Episode 8 | Finding Courage on Easter When Family Traditions Change

Easter looked different this year — quieter, lonelier, and more tender than I expected.

In this episode of Still Finding My Voice, I share what it was like to move through Easter as an empty nester when the holiday no longer looked the way it used to. Both of my sons were working. One called, one didn’t. There was no traditional family meal, no full table, and no familiar rhythm I had counted on in years past. Just a lot of quiet, a lot of feelings, and a choice about how I was going to care for myself in the middle of it.

I talk honestly about holiday loneliness, changing family traditions, and the emotional reality of spending Easter alone. I also share how going to church helped me feel grounded and connected, even though the ache was still there, and how self-care became more important than trying to force the day to look like the Easter celebrations I used to have.

This episode is about more than one holiday. It is about what happens when life changes, family dynamics shift, and the traditions that once felt automatic begin to look completely different. It is about finding the courage to face the day as it is, not as you wish it would be.

This is the C in The Voice MethodTM

VOICE: Courage.

Not the flashy kind. Not the kind that arrives with a big speech and a soundtrack. The quieter kind. The kind that gets up, gets dressed, goes to church, feels the feelings, practices self-care, and makes it through the day anyway.

If you are navigating an empty nest, holiday loneliness, changing family traditions, or a season of life that feels quieter than you expected, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I talk about:

• ​Easter as an empty nester
• ​Holiday loneliness and changing family traditions
• ​One son calling, one not, and the feelings that come with that
• ​Going to church while still carrying sadness
• ​Choosing self-care over pressure and expectations
• ​The C in VOICE: Courage
• ​Making it through a hard day with honesty, faith, and grace

Because sometimes courage is not about doing something big. Sometimes it is simply making it through the day with your heart intact.

#EmptyNest #Easter #HolidayLoneliness #SelfCare #Courage #LifeTransition

Copyright Notice

© 2026 Still Finding My Voice™ with Lynne Street. All rights reserved.

The VOICE Method™ is a trademark claimed by Lynne Street.

No part of this podcast or its accompanying materials may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or republished without prior written permission from Lynne Street, except as permitted by applicable copyright law.

In Episode 7 of Still Finding My Voice, Dr. Alice Benton joins Lynne Street for a meaningful and down-to-earth conversation about boundaries, community, mental health, parenting, and why helping children matters. A psychologist, author, mom of three, and co-host on New Life Ministries, Dr. Alice shares practical wisdom on how to handle angry people, stand up for yourself, protect your peace, and create healthier personal boundaries in everyday life. Together, Lynne and Dr. Alice talk about emotional resilience, difficult relationships, community support, and the importance of helping children through organizations like Olive Crest. They also discuss Dr. Benton’s book, Understanding and Loving Your Child in a Screen-Saturated World, along with real-life parenting, connection, and how to care for children in today’s digital world. Lynne and Dr. Alice also reflect on their connection through New Life Ministries, where they first met. This episode is filled with practical encouragement, honest conversation, and real-life insight for anyone navigating stress, relationships, parenting, personal growth, or life transitions. And because no meaningful conversation is complete without a little comic relief, the episode also includes a funny tech moment involving Zoom settings, accidental filters, and a pair of moving eyebrows that definitely stayed on longer than intended. So yes, along with wisdom on boundaries and helping children, you’ll also get a gentle reminder to double-check your Zoom filters.

Dr. Alice's book

Understanding and Loving Book: https://amzn.to/3QhOdzO

Free Parenting Class: https://forms.gle/LE8FVKKTTd4vU8fX6

FASTer Way to Fat Loss

https://www.fasterwaytofatloss.com/become-a-ambassador?aid=Alicebenton

Todd McIntyre Community Engagement Director, Inland & Desert Communities

www.olivecrest.org | 800.550-CHILD

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.olivecrest.org/&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwjfkvavndOTAxV7M0QIHbXWKe4QFnoECCEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0LwJwY4GEx1RtpEuezxr8G

Creation note: Portions of the planning and structuring process for this podcast were supported by reflective writing tools, including ChatGPT, used as a creative aid. All stories, reflections, and conversations are original and shared from lived experience.

Copyright Notice

© 2026 Still Finding My Voice™ with Lynne Street. All rights reserved.

The VOICE Method™ is a trademark claimed by Lynne Street.

No part of this podcast or its accompanying materials may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or republished without prior written permission from Lynne Street, except as permitted by applicable copyright law.

Welcome to Still Finding My Voice, a podcast for men and women 45+ navigating midlife transitions, reinvention, empty nest, grief, divorce, remarriage, career changes, identity shifts, and starting over.

