Monday Morning Conversations with Nancy and Dan

We were all grieving the same person, Leah, and we all had profoundly different experiences. Each of our lives were frozen in the moment she left us physically, and each of us chose to look deeply at our lives and decide if we wanted to figure out how to thaw out that moment and see how it had changed us.

Chosen, Blessed, Broken, and Served: How Henri Nouwen and The Wailin’ Jennys are Keeping Hope Alive with our guest MICHAEL CITRINI, Guest Bio Michael is a resident of Raleigh, North Carolina, He enjoyed a thirty-three year career in School Counseling within the North Carolina public school system. Throughout his career, Michael primarily served middle and high school students and their families, h...

How do we begin to address the fears, frustrations, and stereotypes that accompany aging. How can we live the fullest life in our advanced years if we haven't yet said good bye, come to terms with our other self? The one who had knees and hips we could count on, the confidence to take off running without wondering if we can do it, checking our balance on uneven surfaces, or being extra vigilant, l...

Episode 13 - Kat Dugan In this podcast, they interview Kat Dugan about handling grief, advocating for veterans, and finding healing through faith and connections. They discuss coping strategies, dispelling grief myths, and honoring memories of departed loved ones. The conversation emphasizes self-awareness, resilience, and the transformative power of grief. Life encompasses grief as a natural part...

Episode 12 Jessie Lucas Jessie Lucas, an expert in the Embodied Movement program, discusses navigating grief with body awareness, listening to body signals for healing, and the importance of kinesthetic intelligence in emotional well-being. The podcast highlights the role of movement in processing emotions and embracing authentic storytelling through movement for personal peace. Encouraging dialog...

Our friend Nancy Ruffner joins us to talk about the grief of aging alone or solo aging. Nancy Ruffner is a Patient Advocate, an online consultant for ‘All Things Aging’. She is a dynamic speaker. Nancy earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (BSW) from Western Carolina University and a Graduate Certificate in Counselor Education (GCCE) from NC State University. Nancy is but one example of the em...

Lynn B. Stone is an international author, workshop facilitator, podcast host, and engaging guest speaker who brings warmth, honesty, and practicality to conversations many people avoid—planning for the inevitable. As the author of ’Til Death Do Us Part: A Practical Guide to Preparing for the Inevitable, Lynn helps open the door to meaningful discussions about death planning through the lived exper...

Living Well with Autoimmune or From Diagnosis to Thriving Annie Toro Lopez is a cookbook author, chronic illness advocate, and inspirational voice in the celiac and autoimmune communities. Her current cookbook, Simply Gluten-Free: Real Ingredients for Everyday Life, reflects her passion for approachable, nourishing recipes that empower people living with chronic conditions to reclaim joy in the ki...

Maddie dedicates her life not only to her own recovery, but to creating healing spaces for others. Through her advocacy, peer support work, and nonprofit leadership, she’s helping reshape how we understand mental health, resilience, and what it means to rebuild a life with purpose. Death by suicide is one of the most difficult and awkward conversations to have with those faced with the loss of a l...

Our friend, Heather Hill is a funeral director and the hostess of the Raleigh Death Cafe. Heather shares the story of her journey in a deeply personal way. The song she selected was The Sweetest Gift by Sade. Talking about death and how this is a gift to your loved ones when you are gone. Inviting people to have these conversations is an important gift that you can give.

Sibling loss with our guest Jessica Fry Bio: Jess is a single mom to a teenage son. She works full time and part time with the homeless population. She started her podcast in June of 2022 called Unapologetically Overcoming. It discusses topics that usually have a negative stigma associated with them. Her hope is that by talking about such topics, people will see that they too can overcome difficul...

Response ability, the capacity to take action. We take on responsibility when we are faced with meaningful choices. The freedoms we enjoy depend upon how we view and act upon them challenges we are faced with. We are the creators and artists of our own life creation. Making the daily decisions that guide our path as we amble through our day. Knowing you are capable and our ability and resilience t...

