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Grief and Light™

Nina Rodriguez

Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that.


Welcome to Grief and Light™, an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss, grief, and the hard things in life.


Created and hosted by Nina Rodriguez, a grief-informed guide and bereaved sister, this space is for those navigating life-altering loss and for anyone who wants to better understand grief and show up for someone who's grieving.


•••


After the sudden death of my younger brother, Yosef, one day after we celebrated his 32nd birthday, I found myself searching for answers. I was surprised by how little we talk about grief publicly, how much we misunderstand it, and how few tools we're given to navigate it. 


That search became Grief and Light™, launched on March 30, 2023, and grew into a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world.


Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the podcast features honest conversations with first-hand experiencers, authors, researchers, creatives, and changemakers. 


Together, we explore the many faces of grief, the secondary losses that often go unnamed, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Because grief isn't something to fix, rush through, or leave behind. It's something we can learn to understand, navigate, and make room for.


Here, grief and hope can coexist. So can heartbreak and joy. This isn't about finding a silver lining or turning pain into a lesson. It's about making space for the full human experience, on our own terms.


My hope is that these conversations offer a little more language for what you're experiencing, a little more understanding for the people around you, and a reminder that to grieve fully is to live fully.


“We're all just walking each other home.” — Ram Dass


Thank you for being here. 


We're in this together.

💜 Nina Rodriguez, forever Yosef's sister

Founder x Host | Grief and Light™


For more, visit griefandlight.com

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  • S5 · E133
    Today · 1 hr

    Ambiguous Grief: Grieving Someone Who Is Still Alive | Stephanie Sarazin

    Not every loss comes with a funeral. And not every person we grieve has died. Divorce, addiction, estrangement, dementia, incarceration, and other non-death losses can leave us navigating profound grief that often goes unnamed, misunderstood, or overlooked. So what happens when you're grieving someone who is still alive? And how do you begin making sense of a loss the world may not recognize? In this episode of Grief and Light™, host Nina Rodriguez welcomes Stephanie Sarazin, writer, researcher, grief educator, and author of Soul Broken and The Little Book of Loss Rituals, to talk about ambiguous grief, the healing power of rituals, and the experience of grieving the living. Stephanie's research informed the ambiguous grief process model. Together, Nina and Stephanie unpack the complexities of non-death loss, including addiction and estrangement, the tension between hope and letting go, and why the strength of our grief is often proportionate to the strength of our attachment. They also explore why Stephanie has shifted from talking about recovery to regeneration, how shame can keep people isolated in their grief, and why intentional rituals can be a powerful place to begin. Drawing on ancient traditions and contemporary research, Stephanie shares how rituals can help us remember, release, reconnect, and recognize. Because you can love someone who is still here and also tend to your own life. Both things can be true. If you're grieving a relationship, an identity, a role, or a future that didn't unfold as expected, this conversation offers language for an experience that can be incredibly difficult to explain. IN THIS CONVERSATION Understanding ambiguous grief and non-death loss Grieving someone who is still alive Addiction, estrangement, divorce, and disenfranchised grief The complicated role of hope in the grieving process Regeneration rather than recovery Shame, isolation, and the need for empathy The four needs of the grieving: remember, release, reconnect, and recognize The power of intentional grief rituals Stephanie also shares insights from The Little Book of Loss Rituals, which offers 75 practices across five categories: creative, everyday, nature-based, faith-based, and global rituals. CONNECT WITH STEPHANIE Website: stephaniesarazin.com Books @stephing_thru LinkedIn Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S5 · E132
    November 3 · 1 hr 3 min

    Sibling Loss: The Loss of a Lifetime | Lynn Shattuck & Alyson Shelton

    Sibling loss is the loss of a lifetime. But why are grieving siblings still the forgotten mourners? November is Worldwide Bereaved Siblings Month. In this episode of Grief and Light™, host Nina Rodriguez sits down with Lynn Shattuck and Alyson Shelton, co-editors of The Loss of a Lifetime: Grieving Siblings Share Stories of Love, Loss, and Hope, for an honest conversation about sibling grief, the complexities of losing a brother or sister, and why this profound loss so often goes unseen. Lynn is a writer and former Elephant Journal columnist who lost her brother, Will. Alyson is an award-winning screenwriter and essayist who lost her half brother, Michael, when she was ten. Nina shares her own experience of sibling loss, too. Together, they reflect on how the conversation around sibling grief has evolved, and unpack the expectations, assumptions, and invisible hierarchies that can leave bereaved siblings feeling overlooked. From being told to be strong for your parents to hearing that "you should be over it by now," they challenge the idea that one person's grief should take precedence over another's. In this conversation, we explore: Why sibling loss is "the loss of a lifetime," words that helped sibling loss survivors recognize the validity of their own grief. How age, half-sibling relationships, estrangement, and stigma shape the experience of grieving a brother or sister. Why parents' grief can overshadow the grief of their other children, and the lasting impact of being expected to stay strong. Why there are so few books about sibling loss and what that says about the way society recognizes bereaved siblings. What to say, and what not to say, to someone grieving a sibling. How grief and joy can coexist without diminishing the love we have for the person who died. The power of writing, storytelling, and continued bonds in keeping a sibling's memory and legacy alive. How early sibling loss can shape adulthood, identity, caregiving roles, and the tendency toward self-erasure. Readings from The Loss of a Lifetime Messages to fellow bereaved siblings and reflections on what they wish they could tell their younger selves. A few reminders from this conversation: Sibling grief doesn't need to be measured against anyone else's to be valid. Half siblings, adopted siblings, and estranged siblings grieve, too. A sibling is more than how they died. Their life deserves to be remembered in its entirety. And you can carry your sibling forward without feeling obligated to live their life for them. Whether your loss is recent or decades old, this conversation is an invitation to feel seen, find language for your experience, and remember that your relationship with your sibling doesn't have to end with their death. CONNECT & RESOURCES Visit lossofalifetime.com to access: The Book: The Loss of a Lifetime Monthly sibling essay reading, first Tuesday of the month at 3 p.m. Pacific / 6 p.m. Eastern Honor your sibling on the In Memory page Join the Loss of a Lifetime online community Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S5 · E131
    October 27 · 48 min