If life has changed and you’re asking yourself, What now? Who am I now? Where do I go from here? — you are in the right place.

Hosted by Lynne Street, Still Finding My Voice is a podcast about midlife reinvention, finding your voice, rebuilding confidence, discovering purpose, and creating a plan for your next chapter. With honesty, encouragement, and a little humor, Lynne explores what it means to move through change without losing yourself in the process.

After a 23-year career as a professional dancer, Lynne found herself facing a major life transition. For years, her body did the talking. Then life handed her a brand-new script and basically said, “Good luck.” That journey led to this podcast.

Through the VOICE Method™, Lynne opens up real conversations about:

• ​reinvention after 45
• ​empty nest life
• ​grief and joy coexisting
• ​divorce and remarriage
• ​career transitions
• ​personal growth
• ​confidence in midlife
• ​finding purpose after loss or change
• ​how to move forward when life looks different than expected

This podcast is for people who have done a lot, carried a lot, survived a lot — and are ready to figure out what’s next with more clarity, courage, and self-trust.

And let’s be honest: if you’ve raised teenagers, you already have advanced training in chaos, emotional plot twists, and reinvention.

So yes — you can handle this next chapter too.

Still Finding My Voice is a space for reflection, laughter, practical encouragement, and honest conversations about becoming more fully yourself in midlife. You do not have to reinvent yourself perfectly. You just have to begin.

Because this chapter is not too late.It is not too messy.And it is definitely not over.

Reinvention is allowed.Your voice matters. High kick optional.

Please join our free Facebook Group at STILL FINDING MY VOICE Community. We’d love to welcome you to the group. 💃🏼

Special thanks to Rishi on Fiverr for editing the trailer, and to Tani Walker, founder of https://lightuphealingarts.com for the stretch photo. @lightuphealingarts

Copyright Notice

© 2026 Still Finding My Voice™ with Lynne Street. All rights reserved.

The VOICE Method™ is a trademark claimed by Lynne Street.

No part of this podcast or its accompanying materials may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or republished without prior written permission from Lynne Street, except as permitted by applicable copyright law.

In Episode 6 of Still Finding My Voice, Rikki Lugo joins host Lynne Street for a heartfelt conversation about dance, classic Hollywood, Las Vegas entertainment history, family, love, and legacy. A true pioneer in the dance world, Rikki appeared in numerous films, including Babes in Toyland with Annette Funicello, and built an extraordinary career as a professional dancer with deep roots in movie musicals, performance, and the golden era of entertainment. Rikki shares stories from her remarkable life in dance, her knowledge of movie stars and old Hollywood, and the history she witnessed firsthand through her work onstage and onscreen. She also reflects on her late husband Bill VanBuskirk of The Checkmates, a groundbreaking band that helped break racial barriers in Las Vegas. While Lynne briefly shares how Rikki influenced her own path as a professional dancer, the true focus of this episode is Rikki — her story, her impact, and the incredible entertainment history she carries. This episode is filled with warmth, humor, personal memories, and unforgettable stories from a woman whose life in dance and show business spans generations.

Tobrina Tobi VanBuskirk-Longo - Show Director Disney Parks Live Entertainment

Tani’s Walker’s studio

www.lightuphealingarts.com

Scott Wolf - Disney historian, author, and former employee who worked in Disney Consumer Products, Disney Software, and TV Animation. (TaleSpin). He is know for authoring photography books in the 1990’s focusing on Disneyland, including Where In Disneyland. Scott also runs a YouTube channel and Facebook group called “Keeping The Magic Alive.”

Dancers mentioned Anita Houston (Rikki’s Sister) , Terry Ryland (Babcock), Barbara Carlton, Leticia Ibarra, Marina Montenegro

Jazz Etc. dancers in the Moulin Rouge, Las Vegas - Lisa Dryden, Barbara Carlton, Vadja Ibeas, Lynne Jackman (host of STILL FINDING MY VOICE)

Alice McIntosh (owner of The Red Shoes Dancewear) in South Pasadena.

🎞️Editor: @Sarahdomierva

Creation note: Portions of the planning and structuring process for this podcast were supported by reflective writing tools, including ChatGPT, used as a creative aid. All stories, reflections, and conversations are original and shared from lived experience.

Copyright Notice

© 2026 Still Finding My Voice™ with Lynne Street. All rights reserved.

The VOICE Method™ is a trademark claimed by Lynne Street.

No part of this podcast or its accompanying materials may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or republished without prior written permission from Lynne Street, except as permitted by applicable copyright law.

When Grief And Joy Coexist - Todays episode was actually requested by the faithful listeners of Still Finding My Voice. Many of you shared that you wanted to talk about how grief and joy can coexist — especially during seasons of life transition, loss, and change

Two days after learning that my friend passed away, I pressed record and spoke from where I was. No script, just some quick notes, no polished plan — just an honest reflection on grief, friendship, and the joy that still lives inside precious memories.

In this episode, I talk about the heartbreak of loss and the gratitude of having loved someone well. I also share a memory of us going to see Taylor Swift’s Official Release Party of a Showgirl in the theater — one of those moments that now carries both tears and a smile.

This is a tender conversation about what it means to hold sorrow and gratitude in the same heart at the same time.

If you have a short story about a moment where grief and joy existed together, send me a DM at The Still Finding My Voice Facebook Community Group or my Instagram account @LynneSt22 and start it with “Story for the podcast.”

In this episode:

• ​grief in real time
• ​joy-filled memories of friendship
• ​love, loss, and gratitude side by side

join us at The STILL FINDING MY VOICE Community on facebook. We'd love to welcome you!

Creation notes: Portions of the planning and structuring process for this podcast were supported by reflective writing tools, including ChatGPT, used as a creative aid. All stories, reflections, and conversations are original and shared from lived experience.

© 2026 Still Finding My Voice™ with Lynne Street. All rights reserved.

The VOICE Method™ is a trademark claimed by Lynne Street.

No part of this podcast or its accompanying materials may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or republished without prior written permission from Lynne Street, except as permitted by applicable copyright law.

After a friends passing, Lynne is reminded that...If you’ve ever smiled and cried at the same memory, youknow grief and joy can coexist.

If you’ve ever smiled and cried at the same memory, youknow grief and joy can coexist.

Option 5 (Podcast-Branded)

Do I Really Want to Stand Here? | Midlife Reinvention, Alignment, Visibility, and Finding Your Voice

In this episode of Still Finding My Voice, Lynne explores a question that sounds simple on the surface but can quietly change everything: Do I really want to stand here?

What began as a moment of researching how to go viral on TikTok turned into something much deeper. Then came the purchase of a professional backdrop that looked much easier in the video than it did in real life. When it arrived flat, without the poles needed to actually make it work, the humor of the moment opened the door to a much more honest reflection:

How often do we start building before we’ve asked whether we truly want what we’re building?

This episode is part of the VOICE MethodTM, focusing on the letter O — Open. Opening is not about blowing up your life, making dramatic changes overnight, or abandoning every commitment. It is about learning to pause long enough to ask an honest question before momentum locks you into something that is not aligned. It is about creating space for self-awareness, clarity, and truth before your time, energy, money, and heart are already invested.

If you are in a season of midlife transition, empty nest reinvention, personal growth, identity shifts, or learning how to trust yourself again, this conversation will likely hit home. Maybe you have said yes too quickly. Maybe you have mistaken motion for alignment. Maybe you have been building infrastructure for a version of yourself that no longer feels true. Maybe you have been chasing visibility, progress, or relevance without first asking whether the stage in front of you is actually one you want to stand on.

This episode explores the tension between momentum and alignment, visibility and authenticity, and external pressure versus internal truth. Lynne reflects on the experience of making spontaneous decisions, getting caught up in the energy of an idea, and then finding herself in the middle of it all wondering, How did I get here? With warmth, humor, and honesty, she offers a gentler path forward: pause before momentum locks you in.

Inside this episode:

• ​A humorous story about TikTok strategy and a backdrop fail that turned into a life lesson
• ​A powerful reflection on midlife alignment and why not every opportunity is meant for you
• ​Encouragement for women and men in transition who are learning to trust their own timing
• ​A reminder that finding your voice is not always about speaking louder — sometimes it is about asking a better question
• ​A gentle invitation to examine where you may be confusing visibility with alignment

Lynne also poses reflective questions for listeners:

Where are you adjusting your lighting for a room you don’t love?

Where are you building infrastructure before checking your desire?

Where have you confused visibility with alignment?

Resources & Mentions

• ​Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/
• ​Patrice Washington: https://patricewashington.com/
• ​Redefine Wealth for Yourself: https://patricewashington.com/books/

Creation note: Portions of the planning and structuring process for this podcast were supported by reflective writing tools, including ChatGPT, used as a creative aid. All stories, reflections, and conversations are original and shared from lived experience.

Join our free Facebook group at STILL FINDING MY VOICE Community

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1659281655222324/?ref=share

© 2026 Still Finding My Voice™ with Lynne Street. All rights reserved.

The VOICE Method™ is a trademark claimed by Lynne Street.

No part of this podcast or its accompanying materials may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or republished without prior written permission from Lynne Street, except as permitted by applicable copyright law.

In this episode of Still Finding My Voice, Lynne shares a real-life, privacy-protected moment from a morning dog walk that brought up tenderness, reflection, and the emotional weight of Alzheimer’s. This gentle episode explores how memory loss impacts not only families, but entire neighborhoods — and why simple presence can matter more than the perfect words.

Lynne also shares her VOICE Method™ reflection in the last episode, which was for View : She refines the V = Validate the View — an invitation to acknowledge what’s real without minimizing it or rushing past it.

Support Resource: Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline: 800-272-3900

Topics include: Alzheimer’s support, caregiver emotions, compassion fatigue, grief and tenderness, emotional regulation, community care, and midlife transitions.

* Listener note: This episode includes a tender real-life moment involving Alzheimer’s. Take care of your heart as you listen.

V - was for View and Validate

Creation note: Portions of the planning and structuring process for this podcast were supported by reflective writing tools, including ChatGPT, used as a creative aid. All stories, reflections, and conversations are original and shared from lived experience.

© 2026 Still Finding My Voice™ with Lynne Street. All rights reserved.

The VOICE Method™ is a trademark claimed by Lynne Street.

No part of this podcast or its accompanying materials may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or republished without prior written permission from Lynne Street, except as permitted by applicable copyright law.

Welcome to Still Finding My Voice. If you’ve ever felt like you should be further along by now—clearer, more confident, more certain—this space is for you. Vote in today's poll 👇🏼Then DM me your biggest "View" moment on Instagram: @Lynnest22 Maybe your children have grown and left home. Maybe you’re navigating the quiet of an empty nest. Maybe you’re over 50 and asking, “Who am I now?" I see you. I spent 23 years as a professional dancer, where my body learned to express joy, strength, and story without saying a word. Movement was my first language. But when that chapter ended… I had to learn something new. How to speak. Not perfectly. Not loudly. (and definitely not on the first try) But honestly. This episode explores midlife reinvention, empty nest transitions, identity shifts, and what it means to find your voice after a life of performing for others. It’s about that in-between space—where clarity hasn’t fully arrived, where your voice is still forming, and where you’re learning to take up space in a new way. And along the way, I'll be weaving in what I call The Voice MethodTM- a simple way to notice, integrate, and express who you really are. There’s no rush here. No performance required. Just reflection, warmth, a little disco energy… and permission to begin again. You’re not behind. You’re becoming— (awkward pauses included). I’m really glad you’re here.

V - View and Validate

Creation note: Portions of the planning and structuring process for this podcast were supported by reflective writing tools, including ChatGPT, used as a creative aid. All stories, reflections, and conversations are original and shared from lived experience.

© 2026 Still Finding My Voice™ with Lynne Street. All rights reserved.

The VOICE Method™ is a trademark claimed by Lynne Street.

No part of this podcast or its accompanying materials may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or republished without prior written permission from Lynne Street, except as permitted by applicable copyright law.

Welcome to the very first episode of Still Finding My Voice.

This podcast didn’t come from nowhere.

It was born from years of reinvention, unexpected transitions, and one question that kept showing up in my life:

If I’m no longer who I used to be… who am I becoming?

In this episode, I share the story behind this podcast, my journey from performing on stages around the world as a professional dancer to navigating motherhood, life changes, and the quiet process of rediscovering my voice. If you’ve ever felt like you’re starting over, questioning your identity, or searching for what comes next, this conversation is for you.

Key Takeaways

1. ​ Reinvention rarely happens all at once.

Big life changes often happen in stages, and every version of yourself has value.

1. ​ Your identity is bigger than your career.

What you do is only one part of who you are.

1. ​ Life’s quiet seasons can be just as meaningful as its loud ones.

Growth often happens away from the spotlight.

1. ​ It’s okay to not have all the answers.

Finding your voice is a process, not a destination.

1. ​ Your story matters.

The experiences that shaped you may be exactly what someone else needs to hear.

🎉This podcast is for reflection, not perfection. Consult professionals when needed, stretch responsibly, and remember — "high kicks are always optional.”✍🏼Creation note: Portions of the planning and structuring process for this podcast were supported by reflective writing tools, including ChatGPT, used as a creative aid. All stories, reflections, and conversations are original and shared from lived experience.

© 2026 Still Finding My Voice™ with Lynne Street. All rights reserved.

The VOICE Method™ is a trademark claimed by Lynne Street.

No part of this podcast or its accompanying materials may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or republished without prior written permission from Lynne Street, except as permitted by applicable copyright law.