As I Live and Grieve®

Send us some LOVE! The journey through grief often challenges our deepest spiritual beliefs. When devastating loss shatters our world, many find themselves wrestling with profound questions about meaning, purpose, and connection. What happens when our faith feels broken alongside our hearts? Becky McCoy knows this territory well. After losing her husband while eight months pregnant with their seco...

Send us some LOVE! Sarah Mayfield brings a uniquely powerful perspective to the conversation about children's grief – she's both a former elementary school counselor and a bereaved mother who watched her four-year-old son navigate the sudden loss of his younger brother. When Sarah's 18-month-old son Elliot died unexpectedly in his sleep, she faced not only her own devastating grief...

Send us some LOVE! When was the last time you found yourself in a safe space to talk about grief? In this heartfelt conversation, Kathy welcomes back Nick Gaylord, host of "Our Dead Dads" podcast, for a candid exploration of grief community and the transformative power of shared stories. Nick opens up about creating his unconventionally-named podcast after his father's death left hi...

Send us some LOVE! When Pam Baker's husband John was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer with no cure, their lives changed forever. For three years, she navigated the complex terrain of caregiving for a terminally ill spouse while raising four children, including two with cystic fibrosis. The journey transformed her understanding of grief and ultimately sparked a m...

Send us some LOVE! What happens when we die? And more importantly, what happens when souls get stuck between worlds? In this mind-expanding conversation, metaphysical author Tina Erwin pulls back the veil between life and death, sharing profound insights gained from helping thousands of ghosts cross over. Drawing from her experiences as a naval officer who delivered death notifications and her own...

Send us some LOVE! Have you ever felt guilty for laughing while grieving? That moment when humor breaks through your sorrow, and you wonder if it's okay to smile? Nancy Weil, with over 18 years in grief support, joins us to explore why these moments aren't just okay—they're necessary for healing. Nancy shares the science behind laughter's healing power during grief: it boosts o...

Send us some LOVE! What happens when we finally stop running from our grief and instead learn to metabolize it? Grief Tender, Ayla Casey, joins us for a soul-nourishing conversation about reclaiming our power in the face of profound loss. At the heart of this episode lies a revolutionary perspective: our grief, when properly tended, can transform into nourishment rather than remain as pain. Casey...

Send us some LOVE! The space between devastating loss and finding meaning again often seems impossible to navigate. Steve Gamlin takes us on his extraordinary journey through that landscape after suddenly losing his wife Tina in December 2023 while traveling abroad. With remarkable candor and unexpected moments of joy, Steve reveals how their 17.5-year love story continues beyond physical separati...

Send us some LOVE! When Lisa Espinoza said goodbye to her son Chandler as he left for work on his BMX bike in December 2018, she had no idea that casual "I love you" would be their final exchange. Hours later, a call from the hospital began an 18-day journey that would end with the unthinkable—the loss of her vibrant, adventure-seeking 23-year-old son to catastrophic brain injuries. Faci...

Send us some LOVE! What happens when everything you love disappears? For Gina Economopoulos, this wasn't a hypothetical question but the reality she faced repeatedly throughout her extraordinary life journey. Gina's path defies easy categorization—bartender turned Catholic nun for twelve years, then back to bartending again. But the thread connecting these dramatic life transitions is gr...

Send us some LOVE! The journey through grief often begins long before we realize it. For Cindy Bain, it started at age five when she witnessed her father's fatal heart attack and secretly believed she caused his death by failing to open a bottle of ginger ale he requested during his distress.  This powerful episode reveals how childhood grief can shape our lives for decades when left unaddres...

Send us some LOVE! Death isn't the end—it's a transformation. What if our consciousness is like a glass of ocean water that, when poured back into the sea, becomes one with its source again? This profound conversation with Michael Hirshorne, author of "Taking a Chance on Life," challenges our understanding of what happens when we die and how we might maintain connections with l...