    Grief, Anxiety, and Trauma: How Loss Changes Our Sense of Safety | Phil Lane, MSW, LCSW

    Grief doesn’t always look like sadness. Sometimes, it looks like anxiety, panic, or a world that no longer feels safe. In this episode of Grief and Light™, host Nina Rodriguez talks with Phil Lane, MSW, LCSW, a psychotherapist, anxiety and panic survivor, and author of three books on anxiety, panic, self-esteem, and mental health. Phil is also a son, a brother, and a caregiver who has experienced the loss of his mother and his twin brothers, Joseph and Matthew. Nina brings her own experience of sibling loss to the conversation. Together, they explore how grief can show up as a racing heart, hypervigilance, panic, medical anxiety, or the unsettling feeling that nothing is real. They talk about why anxiety can intensify when life finally slows down, what happens when caregiving ends, and how the body can respond to loss before the mind has fully caught up. This conversation makes room for the physical, psychological, and often misunderstood experiences of grief without trying to fix them. From finding meaning beyond rigid ideas about acceptance to challenging the expectations placed on men and vulnerability, Phil and Nina explore what it means to meet ourselves with greater understanding when life no longer feels predictable. IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT How Phil’s experiences with anxiety, panic, and family loss shaped his work as a therapist. The difference between anxiety and panic, and how both can affect our sense of safety. Medical anxiety and hypervigilance after a parent’s illness. Caregiver grief and the disorientation that can follow when caregiving ends. Why grief and anxiety can surface once the practical demands of a loss begin to settle. Finding meaning as an alternative to rigid expectations about acceptance. How everyday factors such as sleep, hydration, and diet can influence anxiety. Derealization and depersonalization after sudden loss, and how these experiences may serve a protective function. Sibling loss, twin loss, and the expectations men face around expressing grief. Vulnerability, connection, and why the myth of the alpha male gets collaboration wrong. Phil’s reading about grieving the anxious self from his book on illness anxiety. Why “you’ll be fine” often misses what someone needs, and why tending to the body can be a place to begin. KEY TAKEAWAYS Grief is not only emotional. It can affect the body, our sense of safety, and how we experience the world. Anxiety about your own health after a loved one’s illness can be part of the grieving experience. It isn't selfish. Sometimes grief and anxiety become more noticeable when life finally slows down. Feeling unreal after shocking news can be a response to overwhelming circumstances. Naming what is happening and gently attending to the body can help us respond to panic with greater understanding. Vulnerability can create connection and healing, particularly for men who have been taught to keep their feelings to themselves. CONNECT WITH PHIL LANE: phil-lane.com Psychology Today Contributor Get a Copy of the Books @thetherapist_phil CONTENT NOTE: This episode includes discussion of sudden loss, sibling loss, traumatic experiences, and cancer. This conversation is for educational purposes and does not replace care from a licensed professional. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S5 · E130
    October 20 · 47 min

    What Will They Say? | First-gen Latina grief with Denise Soler Cox

    Filmmaker, author, and speaker Denise Soler Cox joins Nina Rodriguez, host of Grief and Light™, to explore Latina identity, inherited cultural taboos, sibling grief, self-erasure, and what it takes to reclaim your voice. Drawing on her book, What Will They Say? A Liberating Guide for Latinas, Denise shares how the rules we inherit about family, belonging, and worthiness can shape the way we live, work, grieve, and show up for ourselves. After her documentary Being Eñye gained attention, Denise spent more than a decade speaking about identity and belonging. At hundreds of events, women began confiding secrets they had never told anyone. Those conversations became the foundation for her book, which explores ten recurring taboos, including childhood experiences of sexual assault and witnessing domestic violence. In this conversation, Denise and Nina discuss how cultural expectations, shame, and the pressure to be strong can lead to self-silencing, overgiving, and difficulty setting boundaries or advocating for ourselves. They explore the tension between collectivist cultural values and individual needs, and how we can honor where we come from without inheriting every rule. Denise also introduces thermal equilibrium, a physics concept that became a central metaphor for healing in her book. What happens when we stop burying painful experiences and allow truth, warmth, and connection to reach the parts of ourselves we've kept hidden? Denise reflects on writing the book, grieving her brother David, and recognizing how not having space for her own grief became one of her earliest lessons in self-erasure. In this episode, we explore: Latina identity, belonging, and the experience of living between cultures Inherited cultural taboos, shame, and the question, “What will they say?” (El ¿Qué dirán?) How overworking, over-giving, and people-pleasing can become patterns of self-erasure The tension between collectivism, familismo, and individual needs How childhood experiences can shape adult confidence, boundaries, and self-advocacy Sibling grief, the pressure to be strong, and the cost of hiding our pain Thermal equilibrium as a metaphor for healing and emotional truth Reinvention, liberation, and learning to return to ourselves Key takeaways Self-erasure can begin when we learn to minimize our feelings and needs to protect others or maintain belonging. Grief isn't limited to the loss of a person. We can also grieve the versions of ourselves we were expected to become. Healing doesn't require us to have everything figured out. It begins with making room for the truth of our experiences. We can honor our families and cultural roots while questioning inherited beliefs that no longer serve us. Being witnessed without judgment or the pressure to fix our pain can help us reconnect with ourselves. What is thermal equilibrium in Denise Soler Cox's book What Will They Say? Thermal equilibrium is a physics concept Denise uses as a metaphor for healing. She describes warmth moving toward cold and connects that process to allowing truth, connection, and compassion to reach the painful experiences we've kept hidden. What is What Will They Say? A Liberating Guide for Latinas about? Denise Soler Cox's book explores ten recurring cultural taboos shared by women after her speaking engagements. It examines how inherited expectations, shame, and silence can shape Latina identity, self-worth, relationships, and professional lives. How does self-erasure relate to grief? Denise reflects on how she was expected to be strong after her brother David died, leaving little room for her own grief. She came to recognize that experience as an early lesson in self-erasure: learning to minimize her own pain because another's seemed to matter more. How can cultural expectations affect self-worth? Cultural expectations around family loyalty, sacrifice, success, and keeping private matters private can influence how people value themselves. When those expectations leave little room for personal needs, they may contribute to overgiving, shame, difficulty setting boundaries, and reluctance to speak up. Is What Will They Say? available in Spanish? Yes. Denise confirms that What Will They Say? is available in both English and Spanish, making it possible for readers and family members to engage with the book in their preferred language. Connect with Denise Soler Cox: denisesolercox.com Buy the book Instagram: @denisesolercox Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • October 13 · 2 min

    A message from Nina | Deadline is OCT 15

    Great news! Grief and Light™ is a finalist for the Signal Awards’ Listener’s Choice Award. And I’m in the running for Top Host to lead my own podcast produced by iHeartRadio, take home $25K, and be a guest on an episode of onairwithryan.iheart with Ryan Seacrest, BUT I need your support to get there: PLEASE VOTE HERE: griefandlight.com/vote Why does this matter? We’re taught how to prepare for so many things in life, but not how to navigate arguably the most human experience of all -- grief. Grief literacy is a life-affirming skill. It helps us understand loss, support one another, and make space for the full complexity of being human. I’m on a mission to foster a more grief-fluent, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. Winning would help me bring this work to a much broader audience, have bigger conversations, and shift the way we talk about one of the most universal human experiences we share. THAT would be life-changing. Every vote helps. And if you feel called to share it, even better. We're in this together. Nina The deadline is OCT 15 griefandlight.com/vote Will you vote for us? Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S5 · E129
    October 13 · 1 hr 4 min

    The Grief and Hope of Living with Stage 4 Breast Cancer | Lindsy Matthews

    How can hope and heartbreak can coexist? And what does that look like when navigating stage 4 breast cancer? Nina Rodriguez talks with Lindsy Matthews, a coach, mother, and public speaking instructor at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. After a stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis in 2018, Lindsy was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2022. Now living with what is currently an incurable illness and an uncertain future, she describes her life as really good, even when it feels really hard. Lindsy calls this "the split screen life," where hope and heartache coexist. Together, she and Nina explore anticipatory grief, the experience of grieving a future you thought you would have while still living your life. They also discuss what to say (and what not to say) to someone living with chronic illness, how to tell loved ones what you need, how Lindsy talks honestly with her children, finding your "new 100%," and episodic future thinking. Nina also names the pain versus suffering distinction where the diagnosis is the pain, and how we communicate and what we choose to believe is where we have agency. This is a conversation about uncertainty, difficult emotions, and making room for both what hurts and what remains possible. WE EXPLORE: What is anticipatory grief? Anticipatory grief is grief that arrives before a loss does, often linked to a serious diagnosis or an uncertain future. Host Nina Rodriguez and guest Lindsy Matthews describe it as grieving the life you thought you would have while still holding on to hope. Is there such a thing as "false hope"? Lindsy says no. After hard conversations with her care team, she concluded that despair can lead people to stop trying, pull away from others, and neglect themselves. Hope, in her experience, helps people keep going, spend time with loved ones, and try new options. How can I support a friend with a serious illness? Lindsy recommends listening, following their lead, and staying open to honest conversations about the future. She says phrases like “don’t say that” can signal that you cannot handle the truth. She also encourages the person who is ill to tell loved ones exactly what they need. How can I be more present when I am afraid of the future? Lindsydescribes borrowing perspective from the future, which Nina Rodriguez calls episodic future thinking. A guided meditation helped her picture her daughter holding a baby, and it changed how she lived in the present. She also gives worry a 15-minute limit. CONNECT WITH LINDSY MATTHEWS: Watch Lindsy’s Keynotes Explore Lindsy’s public speaking courses Follow Lindsy on Instagram Content note: This episode speaks openly about sensitive topics. Honor your own capacity as you listen. This conversation is educational and is not medical advice. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

    • Transcript
  • S5 · E128
    October 6 · 1 hr

    Redesigning End-of-Life Care: What can death teach us about living? | Alexander Aldarondo, AMORir

    "Let's talk about death, because life is urgent." -- Alex Aldarondo What if facing death honestly is how we learn to live more fully? In this episode of Grief and Light™, Nina Rodriguez sits down with Alexander Aldarondo Jiménez, an end-of-life doula, educator, and founder of AMORir, Puerto Rico's first end-of-life doula collective. Joining from Puerto Rico, Alex explains what a death doula does, why dying has become so medicalized and transactional, and how communities can reclaim it as something we hold together. Nina brings her own lens. She recently lost her grandfather in Puerto Rico after he spent time in hospice, and she lost her 32-year-old brother suddenly. Together, they explore what grief-literate, death-literate care could look like. You will learn: What an end-of-life doula (death doula) is and how the role differs from hospice and palliative care Why the body knows how to die, and how families can support the process Alex's four pillars of death education: social, cultural, legal, and mental Why advance directives matter and what happens without one How Amorir is redesigning the symbols, language, and rituals of death in Puerto Rico How to talk about suicide, awareness, and prevention with nuance Why "amar y morir" (to love and to die) can coexist Alex's question for you: Does your family know what you would want at the end of life? About the Guest Alexander Aldarondo Jimenez is an end-of-life doula, educator, and founder of Amorir, Puerto Rico's first end-of-life doula collective. His work includes community workshops, end-of-life doula trainings, and a cultural redesign initiative that brings artists and creatives together to reimagine death in Puerto Rico. Key Takeaways An end-of-life doula provides non-medical support: planning, education, emotional presence, and community care circles. Most people seek help too late. Planning early, even in healthy years, protects both the dying person and the family. Few people know the legal side of death: advance directives, body disposition, death certificates, and inheritance. Over-medicalized death is tied to a wider loss of trust in our own inner wisdom. Talking about death can feel liberating, even joyful. Connect with Alexander Aldarondo and Amorir Website: amorir.org Instagram: @amorirpr Facebook: Amorir PR Virtual sessions via Zoom are available for people in the diaspora and the U.S. Alex is open to interviews and collaborations. A Note on Care: This episode includes a conversation about suicide. It is educational, not medical or mental health advice. Please honor your capacity to engage with this content. If you are in the U.S. and need support, call or text 988. Outside of the U.S., please call your nearest hospital for local resources. You may also visit findahelpline.com for additional assistance. Subscribe and Share Follow Grief and Light™ wherever you listen. A rating or review helps more people find these conversations. Know someone who is caring for a dying loved one or wants to plan ahead? Send them this episode. Learn more at griefandlight.com Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S5 · E127
    September 29 · 51 min

