The Big Silence

Karena Dawn
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  • Mental Health
  • Updated weekly

The Big Silence is a top-rated mental health and self-development podcast for anyone ready to build resilience, heal deeply, and grow with intention. Welcome to The Big Silence podcast. This is a space for real, honest conversations about mental health, resilience, and the things we’re all navigating but don’t always say out loud. I’m your host, Karena Dawn—mental health advocate, wellness entrepreneur, and owner and co-founder of Tone It Up—and each week I’m sitting down with psychologists, wellness experts, and people I deeply admire to talk about what healing actually looks like in real life. You’ll hear personal stories, expert insight, and simple, powerful tools you can apply to your own life. My hope is that you leave every episode feeling supported, understood, and more confident in your ability to move through whatever season you’re in. No more silence. Only healing. -- A non-profit 501(c)3, The Big Silence Foundation provides resources and support to anyone directly or indirectly impacted by mental illness. 'The Big Silence' theme song was written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney. Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

  1. 2 days ago

    Death Doula Darnell Lamont Walker on Facing Mortality, Forgiveness & Why Love Is What We Never Forget

    Darnell Walker is a death doula, children's television writer, and founder of the travel company Passport Required. In this episode, he joins Karena Dawn to talk about how a near-fatal blood clot diagnosis at 22 reshaped how he lives, why he believes you don't have to forgive someone to heal from what they did, the deathbed truth he's witnessed again and again about love and regret, and the 20-page worksheet he hands out to strangers to get people talking about death before the crisis hits. What If Talking About Death Is the Key to Living Fully? Darnell Walker shows that you don't need to wait for a diagnosis or a deathbed to start living with intention. Sometimes you just need to get honest about the conversations you've been avoiding. (00:00) What Is a Death Doula? From Children's TV to End-of-Life Work The real definition of a death doula, and why Darnell believes every doula brings their own gift to the work How writing for Sesame Workshop and children's television led him to also sit with the dying The childhood roots of his calling: helping someone die at 12, volunteering in hospice at 13, and holding grief circles in middle school (04:04) Facing Mortality at 22: Living With a Death Sentence The blood clot diagnosis at 22 that forced him to confront the question, "If I had a day to live, what would I do differently?" Why living with the constant threat of death has shaped how he chooses to live now His advice for anyone gripped by a fear of dying: find out where the fear actually comes from Why you don't have to think about death "all day, every day" to honor the moments when it shows up (07:01) Why Love Is the Only Thing We Never Forget The pattern he's seen again and again at the bedside: people forget names and details, but never forget love Why "home" at the end of life is almost never a place — it's a person The questions people really wrestle with as they die: "Did I love properly?" and "Who loved me?" His take on forgiveness: why he believes you can heal from what someone did to you without ever forgiving them (16:50) Breaking the Silence: How Talking About Death Sets Us Free Why society still doesn't talk about death enough and the family rifts that form when we don't The heartbreaking reality of dying alone, even when family lives right up the street Why he's been writing his own death plan since he was 18, long before he was ever faced with a diagnosis Inside the 20-page worksheet on his website that asks the questions we usually wait too long to answer Guest Resources Visit Darnell's website Follow Darnell on Instagram Darnell's 'Death Worksheet' Plan a secret adventure with Passport Required Get Darnell’s book If this episode moved you, please consider supporting The Big Silence Foundation and exploring our resources: Connect with The Big Silence Community Order: The Big Silence Memoir audiobook Shop The Big Silence Self Love Collection Subscribe on YouTube Donate to The Big Silence Foundation The Big Silence Resource Guide Find exclusive offers from our supporters Show Resources: VISIT THE CHALLENGE PAGE THE BIG SILENCE PODCAST TONE IT DOWN PODCAST Tone It Up App Tone It Up YouTube Tone It Up Instagram Have a message for Karena? She'd love to hear from you and share your comment or question on air! Leave Karena a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/KarenaDawn

    51 min

  2. 18 Jun

    Dr. Michael Greger on Food, Longevity & Why Everything You've Been Told About Protein Is Wrong

