GRIEF AND LIGHT

What if the mess you've been avoiding is actually the doorway? In this episode, host Nina Rodriguez sits down with transformational creativity and grief coach Susie Stonefield to explore the powerful connection between grief and creative expression. Susie believes creativity isn't a luxury or a talent reserved for the few. It's a birthright. And in times of loss and healing, it can become one of our most powerful companions. Together, they explore how art-making without rules, outcomes, or expectations creates space for emotional healing and truth to surface. They move through grief in its many forms: the death of loved ones, identity shifts, coming out later in life, complicated emotions like anger and guilt, and the collective grief so many of us carry in uncertain times. Susie shares her personal journey through loss and self-discovery, and how those experiences shaped the judgment-free spaces she now holds for others through one-on-one grief coaching and intimate small group "Deep Dives." Her work lives at the intersection of mess and meaning. The messiness of life, she says, isn't something to clean up. It's something to honor. This episode is an invitation to anyone navigating loss, identity, or the quiet ache of feeling stuck. Pick up the art supplies. Feel what's there. Make something from it. Not to fix grief, but to sit beside it. This episode explores: Reflection Invitation: Connect with Susie Stonefield: susiestonefield.comBook a Discovery CallGrief & Creativity WorkbookThe Geography of GriefMilton Marks Family CampSend a text Support the show Thank you for listening! Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on Substack If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

February 17, 2026 marks a rare cosmic convergence that happens once every 60 years. In this solo episode, we explore the intersection of grief and the Year of the Fire Horse, a powerful metaphor for riding the uncontrollable momentum of loss while finding your center in the chaos. We're standing at the threshold of three major energetic events: the Chinese Lunar New Year (Year of the Fire Horse), an Aquarius Solar Eclipse, and a rare planetary alignment that amplifies our ability to speak the truths of grief. Whether you believe in astrology or not, there's something palpable in our collective. This episode offers practical rituals, collective practices, and gentle guidance for grievers at every stage of their journey. If you've ever felt like grief is a wild horse you can't control, this conversation is for you. Key Takeaways: Grief is more like riding than walking. You can't outrun it or think your way past it. The Fire Horse rewards courage, not readiness. Take one small brave step toward what your grief has frozen, even if you don't feel ready yet. Eclipse energy initiates six-month cycles. What you set in motion today—a grief intention, a conversation, a ritual—will carry forward through August 2026. Your healing is connected to collective healing. The Aquarius eclipse asks: what happens when we stop performing "fine" and bring our grief into community? Words carry more weight today. Speak your person's name, say the unsayable, let the imperfect words come. Transformation happens inside containment. If you're in early grief and the "Fire Horse energy" feels like too much, remember the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis. The quiet, hidden work is still transformation. Fire destroys and illuminates. Grief burns away what no longer serves while lighting the path forward. Who This Episode Is For Sources: Today.com - "What the Solar Eclipse in Aquarius on February 17 Means for Your Sign" Khanji School - "Year of the Fire Horse 2026: meaning and Chinese culture" Elle Australia - "What Lunar New Year's 'Year Of The Fire Horse' Means For 2026" Moon Omens - "Mercury in Pisces 2026: the Language of Soul" and "Solar Eclipse in Aquarius 2026: A New Timeline" Bonnie Sorsby Astrology - "Aquarius Eclipse February 17, 2026 Deep Dive + Full Guide" Disclaimer: Nina is not an astrologer or expert in cosmology. The information shared in this episode is for entertainment and reflective purposes only, and is not intended to be prescriptive or taken as professional guidance.Send a text Support the show Thank you for listening! Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on Substack If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