    When Grief Becomes a National Movement | Brad Wolfe

    What happens when grief meets music, community, and the question of what we might do with the pain we carry? Nina sits down with singer-songwriter, community activist, and Reimagine co-founder Brad Wolfe for a conversation about loss, meaning-making, mortality, and what can become possible when we stop trying to turn away from what hurts. Twenty years ago, Brad was playing music at the bedside of his friend Sarah, who was dying from a rare pediatric bone cancer. What began as an intimate act of care became something much larger, eventually inspiring the Sunbeam Foundation and shaping the work Brad would go on to do with Reimagine, a platform and national movement helping people turn toward loss in community and channel that experience into meaningful action. But Sarah's story is only one thread of this conversation. Brad and Nina talk about the ways grief can be inherited through family stories, including Brad's experience growing up with grandparents who survived Auschwitz and the lasting impact of his grandmother's testimony. They explore our fear of death and hospitals, the role of music at the bedside, and why expressing pain in the presence of others can create room for connection rather than keeping us stuck. Brad also shares several of the frameworks that have emerged from his work, including Tap Into Your Purpose, which looks at the intersection of talent, anger, and passion, and the idea of "right-sizing the dream" when life changes what is possible. Brad shares the stories behind songs including Sarah's Got a Sunbeam, Why Wait, and Cover You in Flowers, along with his Lost Life and Love Mixtapes project. This conversation isn't about finding a silver lining in loss. It's about asking a different question: What might become possible when we turn toward pain together? Because sometimes grief and meaning aren't either/or. They can both be true. In this episode How playing music at Sarah's bedside changed Brad's relationship with grief The connection between music, physical comfort, and emotional processing How Sarah's death eventually led to the Sunbeam Foundation Growing up with the stories and legacy of Holocaust-survivor grandparents What inherited grief can look like Why turning toward pain can be different from getting stuck in it The role of community in grief and meaning-making Brad's Tap Into Your Purpose exercise: Talent + Anger + Passion = Purpose Why anger can be information about what matters to us What it means to right-size the dream after loss or major life change Music, mortality, legacy, and the Lost Life and Love Mixtapes Finding ways to channel grief into action without feeling pressured to "do something" with your pain Meet Brad Wolfe: Brad Wolfe is a singer-songwriter, community activist, and co-founder of Reimagine, a platform and national movement that helps people turn toward loss in community and transform experiences of grief into meaningful action. He is also a musician with Brad Wolf and the Moon, and his music explores themes of loss, love, mortality, and meaning. bradwolfe.com IG: @bradwolfemoon What is Reimagine? Reimagine is a platform and movement centered on turning toward loss together and creating meaningful action from difficult experiences. Through free events and a digital platform, Reimagine brings people together around grief, mortality, caregiving, serious illness, death, and other forms of loss. The goal isn't to "fix" grief, but to create opportunities for connection, expression, creativity, and meaning-making. Nina has been involved with Reimagine as a facilitator for more than three years, making this conversation with Brad an especially meaningful one. letsreimagine.org IG: @letsreimagine Right-Sizing the Dream: One of the ideas Brad shares is "right-sizing the dream." After a major loss or life-changing diagnosis, the dream we once had may no longer fit the life we're living. Right-sizing doesn't mean abandoning what matters to us. It means asking what is possible now, given our energy, circumstances, capacity, and reality. Brad shares the example of a woman living with stage-four cancer who wanted to write a book. When that no longer felt realistic, she created bookmarks that expressed what she was feeling instead. Those small creations became invitations for conversation with other patients. Sometimes the meaningful thing isn't the biggest thing. Sometimes it's the thing we can actually make today. Tap Into Your Purpose: Brad's Tap Into Your Purpose exercise invites us to consider three things: Talent + Anger + Passion = Purpose What are you good at? What makes you angry or unsettles you? What are you deeply passionate about? Rather than treating anger as something to suppress or get rid of, the exercise asks us to consider what our anger might be telling us about what matters to us. Where those three things intersect can offer clues about where we might want to direct our energy. There is no requirement to turn your grief into a project or your pain into a purpose. But if you feel called to do something with that energy, this can be one place to begin. A note for listeners: This episode includes conversations about childhood cancer, death, the Holocaust, mortality, and grief. Please take care of yourself while listening and pause or step away if needed. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: PK2NITARJOCDALYF Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • September 27 · 2 min

    Season 5: Meeting Life in Times of Uncertainty

    Life as you know it can change in an instant, leaving us with more questions than answers. Welcome to Season 5 of Grief and Light™, a two-time award-winning podcast where grief is met with curiosity instead of clichés, and hope is offered without bypassing pain. We’re continuing to make room for honest, grief-informed conversations and to challenge the cultural narratives that tell us how grief is supposed to look, feel, or unfold. We’ll explore grief, loss, resilience, post-traumatic growth, identity shifts, and meaning-making while also asking what it means to meet a moment of collective uncertainty and change. This season, we’re also widening the lens. Who is asking the questions we need to be asking? Who is imagining and building the spaces, relationships, and communities that might support us through the shifts ahead? And what are we creating now that could help us navigate what we don’t yet know? Because grief isn’t only about what we lose. It can change how we see, what we value, what we create, and what becomes possible. Whether you’re grieving a person or beloved pet, a relationship, a dream, an identity, a version of your life, or simply trying to make sense of the world as it is, you’re in the right place. For grief and joy. Love and loss. Heartache and hope. Uncertainty and possibility. Season 5 of Grief and Light premieres September 29, 2026. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and join me for the conversations ahead. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S5 · E126
    September 22 · 56 min

    Let Life Surprise You: What Becomes Possible After Loss? | Summer Shifts Series (Part 3)

    What happens when life has already surprised you in the worst possible way? After loss, staying open to possibility can feel complicated. When you’ve experienced something you never imagined could happen, the instinct to control what comes next can become a form of protection. But what if possibility doesn’t require optimism, certainty, or believing that everything will work out? In the final conversation of our three-part Summer Shifts Series, Lisa Keefauver and Nina Rodriguez explore what it means to meet life differently after loss. Together, we look at the space between what happened and what comes next, and consider whether getting unstuck is less about figuring out the future and more about becoming available to what life might still hold. This conversation explores: Why control can become a grief response The difference between being surprised by life and being open to surprise How loss can change our relationship with uncertainty Lisa’s daily practice of wonder through breast cancer, widowhood, and multiple losses Nina’s reflections on losing her grandfather after experiencing the sudden death of her brother Why possibility is not the same thing as toxic positivity What happens when we shift from “I have to” to “I get to” Small practices that can help us notice beauty, wonder, and aliveness again The role of creativity, curiosity, and agency in life after loss How we can make room for joy without asking grief to leave The story of Dr. Tasha Faruqui and her family's "suck the joy out of life" motto (Watch their episode here) Mary Oliver’s invitation to pay attention, be astonished, and tell about it Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer’s poem “Because Today Vulnerable Feels Alive” About The Summer Shifts Series: This episode is the final installment of our three-part Summer Shifts Series, exploring what can happen when we approach life after loss through curiosity, creativity, and possibility. Part 1: Living Into the Questions (replay) What if you didn’t need answers to move forward? Part 2: Shifting Our Stories (replay) What story are you still carrying, and what might you write instead? Part 3: Meeting Life Differently How are you letting life surprise you? Together, these conversations explore a different way of thinking about getting unstuck: LOSS → IDENTITY DISRUPTION → STUCK STORY → CURIOSITY → CREATIVITY → POSSIBILITY A note from Nina: After loss, we can spend so much energy trying to figure out how to move forward that we forget something important. We don't have to know what comes next in order to begin meeting life differently. Possibility isn't a promise that something good will happen, but a willingness to notice, wonder, try something without knowing where it leads, and letting life surprise you. And sometimes, that is enough for today. What might become possible if you stopped asking yourself what comes next and started asking what is here now? Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S5 · E125
    September 1 · 9 min

    Grief Is Not Karma: Letting Go of Guilt After Loss

    Grief has a way of convincing us that loss must mean we did something wrong. That if we had prayed harder, loved better, been more vigilant, or been more faithful, our person would still be here. One of the most common questions I hear from grieving people is some version of: “We didn’t do anything to deserve this. Why did this happen to us?” Behind that question is often something heavier than grief: guilt, self-blame, and the belief that we should have been able to prevent the loss. But grief is not karma. Loss is not punishment. Tragedy is not a moral verdict. And your loss does not mean you did something to deserve it. In this solo episode of Grief and Light™, we explore the complicated relationship between grief, guilt, responsibility, and control. We look at why our brains search for something we could have done differently after a death, and what happens when we confuse personal power with the fantasy that we can control everything. Grief asks us to live inside a paradox: ✨ We are powerful beings, AND we do not have power over everything. ✨ If you have found yourself stuck in the “if only,” “what if,” or “I should have” loops after a loss, this episode is for you. Whether your loss happened recently or years ago, you are not required to punish yourself in order to prove how much you loved someone. In this episode, we explore: Why the brain defaults to “What did I do to deserve this?” after loss The connection between grief, guilt, self-blame, and the need for control The difference between sovereignty and the fantasy of total control Why tragedy is not a referendum on your goodness How the “if only” and “what if” loops can keep us stuck in grief Dr. Tasha Faruqi, physician and author of Keep Your Head Up: A Mother’s Story of Chasing Joy in the Face of Grief The Serenity Prayer as a framework for living with what we can and cannot change Ho'oponopono and the complicated role of forgiveness in grief How to begin releasing self-punishment without minimizing your loss Mentioned in this episode: Grief Is Not Karma from Resting Grief Face Keep Your Head Up: A Mother’s Story of Chasing Joy in the Face of Grief by Dr. Tasha Faruqi The Serenity Prayer Ho'oponopono If you are grieving a death, navigating bereavement, or struggling with guilt after loss, consider this your reminder: nothing is wrong with you for thinking these thoughts, AND you do not have to keep punishing yourself to honor your love. Find more grief support, resources, and episodes at griefandlight.com. To grieve fully is to live fully. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S5 · E124
    August 25 · 59 min

    Shifting Our Stories: What Stories Are Keeping You Stuck? | A Summer Shifts Series (Part 2)