Our guest today is Carrie Schlegel, a realtor and friend who will share insights and her experience helping people find a home. When traumatic circumstance adds stress to the sale of your home, it good to have someone with experience guide you through the process.

This episode is a dialogue about how hope and grief coexist. We can rise while still bearing the marks of loss. The scars we carry do not disqualify us from purpose joy or calling. Dr. Marilyn Pendelton joins us as she relates her work bridging education, health and grief recovery. Your Voice Heard is is dedicated to equipping leaders, schools and workforce members with tools to address grief rela...

Disenfranchised grief with our guest Brittany Squillace, Brittany Squillace, MA, LMFT is a mental health therapist and founder of Best Self Therapy. Brittany’s mission through Best Self Therapy is to instill hope in grieving adults to change the way they view, talk about, and navigate grief. This allows them to live a better life as their best self. Through her specialty of grief and loss, Brittan...

Philip Gracia, President/CEO, Frogtown Tuned-In, Inc. At WFNU-LP 94.1 FM Frogtown Radio, Philip is a community leader and a family man who has nurtured a feeling here at the station that everyone belongs. That we are an extended family of people interested in the health and welfare of our community. Leading an effort like running a radio station is no small task. Sharing the stories that make an i...

Our Journey continues… We are currently in the 25th portal of Leah’s death. It began on November 3rd, the date of the accident, and continues through November 13th, the date of her funeral. How this anniversary reminded us of our humanness. How our grief journey makes us, reminds us, makes us more human What being human means and how it has evolved as we’ve grieved. Check out Brandi Carlyle’s Song...

One of the things that isn't often discussed are all the effects of grief. We hear about depression and the effect of grief on our mental health however, there are also physical manifestations of grief. It certainly was not something I was aware of after Leah died. Losing a loved one is extremely stressful, and can take a toll in unexpected ways. According to the National Institutes of Health, gri...

Many of our aging parents grew up in an era in which people didn’t discuss their various ailments or personal struggles much — even with their own family members. As such, they were taught that suffering in silence was a virtue and that discussing their issues with their children showed too much vulnerability and might lead to disrespect. In reality, they’re likely desperate to talk to you about t...

Topic: The Sweet Burden: Grief as a Teacher to Weave Belonging Bio: From her youngest days, Kate Towle has been an advocate for racial equity. As a child, she worked alongside her father and his Black friend to build a vibrant interracial community center in Michigan City, Indiana. She has organized and delivered numerous talks and workshops to help people start a racial and ethnic healing process...

Being stuck in grief is an uncomfortable place to find yourself. When you have experienced a loss and can’t seem to find a path forward, you pause to consider your situation. Are you in grief? Getting unstuck from grief involves : Acknowledging your pain Practicing self-care, Finding social support, and Taking purposeful action to process the loss How do you find meaning again? This can include th...

This episode is about the how you can help someone by asking questions. You can do this to create a comfort zone that allows true communication. When you face the loss of someone or something important to you, you may tend to isolate. By simply asking a question you can make the experience of loss a little easier to handle.

Amy Weglarz is a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach who helps people build strength, confidence, and sustainable healthy habits. Amy explains how grief affect the body- energy, sleep, even appetite- and why is it important to recognize this? As a physical trainer understanding how habits like exercise and building up our skill and tools for life's challenges can be made into a sustaina...

Searching but not finding understanding is the line I sometimes dwell on. This episode explores the masks that disguise or dissuade us from recognizing the pattern of grief that we are wearing. What do we mean by disguises of grief? After doing this work for some time, and walking my own grief journey for almost 25 years, I've come to realise that some of the actions we use disguise our grief. We...

Having good boundaries is important, especially when you are grieving. This episode discusses some tips and shares the lessons we have learned as we struggled with the death of our daughter. Good boundaries can help you manage your energy after a loss.