    Dr. Michael Greger is a physician, bestselling author of How Not to Die, and founder of nutritionfacts.org. In this episode, he joins Karena to break down the science of longevity — from why poor diet kills more Americans than cigarettes, to the truth about fasting, protein myths, and the three foods that could add years to your life. He also shares surprising research linking meat consumption to mood disorders and explains why just 21 days of dietary change can transform your body from the inside out. What if the food on your plate is either slowly stealing your life or quietly giving it back to you? Dr. Michael Greger makes one thing undeniably clear: you have far more power over your health destiny than anyone has ever told you. (03:26) You Have More Control Over Your Lifespan Than You Think The vast majority of premature death and disability is preventable through diet and lifestyle. Genetics only account for about 25% of the difference in lifespan between people. Minimizing processed foods, meat, dairy, sugar, and eggs while maximizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and legumes is your clearest path to a longer life. Real food that grows out of the ground is your most powerful longevity tool — at every stage of life, and only more so as you age. (08:28) When You Eat Matters Just As Much As What You Eat If you're going to eat something indulgent, eat it in the morning. You'll experience a lower blood sugar spike and a lower triglyceride spike than if you ate it later in the day. Time-restricted feeding works best when you front-load your eating: make breakfast or lunch your biggest meal and stop eating before 7pm. Eating late at night and skipping the benefits of your morning physiology can actually make things worse, not better. (12:30) You Don't Have to Change Forever — Just Give It 21 Days Lifelong dietary change feels overwhelming, but you don't have to commit forever. Commit to three weeks and let your own body show you what's possible. Within 21 days, patients routinely experience better digestion, better sleep, more energy, and less pain without a doctor wagging a finger at them. The most powerful motivator isn't external pressure — it's the moment your own body says this is the way to go. (16:41) The Protein Myth That's Misleading Every Woman Over 40 The recommendation of one gram of protein per pound of body weight is, in Dr. Greger's words, "ridiculous." Adding extra protein to the diets of older men and women has been shown to have zero effect on muscle mass, muscle performance, or muscle strength — with or without resistance exercise. Anyone who doesn't know how to get enough protein on a plant-based diet, as Dr. Greger puts it, simply doesn't know beans. Guest Resources: nutritionfacts.org Books by Dr. Michael Greger If this episode moved you, please consider supporting The Big Silence Foundation and exploring our resources: Connect with The Big Silence Community Order: The Big Silence Memoir audiobook Shop The Big Silence Self Love Collection Subscribe on YouTube Donate to The Big Silence Foundation The Big Silence Resource Guide Find exclusive offers from our supporters Show Resources: VISIT THE CHALLENGE PAGE THE BIG SILENCE PODCAST TONE IT DOWN PODCAST Tone It Up App Tone It Up YouTube Tone It Up Instagram Have a message for Karena? She'd love to hear from you and share your comment or question on air! Leave Karena a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/KarenaDawn

    25 min

  3. 11 Jun

    Sol Health Founder Melinda Gong on Grief, Access To Therapy & Building Beauty From Loss