What does grief teach us about how to live, lead, and love? What happens when the work we do in the world meets what we’re carrying inside? In this episode, host Nina Rodriguez sits down with development practitioner, global thought leader, and poet Carl Manlan, author of i can breathe, for a moving conversation on grief, legacy, resilience, and meaning. *** Video available here *** Carl reflects on how loss reshaped his understanding of resilience, leadership, and what it means to honor those who came before us, and the grief that arises from life changes, transitions, and the unexpected losses that quietly reshape our lives. His poetry became a necessary language for grief, a way to express what policy, strategy, and everyday conversation often cannot. Nina and Carl explore grief as an experience rooted in love, memory, and connection. They discuss how creativity and poetry can support healing, how personal loss deepens our capacity for service and leadership, and how parental and intergenerational influence continues to shape the way we show up for ourselves and our children. This episode is a gentle reminder that grief is not just sorrow. It's also about legacy, memory, and the courage to keep breathing. Carl’s poems chart the path between losing and learning to live with loss, offering honesty, tenderness, and the wisdom of someone who has walked this path. This conversation explores: Key Takeaways: Connect with guest, Carl Manlan: carlmanlan.comi can breatheInside the Blueprint PodcastConnect with host, Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com@griefandlightSend us a text Support the show Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

In this solo episode of Grief and Light, Nina Rodriguez reflects on the ambient grief many of us are carrying in response to global, political, and collective uncertainty. After taking a pause to tend to her own nervous system and grief, Nina shares a reflection rooted in presence rather than answers, exploring what it means to keep creating, caring, and staying human when the world feels overwhelming and dissonant. Drawing on grief literacy, nervous system awareness, and the story behind Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, this episode gently reframes hope not as a feeling, but as an action, something we practice in small, everyday ways, even when clarity feels out of reach. This is an episode for anyone feeling frozen, disconnected, or unsure how to move forward without turning away from reality. Referenced in This Episode: The Grief of Uncertainty in Unprecedented TimesPodcast EpisodeThis Episode Explores Water LiliesThis Episode Is For Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackSend us a text Support the show Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this. Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