Send us some LOVE! At just 17, Susan Snow's world shattered when her father, an LAPD detective, was assassinated in front of her brother's elementary school. That night changed everything and launched Susan into 14 years of undiagnosed PTSD, creating a life where she merely existed rather than lived. Susan takes us through her harrowing journey with raw honesty – from the initial trauma...

Send us some LOVE! Imagine a place where your grief doesn't need to be hidden, where joy and sorrow can peacefully coexist, and where everyone around you truly understands the weight you carry. That's the revolutionary concept behind The Grief Cruise, created by Linda Findlay after her own devastating loss of a newborn daughter more than three decades ago. Linda shares her remarkable jou...

Send us some LOVE! What happens when everything in your life changes at once? For Angela Clement, retirement plans with her husband transformed into a cancer diagnosis, and then widowhood. Rather than remain stuck in her grief, Angela followed a calling toward energy healing that had fascinated her since witnessing a healer help her son years earlier. The conversation reveals practical energy tech...

Send us some LOVE! When the person who helps others through grief suddenly faces devastating loss themselves, what happens? Steve Moore, a licensed clinical professional counselor with 22 years of experience, joins us to share his powerful journey through grief after losing his wife MaryAnn in August 2024. Steve brings a uniquely qualified perspective to grief counseling. He found himself navigati...

Send us some LOVE! Kathy welcomes Erin Whalen, founder of Compassionate Coaching, for a fascinating exploration of how innovative approaches to storytelling and communication can transform the caregiving experience. Drawing from her background in professional acting, Erin reveals how Playback Theater—a unique art form where actors immediately perform the personal stories shared by audience members...

Send us some LOVE! Rebecca Schaper's journey through grief has led her to become a powerful storyteller, filmmaker, and author who transforms pain into purpose. Growing up with alcoholic parents and a brother struggling with schizophrenia, Rebecca's early life was marked by trauma that many would find impossible to overcome. Yet she describes these experiences as blessings that shaped he...

Send us some LOVE! What happens when you combine profound grief experiences with deep expertise in human relationships? Jonathan, a dating and relationship coach specializing in midlife relationships, shares how developing what he calls "emotional scaffolding" through self-love became his lifeline through multiple devastating losses. Seven years ago, Jonathan lost his 19-year-old son in...

Send us some LOVE! What happens when grief intersects with identity? In this powerful episode, memoir writer Kelly Wilk takes us deep into her experience as a queer widow, revealing layers of complexity that many grievers never have to face. After losing her wife Kara when she was just 34, Kelly found herself navigating not only overwhelming grief but also shifting social dynamics and questions ab...

Send us some LOVE! What happens when faith collides with grief? For Pastor Amanda McNeil, this question became deeply personal during her journey through infertility. This conversation delves into the complex relationship between faith and loss, offering wisdom for anyone questioning their spiritual foundations after experiencing grief. Amanda, who serves as both a pastor and counselor, brings a r...

Send us some LOVE! When Christina Napoleon lost her husband to cancer while raising their six-year-old daughter, she found herself without a roadmap. A successful finance professional accustomed to checklists and clear directives, she suddenly faced the disorienting reality of grief with no instruction manual. This experience—followed by the losses of her mother and father—eventually led her to a...

Send us some LOVE! Grief doesn't have to be an endless journey through darkness. What if there's another way to look at loss—one that acknowledges pain while making space for joy? Marie Alessi, bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and Memorial Manager, joins us to shatter the most persistent myths about grief. Having lost both her father at age 20 and her beloved husband Rob after 12 years...

Send us some LOVE! Claire Schwartz returns to our podcast with a groundbreaking framework for understanding grief recovery - the TAPER technique. For many grieving people, the question "How do I know if I'm getting better?" becomes a haunting refrain as days blur together in what feels like endless pain. Drawing from her 18 years of grief counseling experience, Claire unpacks each e...

Send us some LOVE! When Ann Hince found her mother dead on the bathroom floor at age 19, she had no idea the impact this trauma would have on her body and mind for decades to come. In this deeply moving conversation, Ann reveals how her grief journey led to an extraordinary physical and emotional transformation through a technique called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or "tapping." An...