    Stanford grad Melinda Gong is the founder of Sol Health, a teletherapy company offering sessions starting at $30 — five to six times more affordable than private practice. Melinda lost her brother Tony to suicide at nineteen and channeled that grief into one of the most promising mental health startups in the country. In this episode, she joins Karena to talk about the loneliness epidemic, why 57% of therapists-in-training quit before they're licensed, her journey with EMDR, and why she believes therapy should be free for every person in America. What if the love, healing, and connection you've been searching for has been waiting for you to ask for help first? Melinda Gong proves that grief doesn't have to be the end of the story… it can be the very beginning of your purpose. (02:47) Soul Health & Why Affordable Therapy Isn't a Luxury — It's a Right Why the mental health system has a supply problem, not just a demand problem and how Sol Health is solving it from the inside out The massive gap between what therapists need to earn and what patients can afford and why closing it changes everything Why access alone isn't enough: the difference between having a therapist and having a quality therapist (06:15) Before Tony and After Tony: How Loss Became Her Life's Mission Melinda's story of losing her brother Tony to his mental health battle and the gut feeling she had the morning she got the call How growing up in a household where mental health was never discussed compounded Tony's suffering and her own (10:08) We Are the Anxious Generation — And Here's Why Why Melinda believes tech and AI have created a "veneer of connection" that is quietly eroding our ability to sit in real relationships How algorithmic sameness is atrophying our muscle for social discomfort and why that matters deeply for mental health The role of physical vitality, movement, and social belonging in a full-stack approach to mental wellness (18:24) Grief, EMDR & the Healing That Actually Worked She stopped drinking, stopped partying, and asked herself: how do I turn this into something meaningful? Why three months of EMDR did more for her than two years of CBT and what that means for how we think about therapy (43:15) Building Soul From Scratch at 21 With No Idea What They Were Doing How Soul Health was born in Stanford's Startup Garage Why Melinda calls their early days "hobby lobbying an arts and crafts project" and why naivete turned out to be her greatest strength To learn more about The Big Silence and Sol Health partnership visit: solhealth.co/thebigsilence Guest Resources Visit Sol Health: solhealth.co (https://www.solhealth.co/) Follow Sol Health on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/solhealth.co/) If this episode moved you, please consider supporting The Big Silence Foundation and exploring our resources: Connect with The Big Silence Community Order: The Big Silence Memoir audiobook (https://thebigsilence.com/pages/audiobook) Shop The Big Silence Self Love Collection (https://thebigsilence.com/collections/shop-all) Subscribe on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaL3RrbvDLuTTGFN4VYzEpw) Donate to The Big Silence Foundation (https://thebigsilence.com/donate) The Big Silence Resource Guide (https://thebigsilence.com/pages/resources) Find exclusive offers from our supporters (https://thebigsilence.com/pages/our-podcast-partners) Show Resources: VISIT THE CHALLENGE PAGE (https://my.toneitup.com/pages/radiate-rise-2026-summer-challenge) THE BIG SILENCE PODCAST (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-silence/id1607181597) TONE IT DOWN PODCAST (https://my.toneitup.com/pages/tone-it-down-podcast) Tone It Up App (https://my.toneitup.com/pages/tone-it-up-app) Tone It Up YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@toneitup/featured) Tone It Up Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/toneitup/?hl=en) Have a message for Karena? She'd love to hear from you and share your comment or question on air! Leave Karena a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/KarenaDawn

    49 min

  4. 4 Jun

    Mindfulness Expert Case Kenny on Optimism, Journaling for Joy & the Courage To Be Weird

    Case Kenny is the host of New Minds on SiriusXM, author of Bold of You: How to Thrive as Your Most Vibrant, Weird and Real Self, and one of the most-shared wellness voices on social media. In this episode, he joins Karena Dawn to talk about how he traded a high-earning ad sales career for a life built on vulnerability and journaling, why mindfulness doesn't have to be mystical, his practical take on modern relationships and the "dependency paradox," and the simple mindset shift that turns two competing truths into a source of genuine joy. What if the bravest thing you can do is refuse to let other people's words become your identity? Case Kenny shows that you don't need a rock-bottom story to start over. Sometimes you just need to get honest about who you've been performing for. (00:00) From Ad Sales to Mindfulness: the Shift That Started It All Why Case felt like he was "copying and pasting" different versions of himself in his twenties and why that frustrated him enough to change How launching a solo podcast at 29 became his most practical mindfulness practice The real definition of mindfulness he lives by: not just listening to yourself, but learning to talk to yourself (11:11) Love, Independence & the Dependency Paradox The psychology concept from child development that Case believes should reshape how adults think about romantic relationships Why the point of a relationship is to amplify joy you've already built, not to create it for you How to stop self-sabotaging when independence is mistaken for distance (21:11) The Case for Being Intentionally Cringe Why Case, a self-described introvert, leads dance music meditation events in public, and why that discomfort is the whole point The "beautiful mess effect": the research-backed reason we love vulnerability in others but punish it in ourselves How he writes in "golden retriever language" and why stripping away therapy-speak actually helps more people (28:36) Bold of You — Reclaiming Your Identity from Other People's Labels Why "too dramatic," "too sensitive," and "too much" are other people's limits, not your identity The mindset shift behind his book: being stubborn about who you are is a bold act His daily writing practice, guided journaling events, and why community journaling is far more powerful than it sounds Guest Resources Follow Case on Instagram Visit his website  Check out Case's work Listen to New Mindset, Who Dis? If this episode moved you, please consider supporting The Big Silence Foundation and exploring our resources: Connect with The Big Silence Community Order: The Big Silence Memoir audiobook Shop The Big Silence Self Love Collection Subscribe on YouTube Donate to The Big Silence Foundation The Big Silence Resource Guide Find exclusive offers from our supporters Show Resources: VISIT THE CHALLENGE PAGE THE BIG SILENCE PODCAST TONE IT DOWN PODCAST Tone It Up App Tone It Up YouTube Tone It Up Instagram Have a message for Karena? She'd love to hear from you and share your comment or question on air! Leave Karena a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/KarenaDawn