    What stories are you still carrying, and what might you write instead? In Part 2 of the Summer Shifts Series, grief educator and Grief and Light™ founder and host Nina Rodriguez joins author, grief educator, and Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch host Lisa Keefauver, MSW to explore how creativity can help us notice and shift the stories that keep us stuck after loss, grief, and major life change. Building on Part 1's invitation to live into the questions, Nina and Lisa turn toward creativity. Not creativity as productivity or performance. Creativity as discovery. They explore what happens when we loosen the pressure to be "good" at something and instead get curious about what might emerge. They talk about the difference between saying "I'm bad at this" and "I don't have a lot of practice at this," why our "I am" statements are worth questioning, and how creating a little distance from a difficult emotion can change our relationship to it. Lisa also shares a poem she wrote during her cancer treatment, "What Cancer Couldn't Kill," and explains how writing about a difficult experience in the third person became a creative practice in self-compassion. Throughout the conversation, Nina and Lisa offer low-stakes creative practices for shifting a story that no longer fits, including timed writing, third-person writing, reframing "I am" statements, noticing sticky words, and collecting evidence of small changes. If you're navigating grief, a career pivot, an identity shift, or a season when the old story about who you are no longer quite fits, this episode offers playful, practical ways to get curious about what else might be true. What you'll learn: What "sticky stories" are, where they come from, and why they can become limiting How to think about creativity as discovery rather than production Why "I don't have a lot of practice" can be a more useful story than "I'm bad at it" How reframing "I am" statements can create space around difficult emotions Two timed writing prompts you can try, including "If only..." and the apology you never got How writing about a difficult experience in the third person can create distance and invite self-compassion The "sticky word jar" and how it can help you notice limiting language How to use the freeze-reframe practice when something feels stuck Why collecting small evidence of change can shift the story we tell about ourselves What it means to witness someone's story without immediately offering advice or feedback Some questions explored in this episode: What is a sticky story? How can creativity help with grief or a stuck season of life? How can I reframe an "I am" statement? What is the sticky word jar? Why write about a difficult experience in the third person? About the Summer Shifts Series: A three-part live conversation series exploring what becomes possible when we embrace curiosity, creativity, and the unexpected after loss and life's unexpected pivots. ✨ Part 1 | Living Into the Questions Theme — Curiosity | Watch Here ✨ Part 2 | Shifting Our Stories Theme — Creativity | Watch Here ✨ Part 3 | Meeting Life Differently Theme — Possibility | Join Live Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S5 · E123
    August 18 · 58 min

    Living Into the Questions: What If You Didn’t Need Answers to Move Forward? | A Summer Shifts Series (Part 1)

    What if you didn't need answers to move forward? What if the questions themselves are where life begins to open again? In the first conversation of the Summer Shifts Series, grief educator and Grief and Light™ founder and host Nina Rodriguez joins author, grief educator, author, and Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch host Lisa Keefauver to explore what it means to live with the questions grief leaves behind rather than rushing toward resolution. After loss, we’re often told to find closure, make meaning, move forward, or figure out what comes next. But grief rarely follows a neat narrative. Sometimes the more honest practice is learning to stay curious about what we don't yet know. Together, Nina and Lisa explore living into the questions as a practice for navigating grief, life transitions, and uncertainty. They talk about the stories we inherit and internalize, the language that can quietly keep us stuck, and how curiosity can create room for wonder and possibility again. They explore the five small but powerful words that can signal we're getting caught in a story — should, always, never, but, and shouldn't — and discuss how narrative therapy can help us notice the stories we're telling without assuming those stories are the whole truth. They also introduce the constellation metaphor, imagining the stories we tell about ourselves as constellations in the night sky, and how zooming out can help us notice evidence, experiences, and possibilities that an old story left out. Along the way, Nina and Lisa share poetry from Gregory Orr, Rainer Maria Rilke, Jack Gilbert, and Mary Oliver, and reflect on the questions that have helped them continue building lives after profound loss, including sudden sibling loss and widowhood. If you're navigating grief, a major life transition, or a season of uncertainty, this conversation offers language and perspectives for staying with the questions rather than forcing yourself to find an answer. In this episode, you'll explore What it means to live into the questions after loss Why grief doesn't always need resolution or a tidy answer The "sticky stories" that can keep us feeling stuck in grief Five words that can signal you're caught inside a limiting story How narrative therapy can shift the way we understand our experiences The constellation metaphor and how changing our perspective can reveal overlooked evidence Why poetry can sometimes hold what ordinary language cannot How curiosity can coexist with grief and uncertainty What it means to stay connected to aliveness after loss Two questions to carry with you this week: What stories am I holding onto? and What do I already know? Some questions explored in this episode What does "living into the questions" mean in grief? What are "sticky stories"? What is the constellation metaphor? How can poetry help us live with difficult questions? About the Summer Shifts Series: A three-part live conversation series co-hosted by Nina Rodriguez and Lisa Keefauver exploring what becomes possible when we embrace curiosity, creativity, and the unexpected. ✨ Part 1 | Living Into the Questions Theme — Curiosity ✨ Part 2 | Shifting Our Stories Theme — Creativity ✨ Part 3 | Meeting Life Differently Theme — Possibility Replays of the Summer Shifts conversations are available on the Grief and Light podcast. A question to carry with you: What question are you willing to live into instead of trying to answer? Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S4 · E122
    July 29 · 10 min