How do we decide what to keep after a loved one dies? In this insightful episode, Nina Rodriguez is joined by grief coach, curator of The Grief Gallery™, and author, Charlene Lam, for a deeply human conversation about curating grief: the tender, often overwhelming process of choosing what to keep after loss. *** Video version available here. *** After the sudden death of her mother in 2013, Charlene found herself alone with the responsibility of sorting through her mom’s belongings. That experience became the foundation for her work, including the 10 Object Method, a reflective practice that invites grievers to select a small number of meaningful items as a way of honoring relationships, reclaiming narrative, and maintaining continuing bonds. Together, Nina and Charlene explore the emotional weight of everyday objects, the cultural and personal lenses that shape grief, and the evolving nature of our connection to those who have died. This conversation reminds us that grief is not something to complete or solve, it is something we live with, curate, and carry forward in ways that are deeply personal and uniquely our own. Whether you’re facing a house full of belongings, grieving a loss beyond death, or simply wondering how memory and meaning intertwine, this episode offers language, permission, and companionship. Key Takeaways Guest: Charlene Lam Author, Speaker, Grief Coach & Curator@curating_griefcuratinggrief.comCurating Grief: A Creative Guide to Choosing What to Keep After a Loved One DiesHosted by: Nina Rodriguez griefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Tending ToolkitSupport the show Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this. Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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: Connect with Matt Gilhooly: thelifeshiftpodcast.com@thelifeshiftpodcastConnect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackTools: Grief Tending ToolkitPause, Pivot, Podcast WorkbookSupport 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 magazineGuest: Kathy Barron Founder & Editor-in-Chief@womenwhopodcastmagazinewomenwhopodcastmag.comHosted by: Nina Rodriguez griefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Tending ToolkitSupport 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: Guest: Bianca Alba Blogger & Podcaster@thislatinatravelsthislatinatravels.comHosted by: Nina Rodriguez griefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Tending ToolkitSupport 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 FLANAGANamandamckoyflanagan.comANGIE HANSONbutterfliesandhalos.comCHARLENE LAMcuratinggrief.comKERA SANCHEZgetgriefymagazine.comLIZ QUINN@lizquinnhealsHosted by: Nina Rodriguez Grief and Lightgriefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Support Resources for the Road: Grief Tending ToolkitAccess our online communitySupport 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 constantlyStorytelling creates connectionThe first year of loss is disorientingRituals and traditions can honor loved onesClear boundaries are essentialGrief impacts the bodyCommunity support softens the edgesEvery grief journey is uniqueJoy can coexist with griefAll emotions are validThe Grief and Light podcast is hosted by: Nina Rodriguez Grief and Lightgriefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Support Resources for the Road: Grief Tending ToolkitAccess 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 Guest: Tiriq Rashad Spoken Word Artisttiriqrashad.comWatch Tiriq's TEDx Talk@tiriq_rashadHosted by: Nina Rodriguez Grief and Lightgriefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Support Resources for the Road: Grief Tending ToolkitAccess our online communitySupport 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 Guest: Kim Burditt-Barlett, MSW Sibling loss survivor of USMC veteran Jon D.S. Hoffmanstopsoldiersuicide.org/BlackBoxProject@stopsoldiersuicidesiblingstrongretreats.comHosted by: Nina Rodriguez Grief and Lightgriefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Support Resources for the Road: Grief Tending ToolkitAccess our online communitySupport 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 The Broken PackGuest: Angela Dean, PsyD, FT Licensed psychologist, thanatologist, podcaster, sibling grief specialistThe Broken Packthebrokenpack.com@thebrokenpackFacebookHosted by: Nina Rodriguez Grief and Lightgriefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Support Resources for the Road: Grief Tending ToolkitAccess our online communitySupport 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.Survivor’s guilt happens.Adventure therapy can help us move through grief.Nature grounds and reflects us.Pain reflects love’s depth.Healing requires patience and self-compassion.Every grief journey is personal.Suffering can lead to growth.Art and storytelling heal.Sibling bonds endure beyond death.Guest: Ben Forman Filmmaker, ProducerWatch the Trailerhighercallingmovie.com@thebenforman@highercallingmovieHosted by: Nina Rodriguez Grief and Lightgriefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Support Resources for the Road: Grief Tending ToolkitAccess our online communitySupport 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: Walk With Me BrotherGuest: Robb Pollard Walk With Me, Brother@itsrobbp@walkwithmebrotherlinktr.ee/walkwithmebrotherHosted by: Nina Rodriguez Grief and Lightgriefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Support Resources for the Road: Grief Tending ToolkitAccess our online communitySupport 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 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 • Therapistsararianbooks.comGet the Books@sara_rian_booksHosted by: Nina Rodriguez Grief and Lightgriefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Support Resources for the Road: Grief Tending ToolkitAccess our online communitySupport 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 the forthcoming 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. Nina and Tasha explore: grieve the idealchosenIf you’ve ever lived between grief and gratitude, this conversation will remind you you can hold both. Guest: Tasha Faruqui, DO Physician • Author • Speaker • AdvocateKEEP YOUR HEAD UPtashafaruqui.comFundraising & Merch@thefaruqui5Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez Grief and Lightgriefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Support Resources for the Road: Grief Tending ToolkitAccess our online communitySupport 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: Guest: Reshma Kearney Trauma-Informed Mindfulness and Healing Guide@reshmakearneyreshmakearney.comHosted by: Nina Rodriguez Grief and Lightgriefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Support Resources for the Road: Grief Tending ToolkitAccess our online communityIf this conversation moved you, please share it with someone who might need to hear it. Support the show Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this. Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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 pat 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 Love Your Calm: mini meditations podcastLove Your Calm website@love_your_calm Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez Grief and Lightgriefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on Substack Grief Support Resources for the Road: Grief Tending ToolkitAccess our online communitySupport the show Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this. Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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: 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 postResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Support Resources for the Road: Grief Tending ToolkitAccess 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. griefandlight.com@griefandlightSupport the show Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this. Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers