In this solo episode of Grief and Light, Nina Rodriguez reflects on the ambient grief many of us are carrying in response to global, political, and collective uncertainty.

After taking a pause to tend to her own nervous system and grief, Nina shares a reflection rooted in presence rather than answers, exploring what it means to keep creating, caring, and staying human when the world feels overwhelming and dissonant.

Drawing on grief literacy, nervous system awareness, and the story behind Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, this episode gently reframes hope not as a feeling, but as an action, something we practice in small, everyday ways, even when clarity feels out of reach.

This is an episode for anyone feeling frozen, disconnected, or unsure how to move forward without turning away from reality.

Referenced in This Episode:

• Essay: The Grief of Uncertainty in Unprecedented Times
• Podcast Episode

This Episode Explores

• Ambient and collective grief in times of global and political disruption
• Nervous system overwhelm, freeze responses, and grief fatigue
• The dissonance of daily life continuing during crisis
• Hope as a verb rather than something we wait for
• Art, creation, and meaning-making during times of war and uncertainty
• Claude Monet’s Water Lilies as a historical response to personal and collective trauma
• Staying engaged without becoming consumed
• Choosing presence, care, and humanity in small, ordinary ways

This Episode Is For

• Those feeling overwhelmed by world events and political realities
• Grievers navigating uncertainty without clear answers
• Creators questioning the role of art, work, or expression during crisis
• Anyone feeling disconnected, frozen, or unsure how to “show up” right now
• Listeners seeking grief-literate reflection rather than solutions
• Grieving hearts seeking messages of hope

Connect with Nina Rodriguez:

• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

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Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

How do we decide what to keep after a loved one dies?

In this insightful episode, Nina Rodriguez is joined by grief coach, curator of The Grief Gallery™, and author, Charlene Lam, for a deeply human conversation about curating grief: the tender, often overwhelming process of choosing what to keep after loss.

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Video version available here.

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After the sudden death of her mother in 2013, Charlene found herself alone with the responsibility of sorting through her mom’s belongings. That experience became the foundation for her work, including the 10 Object Method, a reflective practice that invites grievers to select a small number of meaningful items as a way of honoring relationships, reclaiming narrative, and maintaining continuing bonds.

Together, Nina and Charlene explore the emotional weight of everyday objects, the cultural and personal lenses that shape grief, and the evolving nature of our connection to those who have died. This conversation reminds us that grief is not something to complete or solve, it is something we live with, curate, and carry forward in ways that are deeply personal and uniquely our own.

Whether you’re facing a house full of belongings, grieving a loss beyond death, or simply wondering how memory and meaning intertwine, this episode offers language, permission, and companionship.

Key Takeaways

• Curating grief is about choosing what holds meaning, not following rules.
• The 10 Object Method offers a gentle framework for honoring relationships after loss.
• Belongings can feel emotionally overwhelming, especially when time and resources are limited.
• Objects often serve as anchors for memory, identity, and continuing bonds.
• Grief is not static; our relationship with those we’ve lost evolves over time.
• Everyday items can carry deep symbolic and emotional weight.
• Grief extends beyond death and includes many forms of loss.
• Curating memories helps us reclaim our personal narratives.
• Cultural perspectives shape how grief is experienced and expressed.
• Sharing stories keeps connection alive and helps reduce isolation.

Guest: Charlene Lam

• Author, Speaker, Grief Coach & Curator
• @curating_grief
• curatinggrief.com
• [BOOK] Curating Grief: A Creative Guide to Choosing What to Keep After a Loved One Dies

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack
• Grief Tending Toolkit

Send us a text

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

Episode 100 of Grief and Light marks a meaningful milestone shaped not only by consistency and care, but by the relationships formed along the way. Nina Rodriguez chose to honor this moment with a feed swap: a deeply personal episode originally recorded for The Life Shift Podcast, hosted by fellow podcaster and friend Matt Gilhooly.

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Read:

Grief and Light Podcast: Exploring Grief & Lighting the Way to Hope by Frank Racioppi, EAR WORTHY

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This episode reflects one of the most unexpected and beautiful ripple effects of saying yes to grief work: the genuine connections that emerge when we choose to stay in honest conversation over time. In this role-reversed dialogue, Matt interviews Nina about the sudden loss of her brother and the life-altering moment that reshaped everything that followed.

Nina reflects on the spontaneous decision to visit her brother on his birthday, followed by the shock, surrealism, and disorientation of receiving the news of his unexpected death. She speaks openly about his long-term sobriety, the hope and plans they held for his future, and the complexity of grieving someone whose life carried both struggle and profound love.

Nina and Matt explore the unpredictable nature of life, the emotional disconnection that often accompanies sudden loss, and the quiet ways grief changes how we move through the world. What emerges is a story of learning how to live with grief.

Nina shares how creating Grief and Light became a way to stay in relationship with her grief, transforming pain into presence, isolation into connection, and making meaning.

This episode is a meditation on human connection, the power of curiosity in times of loss, and the possibility of honoring grief without needing to resolve it.

Key Takeaways:

• One of the beautiful ripple effects of this journey is the meaningful connections it has forged.
• About 5% of podcasts make it past the 100th episode.
• You don’t need answers or clarity to be present with grief.
• Meaning-making after loss is not linear or prescriptive; it unfolds in its own time.
• Grief can change how we relate to ourselves, our relationships, and our sense of the future.
• Curiosity can be a gentler companion than certainty when navigating loss.
• Honoring someone’s full story (including struggle, hope, and love) matters in grief.
• Human connection is one of the most sustaining forces during times of loss.
• Joy and sorrow are not opposites; they can coexist.
• Staying in relationship with grief can transform isolation into connection.

Connect with Matt Gilhooly:

• thelifeshiftpodcast.com
• @thelifeshiftpodcast

Connect with Nina Rodriguez:

• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Tools:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Pause, Pivot, Podcast Workbook

Send us a text

Support the show

Thank you for listening! Please share with someone who may need to hear this.

Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers