Grief, Gratitude & The Gray in Between

Dr. Joshua Black is a grief researcher, speaker, author, consultant, online course instructor, and host of the Grief Dreams Podcast. He has focused all of his MA and PhD research (in psychology) on investigating grief dreams and continuing bonds from many types of loss (including prenatal loss and pet loss). Most of his academic research and publications have specifically been on dreams of the deceased. Dr. Black is considered one of the leading academic experts in dreams after loss (also known as Grief Dreams). Due to the lack of academic research in this field, Dr. Black has focused his efforts on raising awareness on grief dreams through doing talks, interviews, and developing an online Grief Dreams course. Additionally, he developed a grief dreams website (http://www.griefdreams.ca) and runs several social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @griefdreams).

Contact Kendra Rinaldi to be a guest on the show or for coaching: http://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

Kristina Cunningham shares her grief journey after the passing of her first born son Mason, who was 19 months. Mason was “the physical embodiment of Joy". Kristina was 10 weeks pregnant at the time of his passing and shares about her grief journey, as well as how her health was affected by her grief.

Kristina and her friend Steffanie Empey started their blogcast titled Sunflowers and Red Feathers in memory of each of their sons, Mason and Joshua. In their blogcast they share the struggles of child loss, and also share the joy and hope they have.

Listen to this interview and feel inspired by her story.

To learn more about her journey check out the website https://www.flowcode.com/page/sunflowersandredfeathers

Contact Kendra Rinaldi to be a guest or for coaching:

http://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

Christine Soutter Suau, is the founder and President of the WhyNotDevin Foundation to Ende DIPG, a non profit that raises money to provide financial and emotional support for families of children with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) brain tumors. Chirstine is also the founder of Meant to Bee ME, a motivational speaker, blogger and podgaster -SHE-nanigans with Christine & Jenn. She is a single mom to four boys. Devin, her youngest son, passed away in 2017 to DIPG, at the age of 6. He fought a courageous battle and made a huge impact on DIPG awareness. Christine faced her son’s challenges head on and created and instituted The WhyNotDevin Foundation in honor of Devin, and is a tireless steward of the cause for helping families manage the many costs-financial and otherwise-associated with DIPG brain tumor and treatments. She also advocates for DIPG awareness and worked with Govenors and Congress to have May 17 proclaimed as DIPG Awareness Day. Christine has also had the City of Boston and Framingham proclaim October 20 (the day Devin passed away). A day of kindness and friendship, in honor of Devin’s memory.

Christine's journey can be followed on her website www.meanttobeeme.com. Through motivational speaking events she spreads a message of hope, perseverance, and to inspire others to know that they can overcome the darkest time in their life and find happiness again. She speaks about Devin to keep his spirit alive, about her three sons Colin, Owen, and Brenden to highlight the truest meaning of resiliency, and about a mother's love. Christine's speaking engagements have included The National Brain Tumor Society Gala, The National Brain Tumor Society Walk, Northeastern Relay for Life, Syros Biotech, Metrowest Conference for Women, and Peloton Homecoming, to name a few. She has also been featured in Strong Magazine, interviewed by CNN, People magazine, and Candy O'Terry "The Story Behind Her Success" podcast. Christine has been the recipient of She's Local Goddess Year Award, Peloton's Comeback Story, and Beauty Revived 2018 Most Beautiful Moms.

Ways to Contact Christine Souter Suau:

Websites-

http://www.Meanttobeeme.com

http://www.Thewhynotdevinfoundation.org

http://www.She-nanigans.com

IG-

http://www.instagram.com/meanttobeeme

http://www.instagram.com/why_not_devin

http://www.instagram.com/Shenaniganspodcast

Facebook-

Christine Soutter Suau

#whynotdevin

Contact Kendra Rinaldi to be a guest or for coaching:

http://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

On this episode I chat with Katrina Weller. After experiencing the death of her mum at age 15, followed by the loss of four more relatives and her newborn nephew within a six year timeframe, Katrina became increasingly aware of the lack of conversation, discomfort and misunderstanding towards grief and loss.

She became a voice of advocacy within her own respective network and decided to extend this voice further through facilitation and workshops. Katrina now hosts the podcast "Grow with Grief" and is on a mission to make the uncomfortable, comfortable through conversation and storytelling.

Contact Katrina Weller: https://katrinapreislerweller.com/

Contact Kendra Rinaldi: https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/

Romy Devack started SINCERELY after working in the fashion industry for over a decade, as an expert consultant across celebrity and retail. When her father, Stephen Devack, passed away after a sudden bout with cancer in September 2014, she planned to tattoo his signature on her body as a way to honor his memory and keep a part of him with her at all times. Her mother, however, quickly shot down that idea with a fervent, maternal, “NO! No way!” and suggested a symbolic piece of jewelry instead.

Romy struggled to find the perfect everyday piece to honor her father, combing the available options in the market before turning to the idea of designing her own. For her mother’s birthday in February 2015, she asked a family friend to turn her late father’s signature into a diamond necklace so that the one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry could be worn close to her heart. Romy’s mother was overcome by the gift; it was both meaningful and beautiful.

In the weeks that followed, her mother Joy was stopped constantly and asked about the unique piece. When she explained its origins, they loved the story behind it as much as the striking necklace itself. A flurry of interest followed as friends, family, and strangers began asking if they could order their own personalized piece, organically sparking a business pursuit.

In January 2016, Romy realized her dream of creating a jewelry line that fuses design and meaning. The personalized pieces are unique and beautiful, but the sentiment behind them – of keeping a loved one close to your heart and with you at all times – is equally as important to the intention of the company.

SINCERELY was born as a tribute to one man, and carries on as treasured light for thousands of others.

Contact Romy Devack to get your own custom piece or to listen to her Good Grief interviews on Instagram.

https://sincerelyjewelry.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sincerelyjewelry/

Contact Kendra Rinaldi to be a guest or for coaching:

http://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

Andy McCall is an international Self-Published Author of the book

"Pigtails and Steel", which can be found on Amazon. He is an Elementary School teacher as well as a High School Football coach. But the most important role he has in life, is being a dad and a devoted husband.

In this podcast we talk about his first born, Penelope Clair, she is his Why! Penelope was the light of his life. She had many different special needs, from Polymicrogyria, seizures, Schintzel Gideon Syndrome, and ultimately cancer, but that did not define her. Those were just parts of her that they went up against every day. Her cancer diagnosis was Stage 4 medulloepithelioma, a very rare, super aggressive brain tumor at the base of her brain. The tumor metastasized down her spinal column causing lower body paralysis and finally took over her body. During her life we did many things including helping pass the CBD legalization bill in Tennessee and spread awareness for Epilepsy and St. Jude.

In his own words " I didn’t cope very well with Penelope’s cancer diagnosis and initially after she died. I decided to write down my feelings because it was hard to communicate those and I didn’t feel like there was anyone I could actually talk to. I did this in a blog, shared some here and there, and then published it as a book. Pigtails comes from the hairstyle that Ellen did with Sweet P that was my favorite. I got Steel from how strong us Dads are supposed to be. I hear a quote one time that always stuck with me, No matter how strong steel is, even it becomes moldable and able to change when the elements are right."

Andy is now a Member of the Quality of Life Steering Council- St. Jude uses parents as part of the decision making process as end of life and bereavement situations arise and are carried out by the hospital. And also Bereavement Director with the Sunday Morning meetings that other bereaved Dads join in and discuss different topics from daily life to harder questions we all have to face. We have fathers from Chicago area, Tennessee, Florida, and The Netherlands.

Get in touch with Andy McCall: [email protected]

Dad's of Steel: https://dadsofsteele.org/grieving-dads/

Dad's of Steel Grief Support: https://www.instagram.com/dosgriefsupport/

Contact Kendra Rinaldi to be a guest or for coaching:

http://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

Martha Eugenia Muñiz Ibáñez es Instructora en bailoterapia y fitness, Coach de Vida con maestría en terapias holísticas y hace numerología Tántrica.

Comenzó su despertar espiritual en el 2008 y en el 2010 empezó a estudiar la espiritualidad de diferentes tradiciones Indias como el Hinduísmo,el Sijismo, Tolteca y Ho'oponopono. (Hawaiana)

Un accidente casero marcó su vida al estar en las puertas de la muerte en el 2013.

Desde entonces a ayudado a las personas con sus duelos, pérdidas familiares, económicas, y de parejas.

Especialista en los egos.

Tiene una certificación en Herbolaria Científica.

Contacta a Martha Eugenia Muñiz Ibáñez: [email protected]

Contacta a Kendra para ser invitado en el podcast o para tener una sesion de coaching. http://www.griefgratitudeandthegratyinbetween.com

Faith Fuller Wilcox believes that self-expression through writing leads to healing. Her writing is reflective of a growing body of medical research about “narrative identity,” which illuminates

that how we make sense of what happens to us and the meaning we give to experiences beyond our control directly impact our physical and psychological outcomes. Faith learned these truths firsthand when her thirteen-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer that took her life. Faith’s journey from grief and despair to moments of comfort and peace taught her life-affirming lessons, which she shares today through her writing. Faith is the author of Hope Is A Bright Star: A Mother’s Memoir of Love, Loss, and Learning to Live Again that was published in June 2021. Faith is also the author of Facing Into The Wind: A Mother’s Healing After the Death of Her Child, a book of poetry.

A longtime resident of Massachusetts, Faith leads a journal writing program at MassGeneral Hospital for Children for patients and their families designed to give participants the opportunity to express themselves, alleviate stress, celebrate victories, and honor their grief.

Connect With Faith Fuller Wilcox:

https://www.faithwilcoxnarratives.com/

Contact Kendra Rinaldi for coaching or to be a guest on the podcast:

http://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

Neil D. Beresin is a counselor and interfaith chaplain, and specializes in helping individuals navigate the unstable and disorienting waters of grief and loss. Neil has worked with individuals and families in hospitals, hospice, nursing homes, schools, and private practice. Multiple lenses frame his practice, including the work of theologian Abraham Joshua Heschel, Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön, psychologists Francis Weller and Murray Bowen, Founding Director of the Zen Hospice Project, Frank Ostaseski, and the practice of mindfulness through poetry.

Neil sees deep listening and reverent attentiveness as a spiritual practice. He meets individuals where they are and focuses on helping them increase their ability to cope with what are often extraordinary circumstances. It may include assisting individuals to connect or reconnect to practices, people, and principles that matter most to them. Neil may use poetry to provide additional comfort, deepen the space, and encourage reflection and opening. His article, “A Chaplain’s Notebook: Poetry as Spiritual Nourishment” was published by the Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling in March of 2020.

Neil’s clients are often experiencing overwhelming heartache related to loss—on the tailwinds of divorce, the death of someone dear, or, from some other life-altering struggle. Others have been carrying loss and trauma for many years, and they suddenly experience an acute form of anxiety or anguish that pushes them to seek more effective strategies to cope with and relieve some suffering.

Connect with Neil Beresin: www.griefandpoetry.com

http://www.instagram.com/griefandpoetry

Connect with Kendra Rinaldi for coaching or to be a guest: http://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

http://www.instagram.com/griefgratitudepodcast.com

Olivia shares her grief journey after the death of both her parents. Her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when Olivia was only 15. She was on remission for a few years and then it came back again when Olivia was living out of the country for college. She would travel back and forth from Munich to Rome, to take care of her mom when she was sick. Her mom died of cancer a few years after her diagnosis, that same year her father was diagnosed with a brain tumor the same year and died 2 years later.

Olivia’s parents were divorced, so the only person that truly had experienced the same losses as she had, was her brother. Olivia saw early on how different everyone grieves, even within the same family. She went to therapy in order have the support she needed, and to hear that what she was feeling was normal. She started her Instagram account @thebiggrief shortly after her dad died as a way to process her grief by sharing poems that she has written to express her grief.

Contact Olivia : https://www.instagram.com/thebiggrief/

Grief Postcards https://www.etsy.com/de/shop/TheBigGriefPrints

Contact Kendra Rinaldi to be a guest or for coaching: http://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com