learned, practiced, and integrated into team culture.
• Grieving employees often feel robotic and disconnected. Making space for real emotion helps restore connection and trust.
• Grief doesn’t follow a timeline. Long-term care and policy flexibility matter just as much as immediate support.
• Peer support and grief ambassadors can help normalize conversations around loss and reduce isolation at work.
• Organizations that support grief retain talent. Empathy and loyalty go hand-in-hand in the modern workplace.
• Emotional intelligence is essential for today’s leaders. It’s no longer optional; it’s a core competency.

Referenced in this episode:

• Janet Gwilliam-Wright on a mission to build compassionate organizations
• Grieving with Grace: Dr. Mekel Harris' Grief-Informed Approach to Relaxing into the Pain
• 5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Grief-Informed Clinician

Connect with Bloomwell Partners:

• growwithbloomwell.com
• bloomwellpartners@gmail.com
• IG: @bloomwellpartners

Connect with Nina Rodriguez:

• IG: @griefandlight
• griefandlight.com

Support the show

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