    Summertime Grief and Shifts

    Why can grief feel unexpectedly heavy during the summer? While the holidays are often recognized as difficult for grieving people, the quieter shifts of summer can bring their own wave of longing, nostalgia, and remembrance. Longer days, changing routines, family traditions, vacations, and returning to familiar places can amplify the absence of someone we love or remind us of the life we once had. In this solo episode of Grief and Light™, host Nina Rodriguez reflects on returning to her childhood home in Puerto Rico nearly seven years after the death of her brother, Yosef. Through personal storytelling, she explores her mother's beautiful phrase, "collapsing timelines," the experience of feeling the past and present at the same time, and why grief isn't only about the people we've lost. Sometimes we grieve entire seasons of life, former identities, places that shaped us, and versions of ourselves we thought would always remain. Drawing on her own lived experience, grief-informed work, and the wisdom of poet Rainer Maria Rilke, Nina shares why healing is often less about finding answers and more about learning to live the questions. This conversation offers compassionate support for anyone navigating bereavement, sibling loss, life transitions, nostalgia, or the ongoing process of rebuilding life after profound loss. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why grief can feel different during the summer months • How returning home can awaken memory, nostalgia, and unexpected emotions • What "collapsing timelines" means and why familiar places can feel emotionally complex after loss • Why we often grieve more than the people we've lost, including former identities, relationships, and seasons of life • How living the questions can foster resilience, self-compassion, and post-traumatic growth If this conversation resonates with you, you're warmly invited to join Nina Rodriguez and grief educator, author, and speaker Lisa Keefauver for a live three-part Substack "Summer Shifts Series" exploring curiosity, creativity, and possibility after grief and life's unexpected pivots. Read the full essay and access the live series information here. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S4 · E121
    June 26 · 1 hr 15 min

    Life Beyond Deep Grief: A roundtable on living fully after loss

    What happens when grief isn’t as heavy as it once was? This candid, multi-voice conversation explores what it means to live fully after loss. While much of the grief space centers on surviving, this roundtable makes space for what comes after the initial sorrow that follows loss and life-altering change, when life begins to expand again, often in unexpected ways. Together, grief and resilience leaders, podcasters, and grief-informed creators explore meaning-making, post-traumatic growth, and the nuanced reality of carrying grief while also reclaiming joy, purpose, and possibility. This is the conversation for everyone who needed to know grief shifts, that joy and aliveness are possible, and for everyone who's arrived at lighter and isn't sure what to do with that. Rather than framing this as “moving on,” the conversation centers the complexity of living in the both/and, where grief remains, but no longer defines every moment. Speakers will share personal and professional insights on post-traumatic growth, identity reconstruction, and the ways life can expand after loss without abandoning love for who or what was lost. The discussion challenges the idea that grief must remain all-consuming to be valid, while offering language, permission, and perspective for those who are beginning to feel moments of lightness again, or long to believe that’s possible. (Video is an event replay.) SPEAKERS: NINA RODRIGUEZ | Founder, Host, Grief-informed guide | GRIEF AND LIGHT @itsnrodriguez KERA SANCHEZ | Editor-in-Chief, Get Griefy Magazine @getgriefymagazine BLAIR KAPLAN VENABLES | Grief + Resilience Expert, Speaker & Author | The Global Resilience Project @blairfromblairland TARA ACCARDO | Grief and Soul Purpose Coach and host of the ‪@lifewithgriefpodcast‬ x @lossesbecomegains IMOGEN CARN | author, speaker, breathwork facilitator and co-founder of ‪@goodmourningpodcast‬ x @healwithim A video version is available on Y0uTvbe. ;) Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S4 · E120
    June 17 · 51 min

    Friend-Loss Grief Is Real: Disenfranchised grief with Hannah Rumsey of Friends Missing Friends

    In a world where grief is often tied to family ties and romantic relationships, the loss of a friend can feel isolating and unrecognized. Hannah Rumsey is a writer, certified Grief Educator, and the founder of Friends Missing Friends. After losing her best friend Lauren in 2015, Hannah went searching for support and found almost nothing. No grief groups. Not even a Google search result that addressed her experience directly. What she found instead was disenfranchised grief, a term that changed everything. In this episode, Hannah and Nina explore why friend-loss is one of the most overlooked and invalidated forms of grief, and what it costs us when we leave it out of the conversation. Hannah shares the story of how she found out about Lauren's death (through a birthday post on Facebook), what it took to sit five feet away from the man responsible for her friend's death during his trial in Spain, the stunning sign she received from Lauren through her phone, and why she believes Lauren has been pulling strings from the other side ever since. They also talk about the false hierarchy of grief, what it means to question whether your own loss "counts," and why being around people who simply believe you — without explanation or qualification — can be one of the most healing experiences a friend-loss griever can have. In this episode: What disenfranchised grief is and why friend-loss fits squarely inside it The false hierarchy of love (and grief) our society has built Why finding out about a friend's death through social media is more common than we think The Netflix documentary The Predator of Seville and Lauren's story How Hannah sat in the courtroom five feet from the man who killed her friend The moment Lauren's photo appeared on Hannah's phone, updated by Lauren Why friend-loss grievers feel pressure to qualify and explain their own loss How grief rituals can be personal, messy, and entirely your own The Friends Missing Friends Collective, an online community for friend-loss grievers What Hannah would say (and not say) to herself on the day she lost Lauren Connect with Hannah Rumsey: Friends Missing Friends (website, online membership, and podcast): friendsmissingfriends.com IG @friendsmissingfriends Netflix documentary: The Predator of Seville If you've ever lost a friend and felt like you had to explain why it mattered, this episode is for you. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S4 · E119
    June 2 · 51 min

    Staying Human in the Era of AI: Storytelling, Grief & Change with Patrice Poltzer

    What does it mean to stay human in a world increasingly run by AI? In this episode, Nina sits down with Patrice Poltzer — Gracie Award–winning former TODAY Show producer and co-founder of My Story Pro — about the everyday griefs and shifts of our era: the loss of certainty, the erosion of critical thinking, and the disappearing line between who we are and the tools we rely on. Patrice shares how a cross-continental move from New York to Lisbon, a vanished family income, and a launch that flopped led her to "accidentally" build an AI storytelling company. But this isn't just a hustle story. It's a conversation about agency. Why our active participation in building the future is required, especially for women and people from historically excluded communities. In this episode, we explore: How loss and uncertainty can become the ground for reinvention Why "being more human" is the most valuable skill in the AI era The trust crisis, and why storytelling is the only marketing that neurologically changes a stranger's mind Whether outsourcing our thinking to AI is dulling the very traits that make us human How grievers, living in liminality, can use their lived experience to define what's next Practical, low-fear entry points for women curious about AI Connect with Patrice Poltzer: Instagram: @PatricePoltzer LinkedIn My Story Pro (free trial, workshops & community) This is a both/and conversation; the and of fear and agency, grief and possibility, technology and humanity. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S4 · E118
    May 19 · 56 min

