GRIEF AND LIGHT

Nina Rodriguez
  • 5.0 (27)
  • RELATIONSHIPS

This space was created for you by someone who gets it – your grief, your foundation-shattering reality, and the question of what the heck do we do with the shattered pieces of life and loss around us.It’s also for the listener who wants to better understand their grieving person, and perhaps wants to learn how to help.Now in its fourth season, the Grief and Light podcast features both solo episodes and interviews with first-hand experiencers, authors, and professionals, who shine a light on the spectrum of experiences, feelings, secondary losses, and takeaways.As a bereaved sister, I share my personal story of the sudden loss of my younger brother, only sibling, one day after we celebrated his 32nd birthday. I also delve into how that loss, trauma, and grief catapulted me into a truth-seeking journey, which ultimately led me to answer "the calling" of creating this space I now call Grief and Light.Since launching the first episode on March 30, 2023, the Grief and Light podcast and social platforms have evolved into a powerful resource for grief-informed support, including one-on-one grief guidance, monthly grief circles, community, and much more.With each episode, you can expect open and authentic conversations sharing our truth, and explorations of how to transmute the grief experience into meaning, and even joy.My hope is to make you feel less alone, and to be a beacon of light and source of information for anyone embarking on this journey."We're all just walking each other HOME." - Ram DassThank you for being here.We're in this together.Nina, Yosef's Sister--For more information, visit: griefandlight.com

  1. How Art Helps You Heal Grief (And Become Who You Truly Are) with Susie Stonefield

    1D AGO

    How Art Helps You Heal Grief (And Become Who You Truly Are) with Susie Stonefield

    What if the mess you've been avoiding is actually the doorway? In this episode, host Nina Rodriguez sits down with transformational creativity and grief coach Susie Stonefield to explore the powerful connection between grief and creative expression.  Susie believes creativity isn't a luxury or a talent reserved for the few. It's a birthright. And in times of loss and healing, it can become one of our most powerful companions. Together, they explore how art-making without rules, outcomes, or expectations creates space for emotional healing and truth to surface. They move through grief in its many forms: the death of loved ones, identity shifts, coming out later in life, complicated emotions like anger and guilt, and the collective grief so many of us carry in uncertain times. Susie shares her personal journey through loss and self-discovery, and how those experiences shaped the judgment-free spaces she now holds for others through one-on-one grief coaching and intimate small group "Deep Dives." Her work lives at the intersection of mess and meaning. The messiness of life, she says, isn't something to clean up. It's something to honor. This episode is an invitation to anyone navigating loss, identity, or the quiet ache of feeling stuck. Pick up the art supplies. Feel what's there. Make something from it. Not to fix grief, but to sit beside it. This episode explores: Why creativity is a powerful companion to griefThe myth that only “artists” are creativeGrief beyond death: identity shifts, coming out later in life, and life transitionsArt journaling as a cathartic emotional practiceCreating safe, judgment-free spaces for vulnerabilityHonoring anger, guilt, and the full emotional spectrumThe impact of collective grief in today’s worldFinding joy alongside sorrow through creative expressionWhy sharing our stories fosters connection and healingReflection Invitation: What emotion have I been trying to tidy up instead of express?What would it look like to create without needing it to be “good”?What might emerge if I gave myself permission to make something from my grief?Connect with Susie Stonefield: susiestonefield.comBook a Discovery CallFREEBIE: Grief & Creativity WorkbookThe Geography of GriefMilton Marks Family CampSend a text Support the show Thank you for listening! Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