    44 min

  5. 29 May

    Celebrating 200 Episodes: The Origin Story, Real Mental Health Stats & Karena's 5 Practices for Emotional Wellness

    In Episode 200, host Karena Dawn pauses to celebrate five years of The Big Silence and over six million people reached through the podcast's mental health mission. She opens up about growing up with a mother diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, surviving teenage suicidal ideation, and why she built a foundation dedicated to making mental health support accessible to everyone. Karena shares five concrete tools for protecting your peace, including morning routines, boundary-setting, movement, sunlight, and therapy, along with the stats that remind us why this conversation cannot stop. What does it actually take to break the silence around mental health when the stigma runs this deep? It starts with one person raising their hand and saying they're not okay. Five years in, that simple act is still the most powerful thing we can do for each other. (01:37) Five Years, Six Million People: The Big Silence by the Numbers The podcast has reached over six million people through episodes, live events, and global awareness campaigns Ninety-six thousand people directly supported through mental health tools and the Therapy for All program Over one hundred thousand participants in the free seven-day mindset reset Why Karena finally stopped keeping her mother's diagnosis a secret (05:14) The Origin Story: Growing Up with a Mentally Ill Parent Karena's mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in the nineties, before anyone was talking about mental health What it meant to grow up without language, resources, or anyone to talk to Her own decade of darkness and how she became a teenage suicide survivor The two statistics that still drive every episode: someone dies by suicide every 11 minutes, and it takes 11 years for the average person to ask for help (09:22) Five Things to Protect Your Peace Walk it off or dance it off: how movement clears anxious morning energy before it spirals Sunlight and red light therapy as accessible tools for depression and anxiety Why the first boundary you set is always the hardest, and what happens when you hold it The joy list: building a personal go-to for when you're in a slump Therapy is not just for crisis moments; it is maintenance for your mind Thanks for the support from our partners, including:  If you’re struggling with your mental health, someone is waiting to help:  If this episode moved you, please consider supporting The Big Silence Foundation and exploring our resources: Connect with The Big Silence Community Order: The Big Silence Memoir audiobook Shop The Big Silence Self Love Collection Subscribe on YouTube Donate to The Big Silence Foundation The Big Silence Resource Guide Find exclusive offers from our supporters Show Resources: VISIT THE CHALLENGE PAGE THE BIG SILENCE PODCAST TONE IT DOWN PODCAST Tone It Up App Tone It Up YouTube Tone It Up Instagram Have a message for Karena? She'd love to hear from you and share your comment or question on air! Leave Karena a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/KarenaDawn

    14 min

  6. 21 May

    How Kathryn Nicolai's Bedtime Stories Reached 200 Million Downloads and Changed How the World Sleeps

    Kathryn Nicolai is the creator of Nothing Much Happens, a bedtime story podcast with over 200 million downloads, a former yoga and meditation studio owner with 20 years of teaching experience, and the author of two books. In this episode, she joins Karena Dawn to explore the real relationship between sleep and mental health, why trying to fall asleep actually makes it harder, the ancient power of storytelling as a nervous system tool, and how to build a nighttime ritual that feels like self-care rather than another thing to optimize. What if the secret to better sleep has nothing to do with your room temperature, your wearable, or your bedtime? What if it has everything to do with where you put your mind? Your body already knows how to sleep. The real work is learning to remove whatever is blocking it. (01:37) The Bedtime Story That Became a Career - Why Kathryn started telling herself stories at age 4 and never stopped - The unexpected training ground that shaped everything she does now - The middle-of-the-night moment that launched the podcast - Why she is still not running out of things to write about after 400 episodes (08:41) Sleep, Mental Health, and the Loop Nobody Talks About - The research finding that flips the sleep-depression relationship on its head - Why the thing most people do to fall asleep is making it worse - What your brain is actually doing when the room goes quiet - The ancient reason why silence at night can feel unsettling (18:03) A Ritual That Feels Like Self-Love - The nightly routine Kathryn swears by and it has nothing to do with optimization - Her take on melatonin and sleep aids - Why making your bedtime ritual pleasurable is the whole point - The phone-in-the-bedroom debate and where she actually lands Thanks for the support from our partners, including: Guest Resources - Visit her website - Listen to the podcast: Nothing Much Happens: Bedtime Stories to Help You Sleep - Follow her on Instagram - Buy the Book: Nothing Much Happens If this episode moved you, please consider supporting The Big Silence Foundation and exploring our resources: Connect with The Big Silence Community - Order: The Big Silence Memoir audiobook - Shop The Big Silence Self Love Collection - Subscribe on YouTube - Donate to The Big Silence Foundation - The Big Silence Resource Guide - Find exclusive offers from our supporters Show Resources: - VISIT THE CHALLENGE PAGE - THE BIG SILENCE PODCAST - TONE IT DOWN PODCAST - Tone It Up App - Tone It Up YouTube - Tone It Up Instagram Have a message for Karena? She'd love to hear from you and share your comment or question on air! Leave Karena a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/KarenaDawn

    25 min

  7. 14 May

    Kevin Hines: Surviving the Golden Gate Bridge, Living with Bipolar Disorder & Saving Lives

    Best-selling author, keynote speaker, and Golden Gate Bridge suicide attempt survivor Kevin Hines joins Karena Dawn to talk about bipolar disorder, suicidal ideation, and the daily practices that keep him mentally well. Kevin opens up about the traumatic childhood that shaped his mental health, the instant regret he felt leaving the bridge rail, the sea lion and Coast Guard boat that saved his life, and the 15-year fight to install life-saving nets at the Golden Gate Bridge. He also shares the four words that have kept him alive through 25 years of suicidal ideation, and the science-backed wellness routines that support his brain health every single day. What does it take to survive the unthinkable and spend the rest of your life making sure others never have to? Kevin Hines proves that healing is not a destination but a daily practice, and that the simple words "I need help now" can make all the difference. (02:57) Born Into Crisis From abject poverty and neglect to a loving adoptive home, Kevin's path to the Hines family was anything but linear Why his gut health, brain chemistry, and mental illness were shaped before he could even speak The moment at 17 when his mind began to break, and why no one around him knew (13:11) The Words That Keep Him Here The mantra Kevin returns to every time suicidal thoughts arise, and why it works Four simple words he has taught thousands of people to say in their darkest moments Why sharing your pain with even one person creates real, physiological relief (21:51) Love, Loss, and the Fight for the Bridge Nets The wildly improbable love story that began in a psychiatric ward Why it took nearly two decades to get life-saving nets installed at the Golden Gate Bridge What to say when you see someone in visible pain and don't know how to start (28:58) Building a Life That's Worth Staying For Kevin's morning and evening routine for regulating his nervous system The 23-minute exercise rule backed by University of Georgia research Why his doctor reframed medication as a quality-of-life decision, not a weakness May is Mental Health Awareness Month—Get Involved through Action, not just awareness.  Be a part of change with The Big Silence | Host a benefit with The Big Silence: https://thebigsilence.com/blogs/share-your-silence/the-big-silence-fundraiser-hosting-guide Guest Resources Follow Kevin on Instagram Explore his books Listen to the Hindsights Podcast If this episode moved you, please consider supporting The Big Silence Foundation and exploring our resources: Connect with The Big Silence Community Order: The Big Silence Memoir audiobook Shop The Big Silence Self Love Collection Subscribe on YouTube Donate to The Big Silence Foundation The Big Silence Resource Guide Find exclusive offers from our supporters Show Resources: VISIT THE CHALLENGE PAGE THE BIG SILENCE PODCAST TONE IT DOWN PODCAST Tone It Up App Tone It Up YouTube Tone It Up Instagram Have a message for Karena? She'd love to hear from you and share your comment or question on air! Leave Karena a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/KarenaDawn

