Just because we're in a new year, leaving the stuff we don't want to carry anymore in the old year might not be so easy. It could take weeks, months, years, or even... 1,000 hearts to let go.

Erika Koivunen is an artist and for many years, she worked with metal and fire until heartbreak turned those flames into yarn. In 2023, she lost her Park Street shop in a three-alarm fire. It was the second tragedy in a short amount of time. She had recently lost her husband and business partner, Aaron Howard -- who shared the studio with her for nearly 15 years. 

In this Radio Chipstone news special, feature contributor Gianofer Fields sits down with her good friend Erika to ask how she's mending her broken heart.