    Women’s Health & Self-Advocacy: How to Be Heard in Healthcare | Spencer Moore

    What does it mean to advocate for yourself as a female patient, especially in healthcare systems that often overlook women’s pain, symptoms, and lived experiences? In this episode we welcome Spencer Moore, founder and host of The Hairy Chin, certified women’s health coach, certified breast health educator, and certified breathwork specialist, for a powerful conversation about women’s health advocacy, chronic illness, breast cancer, medical dismissal, and learning how to navigate healthcare systems with confidence and clarity. After years of chronic health struggles and being passed from doctor to doctor as what Spencer calls a “hot potato patient,” she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at 40. Her experience transformed the way she approached healthcare, communication, and self-advocacy, and led her to help other women develop the tools to better advocate for themselves in medical settings. Together, Nina and Spencer explore the grief that can live inside illness, chronic symptoms, medical dismissal, and not being believed. They also discuss practical strategies for navigating doctor appointments, communicating symptoms effectively, recognizing misinformation online, and building trust with your own body. This episode is especially meaningful for women navigating chronic illness, breast cancer, autoimmune conditions, invisible illness, medical trauma, grief, burnout, or healthcare advocacy. Key Takeaways Self-advocacy is a skill set that can be learned Preparation can change the outcome of medical appointments The language women use in healthcare settings matters Chronic illness grief deserves recognition and support There is no single “quick fix” for complex health issues Trustworthy health advocates acknowledge nuance and uncertainty AI tools can support research but cannot replace medical care If you’ve ever felt dismissed, unseen, or overwhelmed inside the healthcare system, this conversation is for you. *** Advocacy Tools by The Hairy Chin One-page Health Summary *** Connect with Spencer Moore: Instagram: @the.hairy.chin YouTube: @thehairychin Website: thehairychin.com This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding your health concerns. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S4 · E117
    May 13 · 1 hr 21 min

    Losing Both Parents Changed Everything | Tara Accardo on Navigating Life With Grief

    How do you navigate life after multiple losses and still make space for joy, purpose, love, and hope? In this deeply honest conversation, grief and soul purpose coach Tara Accardo joins Nina Rodriguez to explore what it means to live through layered grief, traumatic loss, and major life transitions while rebuilding your sense of self. After losing both of her parents to cancer within six months, navigating the isolation of the 2020 pandemic, experiencing heartbreak, grieving the loss of her beloved 19-year-old dog, and enduring a traumatic birth and NICU stay with her daughter, Tara found herself asking the same questions so many grieving people ask: Who am I now? How do I move forward after loss? And what does it mean to create a meaningful life after grief? Together, Tara and Nina discuss anticipatory grief, cancer caregiving, pet loss grief, parenting after parental loss, continuing bonds, spirituality after loss, soul purpose, grief coaching, and learning to trust your intuition through grief and trauma. This episode is for anyone grieving the death of a parent, navigating compounded grief, adjusting to life after loss, or searching for hope and healing after heartbreak, trauma, or major life change. Whether you're grieving a mother or father, coping with grief during motherhood, healing after traumatic birth, or trying to rediscover yourself after loss, this conversation offers compassionate insight, validation, and reminders that grief and joy can coexist. Connect with Tara Accardo: Website: lossesbecomegains.com Life With Grief podcast Instagram: @lossesbecomegains Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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  • S4 · E116
    May 7 · 57 min

    Food Allergy Anxiety & Chronic Illness | Dr. Amanda Whitehouse on Trauma-Informed Care & Not Feeding Fear

    What does grief look like when it lives inside a body that can't always feel safe? Dr. Amanda Whitehouse joins Nina to explore food allergy anxiety, trauma, and the layered losses that chronic illness brings. Summary: Grief doesn't only come from death. Sometimes it comes from a diagnosis. From the life you imagined slipping away, from food becoming a source of fear, from watching your child struggle to breathe and feeling helpless. That is grief, too. In this episode, Nina Rodriguez welcomes Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, a licensed psychologist who specializes in food allergy anxiety, trauma, and chronic illness. Dr. Whitehouse is also a mother navigating food allergies firsthand and the host of the Don't Feed the Fear podcast. Together, they unpack the layered emotional experience of living with food allergies (anaphylaxis), including the grief, the trauma, and the profound work of returning to safety in your own body. They also go deeper. Dr. Whitehouse shares the story of her brother Adam, who died from cancer in 2020, and what his death taught her about closure, connection, and continuing bonds with loved ones beyond physical presence. In this conversation: Why grief in chronic illness is real, and why it often goes unnamed The critical difference between trauma, anxiety, and fear in the context of food allergies, and why language matters What trauma-informed care looks like for food allergy patients and families Common myths about food allergies debunked (including "avoidance is enough" and "epinephrine is the last resort") How to return agency to yourself and set boundaries with loved ones who don't fully understand The physical toll of grief on the body, and why that connection matters Dr. Whitehouse's personal grief: losing her brother Adam, the gift of time, and continued bonds in dreams Gratitude as awareness, not positivity, making space for "this AND that" Connect with Dr. Amanda Whitehouse: Website: thefoodallergypsychologist.com Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist Podcast: Don't Feed the Fear Whether you're living with a food allergy, loving someone who is, or simply navigating a body and a life that grief has changed, this conversation is for you. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief. Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that. Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully. Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack Subscribe to the newsletter 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026 DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support. Full Disclaimer ...

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