    36 min

  8. 7 May

    The Energy You Carry | Nervous System Regulation, Frequency & Healing with Heather Askinosie

    In this episode of The Big Silence, Karena Dawn is joined by Heather Askinosie, energy architect, bestselling author of Crystal Muse, and founder of Energy Muse, where she has spent over three decades helping people use crystals and frequency technology to regulate their nervous systems and deepen their alignment. Heather breaks down how frequency devices work, explains the Tesla-inspired 3-6-9-12 manifestation practice, and offers a grounded look at why real change starts from the inside, from morning rituals to how you handle your hardest relationships. What if the energy you're projecting is the very thing shaping the reality you're living in? When we clear our internal frequency and stop outsourcing our power, we stop reacting to the world and start consciously creating it. (01:37) Crystals, Frequency & the Art of Getting Grounded Heather's 30-year journey into crystal energy and what led her to pair crystals with frequency devices  Crystals as earth tools: how they anchor the mind and give the nervous system something to hold onto Recalibrating your energy field with the 7.83 Schumann resonance device  Why frequency works on animals and babies faster than adults, and what that reveals about our own mental noise The key insight: it's about clearing the distortion (13:15) Your Animals Know More Than You Think Why Karena's Pomeranians get anxious when she leaves and what frequency tools can actually help How animals respond to sound frequencies  Heather's case for communicating with your pets before you leave and why they understand more than we give them credit for The fastest way to calm anxious animals: regulate yourself first The 417 frequency device as "digital sage" for clearing shared spaces (28:57) Morning Rituals, Manifestation & Programming Your Subconscious Heather's non-negotiable: 20 minutes of meditation before touching her phone, every single morning The Tesla 3-6-9-12 method to reprogram your subconscious Why the moment you wake up is your single most powerful manifestation window Her night routine: reviewing wins, reframing the day, and visualizing situations resolving at their highest potential Why gratitude opens your energy field and how focusing on what's right makes you a magnet for more of it Thanks for the support from our partners, including: Guest Resources Follow Heather on Instagram Visit Energy Muse Read Heather's Substack Monthly frequency device classes available at energymuse.com If this episode moved you, please consider supporting The Big Silence Foundation and exploring our resources: Connect with The Big Silence Community Order: The Big Silence Memoir audiobook Shop The Big Silence Self Love Collection Subscribe on YouTube Donate to The Big Silence Foundation The Big Silence Resource Guide Find exclusive offers from our supporters Show Resources: VISIT THE CHALLENGE PAGE THE BIG SILENCE PODCAST TONE IT DOWN PODCAST Tone It Up App Tone It Up YouTube Tone It Up Instagram Have a message for Karena? She'd love to hear from you and share your comment or question on air! Leave Karena a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/KarenaDawn

    38 min
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About

The Big Silence is a top-rated mental health and self-development podcast for anyone ready to build resilience, heal deeply, and grow with intention. Welcome to The Big Silence podcast. This is a space for real, honest conversations about mental health, resilience, and the things we’re all navigating but don’t always say out loud. I’m your host, Karena Dawn—mental health advocate, wellness entrepreneur, and owner and co-founder of Tone It Up—and each week I’m sitting down with psychologists, wellness experts, and people I deeply admire to talk about what healing actually looks like in real life. You’ll hear personal stories, expert insight, and simple, powerful tools you can apply to your own life. My hope is that you leave every episode feeling supported, understood, and more confident in your ability to move through whatever season you’re in. No more silence. Only healing. -- A non-profit 501(c)3, The Big Silence Foundation provides resources and support to anyone directly or indirectly impacted by mental illness. 'The Big Silence' theme song was written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney. Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

Information

  • Creator
    Karena Dawn
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    207
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2022 The Big Silence Foundation
  • Show Website
    The Big Silence

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