If you’ve ever wondered how to keep living, and even loving, after losing someone you can’t imagine life without, this episode is for you. 

I sit down with Shawn Dinneen, creator of HeartStrings Journals, to hear her deeply personal story of grief, resilience, and rediscovering life and new love after the devastating loss of her fiancé to an overdose in 2022.

***Video version available here***

Shawn shares how journaling became a lifeline during her healing journey, inspiring her business and mission to support others navigating loss. We explore the messy middle of grief, how community, self-reflection, and courage help us carry sorrow while making room for hope and love again. This is an honest, tender conversation about loss, resilience, and the ways grief and joy can coexist.

Key Takeaways:

• Healing after loss is personal, nonlinear, and requires compassion toward yourself.
• Journaling and reflection can provide a powerful outlet for processing grief.
• Stigma around addiction obscures the humanity of those affected.
• Systemic barriers make seeking help for addiction challenging.
• Unresolved pain and trauma frequently underlie addiction.
• Community and shared experiences help break the isolation of loss.
• Opening your heart to love again is possible, even after profound heartbreak.
• Grief and joy can coexist, and healing doesn’t mean forgetting.

Guest: Shawn Dinneen

• heartstringsjournals.com
• Submit your story to Paths of Purpose
• Shop HeartStrings Journals
• @heart_stringsjournals

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• Creator of Grief and Light, Grief Guide
• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

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