Nurturing Words: Voices of Experience

Send us Fan Mail Everyone has a story, a unique set of circumstances and issues that make us who we are. Likewise, as we move through the grief process, it, too, is unique. Your experience will not be like that of anyone else. Like a fingerprint, it is “uniquely yours.” Being “free to be me” means acknowledging that I am not subject to anyone’s parameters for my healing process. There are numerous...

Send us Fan Mail The impact of mother loss is challenging enough without compounding it with the ache of a father’s absence. Father’s Day brings to the surface all the emotions connected to the wounds of father loss; however it occurs. This episode highlights the experience of our Founder, Dr. Mary Ellen Collins with both mother and father loss and the discovery of new insights.                  ...

Send us Fan Mail Being motherless creates many deficits in the life of a daughter. The catalysts to our development may include any combination of influences throughout our lives.  In this podcast, Maika Lansing introduces us to the term “Mother Hunger,” the title of a book by author, Kelly McDaniel.  Unique concepts and encouragements from authors and significant figures emphasize the ability and...

Send us Fan Mail We can all tell you the day and time our lives changed forever. We became mother less in different ways, but ALL of us have had our lives forever changed by our loss – our relationships, our functioning at work, the way we handle situations, run our households and perceive the world.  Healing from the impact of loss is unique to every individual. Many times it involves a flurry of...

Send us Fan Mail This episode reflects on how Mother’s Day brings a mix of emotions for those who have lost their mothers, blending grief with cherished memories. We share a story of a motherless daughter who honors her mother’s lasting influence, especially the practical wisdom, discipline, and care she modeled in raising children.   The Motherless Daughters Ministry seeks to provide resources th...

Send us Fan Mail Life events can send us reeling into club memberships we never wanted. These associations are not ones we want to acknowledge and highlight among our accomplishments. Our Founder, Dr. Mary Ellen Collins, leads by example in tackling the hard work of processing the impact of loss. This episode recounts a real-time navigation of a life-changing experience initiating her into a new “...

Send us Fan Mail Life’s hardest moments can feel even more isolated without a mother’s presence, especially during experiences of grief, rejection, and major life milestones. This episode features a blog written by our Founder and Board Chair, Dr. Mary Ellen Collins. It highlights how the ministry creates a supportive sisterhood—“a raincoat in the storm”—where women show up for one another, offeri...

Send us Fan Mail Those who document historical events, also, have the power to drive perspective. As motherless daughters, our stories may have been muffled or muted to accommodate the authors of the “published” version.  Dr. Mary Ellen Collins, our Founder and Board Chair, cuts right to the chase with profound truths about our personal history that open the gates to healing. The powerful narrativ...

Send us Fan Mail The Motherless Daughters Ministry (MDM) strives to provide a variety of avenues for women to explore any concerns regarding mother loss and discover their unique path to healing. In this podcast, Maika Lansing interviews Danyetta Najoli, MDM Executive Director, about our Connection & Conversation Circles. This new opportunity offers participants a safe environment to find comm...

Send us Fan Mail Mother loss comes in many forms, but most people do not think about dementia.  Learning the different forms of mother loss besides death  is an eye-opening experience.  Many of us never understood that we were motherless daughters until we heard the explanation. General conversations rarely include language that articulates that experience. Dementia holds a category all its own. I...

Send us Fan Mail Navigating loss requires a holistic approach to address all in our life that seems to be out of order. It affects us emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. This episode features Dr. Lacrecia Dangerfield being interviewed by our Executive Director, Danyetta Najoli. As a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Mental Health Service Provider (MHSP), and Approved Clinical...

Send us Fan Mail As we gear up for our 2026 flagship retreat, we are re-sharing an interview with a panel of women who are part of our ministry. Each of the panelists attended or facilitated the Motherless Daughters Ministry’s Journey Retreat. You will hear from previous participants and facilitators as they discuss their experiences and what they gained from being part of this life-changing retre...

Send us Fan Mail This time of year many of us are considering making some changes in one or more areas of our lives. Maybe you’ve made New Years resolutions. Or maybe you’ve tried your hand at a ‘One Word” challenge. Today’s episode looks at one motherless daughter’s word of focus for the year and how that word could fit for our ministry as well!  Podcast Episode highlights a Motherless Daughters...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a second chance at having the family you always wanted falls apart? A motherless daughter describes her experience of losing that dream after the passing of her beloved mother-in-law, after dealing with the absence of nurturing from a narcissistic mother. She talks about the struggle to connect with others and rebuild after opening herself up to love and what she...

Send us Fan Mail As we wrap up the year 2025, we looked back over all the 25 podcasts that were published. There were 3,434 downloads --- the most we’ve had in one year since we started in 2021. Our formatting included more interviews and panel discussions as we learned more about production. We want to thank you, our listeners, as we celebrate our accomplishments and look ahead to 2026.         ...

Send us Fan Mail Navigating the holidays as a motherless daughter can be a mix of emotions. There’s an expectation of a Norman Rockwell-style family celebration that just doesn’t live up to expectations for so many grieving a loss or dealing with a strained relationship. Loved ones of a motherless daughter struggle to understand how she feels or find the right words to say. Today, we are sharing s...

Send us Fan Mail The Motherless Daughters Ministry is celebrating 25 years of helping motherless daughters. This episode features a discussion with Motherless Daughters Ministry founder, Dr. Mary Ellen Collins, on the past, present, and future of the ministry. We are celebrating 25 years and looking ahead to the next 25.  Resources Ways to support MDM financially: : https://www.motherlessdaughters...

Send us Fan Mail Motherless daughters deal with grief in different ways. Today’s episode focuses on a story from one of our blog writers, Dottie Menkhaus, who, at the time, struggled to face reality and deal with her grief. Instead, she tried to ignore it, as so many of us do! This episode focuses on the importance of dealing with our grief and discussing it with others in community. Resources Pod...

Send us Fan Mail The “holiday season”  is filled with traditions at every turn. While they anchor us and provide familiarity and predictability, they can also be the source of stress and trigger deep sadness and grief. However, because they create a sense of belonging, gradually introducing new activities can maintain the togetherness and provide needed support for healing.  Joy and sadness coexis...

Send us Fan Mail The “holiday season” is characterized by family gatherings, festive decorations, gift-giving and feasts that include a large variety and amount of food. Minds and hearts are void of negativity and replaced by the spirit of kindness, generosity and good will. Great efforts are put forth and money spent to modify schedules, arrange travel and buy gifts. But there is an entirely diff...

Send us Fan Mail We never outgrow the need for the love, support, and nurturing of a mother or a mother figure. This is true during life’s special times and milestones. Entering motherhood is such a time. This episode features a conversation about mothering without a mother. Two of our volunteers, Sarah Lynn Wells and Natalie Lundstrom, discuss their experience of mothering as motherless daughters...

Send us Fan Mail Our "Voices of Experience" are the best ones to tell you about the Motherless Daughters Ministry (MDM). Healing from the impact of loss is different for every individual. While our experiences are unique, there are common threads that bind us into a supportive community of sisters.  Vanessa West is now a part of the ministry with her own unique voice. In this episode, ou...

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes, when you watch a movie or read someone’s story, there are parts of it you overlook. This episode features the experience of Sarah Lynn Wells, Podcast Administrator and blog writer, as she watches the movie “Wicked” with fresh eyes. She noticed, for the first time, that the main character, Elphaba, is also a motherless daughter. While not the focus of the story, it does...

Send us Fan Mail Getting hit by a storm and trying to deal with the aftermath is a lot like what many of us deal with when losing someone we love. Finding community and experiencing the power of presence from others is crucial in navigating grief. Sometimes what we really need is someone to listen and show up emotionally.  This episode is a powerful analogy authored by our Founder, Dr. Mary Ellen...

Send us Fan Mail It is natural for us to set up expectations. But when things don’t go the way we expect, what determines how we respond?  It’s different for everyone.  But the earlier we learn how to control that response, the better. This episode features Cathy DiBella’s review of the book entitled “It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way,” by Lisa TerKeurst. The book addresses walking through disappoi...