Processing Heritage Radio Network

This week we are privileged to welcome cook and writer Ava Truckey. Ava joins us to talk about the 2013 death of her mother, just two days before her 25th birthday. We discuss grief, cooking as a way of managing emotional pain, the writing process, and why Taco Bell is the best fast food on earth. We loved our time with Ava and we know you will too. Please follow her work @avatruckey on Instagram and Twitter, and her substack https://avatruckey.substack.com/. Thank you Ava, we love you!

Hello friends! We are back with a very special episode! This week we welcome Laura Davis. Laura the author of seven non-fiction books, including The Courage to Heal, Becoming the Parent You Want to Be, and I Thought We'd Never Speak Again. Her groundbreaking books have been translated into 11 languages and have sold more than 1.8 million copies.

In her new book, The Burning Light of Two Star, Laura examines the endurance of mother-daughter love, how memory protects and betrays us, and the determination it takes to fulfill a promise when ghosts from the past come knocking.

Laura teaches writing online, in person, and in domestic and international retreats, and you can find information on how to be a part of these on her website, www.lauradavis.net

Laura is a beautiful writer who has helped so many people with her work, and it was an absolute honor to have her on our show! Thank you Laura

This week we have the distinct pleasure of speaking with Zahra’s long time best friend, Alexis Arvidson-Needham. Alexis is an Acupuncturist and practitioner of Eastern and Western Herbal Medicine. She joins us to talk about a very complicated and very common type of grief: ambiguous grief. Alexis shares about her strained relationship with her father, and how though he is alive, she deeply feels the grief of a life with him being largely absent from her life. This was a really deep and touching conversation, and something that many of us can relate to, and a new way to recognize grief in our own lives and those we love. Thank you to Alexis for her time and vulnerability ❤️

On this week's show we have the absolute pleasure of speaking with Erica Hill. Erica is the owner of Sparrow Funeral Home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She joins us to discuss her vision and goals with Sparrow, as well as her own personal and profound experiences with grief. We loved our time with Erica, and we hope you enjoy this very special conversation.

On this week's very special episode we welcome Artist, Bartender, and Pay It Forward Charleston grant recipient, Luka Romonova. Pay It Forward Charleston provides relief in the form of grants to Charleston's food and beverage community.  Luka shares their experience with Pay It Forward, as well as their experiences with the intersection of food and grief. Their story is so touching and inspiring, and we were deeply honored to have them join us for this beautiful episode.

Please check out Pay It Forward Charleston, and help support this amazing cause.

Pay It Forward Charleston began as a collaboration between farmers, restaurants, and community members who united in an effort to feed food and beverage workers during the COVID-19 crisis.

With every $10 donated, a Charleston community member received a grocery bag filled with goods purchased at a discounted rate from local farms. The donations created income for farmers who were impacted by restaurant closures in the wake of COVID-19 and provided fresh produce to community members who were out of work.

In all, Pay It Forward raised $100,000 and delivered over 11,000 bags of groceries to the food and beverage community from March - September of 2020, working in collaboration with Feed the Need Charleston. Riding a wave of community support, the program was expanded to serve three area shelters before it was wrapped up that fall.

This week we read a beautiful listener letter from Lori, who shares with us some complicated feelings regarding travel and celebration after the passing of her husband, Lou. Thank you, Lori, for sharing this letter with us ❤️