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Grief isn't something you simply get over. It's something you learn to carry while making room for love, healing, and the parts of yourself you may have lost along the way.

In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Shanda McManus, physician and author of Brother Epistles, to talk about grief, loss, and what happens when we don't give ourselves permission to feel. She shares the deeply personal story of losing her brother, Monir, and how years of suppressed grief eventually led her to face her pain and reconnect with her own humanity.

Together, we explore what it means to stop being “the strong one,” allow yourself to grieve, carry both grief and love, and rediscover the things that nourish your soul.

Topics Covered:

00:00:00 – Episode snippet

00:01:40 – Introducing our guest, Dr. Shanda McManus 

00:03:18 – Being “the strong one”

00:06:07 – Giving yourself permission to feel

00:08:13 – Breaking the silence around grief

00:09:56 – Sponsor: First Light Home Care of Bowie

00:11:28 – Learning to carry grief

00:13:07 – Making room for love and grief

00:18:14 – Remembering Monir beyond his death

00:21:35 – How medicine discourages vulnerability

00:25:20 – Filling your empathy tank

00:27:08 – Nourishing your soul through creativity

00:32:05 – How writing became part of healing

00:35:10 – Creating Brother Epistles

00:37:29 – Allowing yourself to grieve

00:41:14 – One word: Allow

00:42:08 – Connect with Dr. Shanda

Key Takeaways:

“It is human to feel, it's human to be sad, it's human to grieve.” - Dr. Shanda McManus

“Grief is never over. You're not getting over it, and you don't have to but you need to learn how to carry it.” - Dr. Shanda McManus

✨Season 5 Sponsor: 

Our Season 5 sponsor is FirstLight Home Care of Bowie. They are a Black-woman owned non-medical home care agency serving families throughout Prince George’s County, MD since 2017. They offer specialized in-home care for individuals navigating: Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Stroke Recovery, and Diabetes. Please visit their website or call 301-778-1988 for more information.

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About Our Guests

Dr. Shanda McManus, MD is a family medicine physician, writer, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. She has practiced medicine for over 20 years and is passionate about Narrative Medicine and the power of storytelling in healthcare. She is the author of Brother Epistles, a memoir honoring her late brother and exploring grief, race, memory, and medicine. 

Connect with Shanda
Web: https://www.shandamcmanus.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/shandaMDwrites

FB: https://www.facebook.com/shanda.mcmanus

About Your Host

Dr. Nicole is a pediatrician, the owner of a successful healthcare consulting company, a riveting keynote and TEDx speaker, and the mom of two beautiful young adult daughters. From the outside, she appeared to have it all. But in 2023 she faced the most difficult challenge of her life- ending a 28-year marriage and navigating heartbreak, deception, and loss. Dr. Nicole is committed to creating a safe space where other women who have experienced a “divine disruption” can heal, recover, and THRIVE!

Connect with Dr. Nicole:

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/yournextchap

Your nEXt Chapter podcast explores the challenges and triumphs women face as they reclaim joy, reimagine the future, and redefine their identity after divorce and other unexpected life transitions. Join Dr. Nicole as she shares insights from her journey as a high-achieving professional woman navigating divorce while walking in her Christian faith.

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