Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss shares her new obsession with American mahjong, describing how she discovered its colorful, beautifully designed tiles online, took a private lesson to learn the game, and quickly began collecting sets. She contrasts it with the traditional mahjong she knew growing up in Filipino/Asian households, which she associated with gambling, and explains that mahjong is having a broader cultural moment beyond “older people.” Elizabeth loves the social, multi-generational community aspect—gathering with friends, meeting new people in a low-pressure way, and even playing at home with her husband Victor—more than competition or strict rules. She connects this hobby to her larger message on redefining life after infertility and grief by rediscovering what genuinely lights you up, and invites listeners to message her for beginner resources and future retreat ideas.

• From Fangirl to Mahjong
• Mahjong Has a Moment
• Discovering American Tiles
• Finding My Own Thing
• Social Game and Community
• Tiles Tablescapes Collecting
• How We Play and Adapt
• The Bigger Life Message
• Invite Resources and Retreats
• Closing and Next Week

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss shares how buying BTS concert tickets and becoming an “Army” fangirl unexpectedly brought her lightness after over a decade of heavy seasons, including infertility treatments, failed adoptions, and a hard year for her family. After initially scrolling past a BTS Netflix concert, she clicked a replay and docuseries, got hooked, and binge-watched years of content while bonding with her longtime best friend, who fell into the rabbit hole at the same time; her husband Victor has been supportive. Elizabeth describes asking her therapist if her growing obsession was healthy, and being told it reflected new space created by detaching from what no longer served her and allowing simple joy without deeper purpose. She encourages women, including those facing infertility, to give themselves permission to feel uncomplicated fun, and signs off referencing a BTS song “Swim” about continuing forward.

• Confession Time
• BTS Finds You
• Meet the Army
• Rabbit Hole Bonding
• Tickets and Obsession
• Therapist Green Light
• Healing Feels Light
• Permission to Enjoy
• Secret Out Sign Off
• One Last Song

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Checking In Three Years After Choosing a Childfree Life: Elizabeth and Victor Reflect

Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss welcomes Victor back after months away to check in three years after they decided to stop pursuing children following a nearly 10-year infertility and adoption journey. They reflect on a recent Joshua Tree anniversary staycation that felt “full circle,” since they originally went there to make their decision. Victor shares he has reached greater acceptance and peace, with occasional “road not taken” awareness rather than regret, and has learned to enjoy meaningful uncle moments with his nephews and friends’ kids while acknowledging fatherly instincts. Elizabeth discusses ongoing curiosity about Victor’s internal experience, notes her own surprise at becoming more social, and they express gratitude for their childfree life, relationships, travel, and continued growth together.

• Victor Returns
• Joshua Tree Full Circle
• Three Years Later
• Road Not Taken
• Uncle Moments
• Did We Try Enough
• Trust And Curiosity
• Gratitude Without Kids
• What Surprised Us
• Healing And Closing

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss shares how dancing freely with a friend made her realize she hadn’t felt comfortable in her body in years, leading her to discuss reclaiming her body after her infertility journey. After moving to California, she became pregnant and miscarried, then spent about seven years doing IUI and IVF, experiencing significant body changes, weight gain, and deep resentment—especially because the treatments did not result in a child. Through her 40s and into menopause, her weight fluctuated and felt hard to manage despite trying “everything.” At 51, with consistent support and hormone replacement therapy finally stabilizing her hormones, weight began to come off, which also felt like releasing emotional baggage. She emphasizes this isn’t a weight-loss story but about feeling strong, at home in her body, and encouraging others to find their own way back through compassion and forgiveness.

• Dancing Without Shame
• Reclaiming My Body
• Miscarriage and IVF Changes
• Resentment and Fluctuations
• Menopause Wake Up Call
• Not a Weight Loss Story
• Aging Stronger Mindset
• Finding Your Way Back
• Feeling Home Again
• Final Thanks and Goodbye

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss shares that her cat, Tula, turns 14 in August and will have an end-of-month ultrasound to check her kidneys, which brings her anxiety despite normal blood work a few months ago; Tula is also on thyroid medication and a prescription diet. Elizabeth explains how Tula has been her constant companion since before she and Victor married, staying by her side through years of IVF treatments, losses, and grief, especially as Elizabeth works from home and Tula follows her everywhere. She reflects on the difficulty of watching Tula age and challenges the idea that worry or anticipatory grief is less valid because it’s “just a cat,” encouraging listeners to embrace and feel proud of loving and spoiling their pets without justification, while noting she dislikes the term “cat mama.”

Welcome and Vet Anxiety

Why Tula Means So Much

Health Updates and Ultrasound

Pet Love Is Real Love

Celebrate and Be Present

No Shame in Spoiling

Cat Mama Side Note

Birthday Thanks and Goodbye

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss shares how a strained back forced her to cancel a road trip with visiting friends after several hectic weeks of travel, hosting, late nights, weekend swimming and snorkeling, and worsening neck and lower-back pain despite regular chiropractor visits. Lying in pain, she notices an old belief resurfacing: that she isn’t “allowed” to slow down because she doesn’t have kids and therefore lacks a valid reason to be tired. She reflects on how caregiving and motherhood are often treated as the only visible, acceptable justification for exhaustion, and how that belief led her to push through. Choosing to stay home, she returns to the chiropractor and truly rests—going to bed early and taking guilt-free naps—reminding listeners that rest doesn’t need to be earned, and that caring for body and mind is essential to sustaining joy, freedom, and a life rebuilt intentionally.

• Back Pain Road Trip Cancelled
• Weeks of Nonstop Busy
• The Guilt of Rest
• Where That Belief Came From
• Choosing Real Rest
• Making Joy Sustainable
• You Don’t Need Permission

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss shares how, when traveling, hosting gatherings, or hearing about college tuition, she now feels genuine relief and freedom about not having children—feelings that sometimes bring guilt because she and Victor wanted kids for a long time and went through infertility treatments. She reflects that freedom used to be a “silver lining” she leaned on during intense grief, but has shifted into simply being her life now, including spontaneous trips, quiet, and time with friends. She reassures listeners that healing isn’t linear: those still grieving don’t need to rush, and those further along are allowed to feel both relief and guilt without explaining or choosing between them.

• Big Realization
• Relief Without Kids
• Freedom Becomes Life
• Message for Fellow Grievers
• Embracing Both Feelings

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss reflects on taking on an unofficial maternal role through her large family, with about 11 nieces and nephews and 10 godchildren, beginning when her first niece was born as she turned seven. As the youngest until age 16, she became hands-on early—learning caregiving tasks and later building close, sibling-like bonds with her oldest nieces and nephews—eventually becoming the aunt who was consistently available for all of them to talk and vent. She also describes being a “secondary” godmother not officially listed on church paperwork but still fully committed, emphasizing that a title never determined how she showed up. She acknowledges that this does not replace longing or grief for one’s own child, but argues that children in your life deserve your care regardless of role, and that many forms of mothering are real without the “mom” label.

• An Unofficial Role
• Growing Up a Tita
• Bonding Through the Years
• Godmother Without Paperwork
• Titles Don’t Define Love
• Holding Grief and Giving Love
• Show Up Without a Label
• Final Takeaway and Goodbye

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss shares a long-held tradition with Victor during their season of trying and waiting for a baby: collecting small, meaningful travel souvenirs intended for a future nursery, including a stuffed St. Bernard from Switzerland, a giraffe door stopper from Kenya, a stork from a French market, and a dolphin wind chime from the Maldives. She explains she still keeps these items because they now represent nostalgia and who they were—two hopeful people exploring the world—rather than only loss. She contrasts this with letting go of clothes and toys bought for two failed adoptions (one boy, one girl), a healing ritual guided by therapy. She encourages listeners to move beyond one-size-fits-all rules about discarding reminders and instead ask, “What does this mean to me right now?” to decide what to keep or release as grief evolves.

• A Waiting Tradition
• Souvenirs For The Nursery
• Nostalgia Not Sadness
• Advice To Let Go
• The Healing Ritual
• Not One Size Fits All
• Meaning Changes Over Time
• The Question To Ask
• Choosing What Stays
• Closing Encouragement

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss shares how an “On This Day” phone memory resurfaced photos and videos from five years ago of the six-month-old baby she and Victor were supposed to adopt, noting it may be triggering. Seeing the baby’s face sparked tenderness and curiosity about how he is now, but a photo of Victor laughing while holding him hit hardest, highlighting what Victor lost and her desire to have seen him as a dad. After exchanging brief texts and getting Victor’s consent to post a back-view image, Victor later admitted the post made him emotional. Elizabeth reflects that life is good now, yet grief can appear unexpectedly and doesn’t move in a straight line; healing doesn’t mean grief stops, but that you can feel it without being consumed, and being caught off guard doesn’t mean you’re back at square one.

• On This Day Memory
• Photos That Stayed
• Victor Holding Him
• Sharing The Post
• Healing With Grief
• Feeling Neutral Now
• Closing Thoughts

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