A Note Before We Start: This content mentions childhood abuse, addiction, suicide, and gun violence. These are sensitive topics so please honor yourself as you move forward.

💜🎙️ In this week’s episode, Jennifer Inglis shares her essay, “Telling Elouise,” reflecting on her experience navigating the loss of her brother and sharing the news with her daughter.

During our conversation, Jennifer opened up about being faced with the responsibility of delivering the news to others while dealing with her grief, and the decision to plan a funeral that honored her brother and raised awareness about suicide. Jennifer notes moments of regret, contemplating what could have been done differently, and emphasizing the urgent need for dialogue around mental health. Our conversation touches on the limited resources for men struggling with mental health, the role of gun control in suicide prevention, and the long-term value of open communication with children. 

Jennifer Inglis is a graduate of GrubStreet's 2023 Essay Incubator and 2022 Memoir Generator programs. She lives in Salem, MA with her family and pets. She works full-time supporting public libraries at the state level. When she’s not writing, she enjoys playing board games, searching for the perfect donut, and showing tourists the best of her city.

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Today’s episode of Her Own Words features Andi Pollinger 💜🎙️

In this week’s episode, Andi shares her essay, “Swiping Left Over 60,” reflecting on her experience finding love at 62 in a dating scene that had shifted from serendipitous real-world encounters to finding love through online profiles. 

During our conversation, Andi shared her experience of finding love again after a long marriage, and how watching the fearless women of “The Golden Bachelor” inspired her to write her essay. She opened up about the differences between dating in her youth versus dating in her 60s, emphasizing a greater appreciation for time. Through dating, Andi learned the importance of committing to your self-worth, having patience, maintaining your independence, and pursuing personal interests beyond a partnership.

Andi Pollinger is a writer and 67-year-old retired resident of Boston. Her published essays on Medium date back to 2019 when she took a road trip across America with her 25-year-old son in a 1992 refurbished van. Her stories run the gamut from surviving breast cancer and recounting a city's racist response to a murder hoax in Boston in 1989. Andi’s other publications include “Honk for Choice” featured on Herstory and “A New Grandmother Finds Her Seat at the Changing Table” on Parent.com.

Andi’s essay was originally published in the Huffington Post, as "At 62, I Hadn't Been On A Date In Decades. Here's What Happened When I Tried The Apps."

Experience the Podcast: Listeners can watch the full interview or read the essay on the website.

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Today’s episode of Her Own Words features Djofa Tavares 💜🎙️

Note Before We Start: We form bonds with our biological mothers in the womb, but not everyone gets to develop that relationship. This might be a sensitive topic so please honor yourself as you move forward.

In this week’s episode, Djofa shares her essay, “My Mother’s Daughter,” reflecting on her complicated mother-daughter relationship as she grapples with feelings of frustration and enduring love for her aging mother.

During our conversation, Djofa shared her experience with her emotionally distant mother and its impact. She talked about handling the lack of emotional closeness with her parents by leaning into self-love and finding support from other women in her community. As she journeyed into motherhood, she discovered the significance of being open and attentive with her kids and putting herself first to shape the person she aspired to be, despite the challenges of her upbringing.

Djofa Tavares is on a mission to strengthen the knowledge of Kriolu and Capeverdean culture. She’s a writer and Boston Public Schools teacher of Social Sciences for K0-5th grades students. Her upcoming projects include a memoir and a dual-language poetry book. 

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Experience the Podcast: Listeners can watch the full interview or read the essay on the website.

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This is Her Own Words, a podcast dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday women through stories of love, resilience, adventure, and everything in between. Hosted by Yennifer Pedraza.

Season 1 begins on April 16th, and episodes will air every Tuesday. Listen wherever you get your podcasts 🎙

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Subscribe today so you never missed an episode. Please send your suggestions to [email protected]

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