    51 min

  2. FEB 17

    Year of the Fire Horse 2026: What it Means for Grievers

    February 17, 2026 marks a rare cosmic convergence that happens once every 60 years.   In this solo episode, we explore the intersection of grief and the Year of the Fire Horse, a powerful metaphor for riding the uncontrollable momentum of loss while finding your center in the chaos. We're standing at the threshold of three major energetic events: the Chinese Lunar New Year (Year of the Fire Horse), an Aquarius Solar Eclipse, and a rare planetary alignment that amplifies our ability to speak the truths of grief. Whether you believe in astrology or not, there's something palpable in our collective. This episode offers practical rituals, collective practices, and gentle guidance for grievers at every stage of their journey. If you've ever felt like grief is a wild horse you can't control, this conversation is for you. Key Takeaways: Grief is more like riding than walking. You can't outrun it or think your way past it. The Fire Horse rewards courage, not readiness. Take one small brave step toward what your grief has frozen, even if you don't feel ready yet. Eclipse energy initiates six-month cycles. What you set in motion today—a grief intention, a conversation, a ritual—will carry forward through August 2026. Your healing is connected to collective healing. The Aquarius eclipse asks: what happens when we stop performing "fine" and bring our grief into community? Words carry more weight today. Speak your person's name, say the unsayable, let the imperfect words come. Transformation happens inside containment. If you're in early grief and the "Fire Horse energy" feels like too much, remember the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis. The quiet, hidden work is still transformation. Fire destroys and illuminates. Grief burns away what no longer serves while lighting the path forward. Who This Episode Is For Anyone navigating the early, raw stages of griefGrievers who feel stuck or frozen in their processPeople looking for ways to mark significant dates or thresholds in their grief journeyThose seeking community around lossAnyone who has felt like grief is a wild, uncontrollable forceThose looking for grief support resources to shareSources: Today.com - "What the Solar Eclipse in Aquarius on February 17 Means for Your Sign" Khanji School - "Year of the Fire Horse 2026: meaning and Chinese culture" Elle Australia - "What Lunar New Year's 'Year Of The Fire Horse' Means For 2026" Moon Omens - "Mercury in Pisces 2026: the Language of Soul" and "Solar Eclipse in Aquarius 2026: A New Timeline" Bonnie Sorsby Astrology - "Aquarius Eclipse February 17, 2026 Deep Dive + Full Guide" Disclaimer: Nina is not an astrologer or expert in cosmology. The information shared in this episode is for entertainment and reflective purposes only, and is not intended to be prescriptive or taken as professional guidance.Send a text Support the show Thank you for listening! Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

    16 min
  3. Grief, Poetry, and Resilient Leadership: Carl Manlan on Love, Loss, and Legacy

    FEB 3

    Grief, Poetry, and Resilient Leadership: Carl Manlan on Love, Loss, and Legacy

    What does grief teach us about how to live, lead, and love? What happens when the work we do in the world meets what we’re carrying inside? In this episode, host Nina Rodriguez sits down with development practitioner, global thought leader, and poet Carl Manlan, author of i can breathe, for a moving conversation on grief, legacy, resilience, and meaning. *** Video available here *** Carl reflects on how loss reshaped his understanding of resilience, leadership, and what it means to honor those who came before us, and the grief that arises from life changes, transitions, and the unexpected losses that quietly reshape our lives. His poetry became a necessary language for grief, a way to express what policy, strategy, and everyday conversation often cannot. Nina and Carl explore grief as an experience rooted in love, memory, and connection. They discuss how creativity and poetry can support healing, how personal loss deepens our capacity for service and leadership, and how parental and intergenerational influence continues to shape the way we show up for ourselves and our children. This episode is a gentle reminder that grief is not just sorrow. It's also about legacy, memory, and the courage to keep breathing. Carl’s poems chart the path between losing and learning to live with loss, offering honesty, tenderness, and the wisdom of someone who has walked this path. This conversation explores: Why “you only grieve what you love”Poetry and creativity as vessels for griefThe connection between loss and leadershipHow upbringing and parental influence shape resilience and serviceFinding joy, gratitude, and meaning alongside griefParenting and legacy: what we pass on to our children emotionallyCreativity as a survival toolThe symbolism behind Carl’s poetry and imageryCreating space for future generations to express emotionKey Takeaways: Grief is the echo of love; we grieve because we have loved deeplyGrief is sensory and embodied, living in memory, feeling, and the bodyPoetry and creative expression can hold what logic and language cannotLoss can clarify purpose and inspire deeper serviceHonoring loved ones keeps their presence alive; legacy is lived, not just rememberedChildren learn how to carry grief by observing how we do itBeauty and sorrow can coexistGrief deepens our appreciation for life and what truly mattersConnect with guest, Carl Manlan: carlmanlan.comBook: i can breatheSend a text Support the show Thank you for listening! Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

    1h 3m
  4. Hope is a Verb: Staying Human in Uncertain Times

    JAN 24

    Hope is a Verb: Staying Human in Uncertain Times

    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 TimesPodcast EpisodeThis Episode Explores Ambient and collective grief in times of global and political disruptionNervous system overwhelm, freeze responses, and grief fatigueThe dissonance of daily life continuing during crisisHope as a verb rather than something we wait forArt, creation, and meaning-making during times of war and uncertaintyClaude Monet’s Water Lilies as a historical response to personal and collective traumaStaying engaged without becoming consumedChoosing presence, care, and humanity in small, ordinary waysThis Episode Is For Those feeling overwhelmed by world events and political realitiesGrievers navigating uncertainty without clear answersCreators questioning the role of art, work, or expression during crisisAnyone feeling disconnected, frozen, or unsure how to “show up” right nowListeners seeking grief-literate reflection rather than solutionsGrieving hearts seeking messages of hopeConnect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackSend a text Support the show Thank you for listening! Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

    14 min
  5. Curating Grief: Charlene Lam on Choosing What to Keep vs Release After Loss

    12/23/2025

    Curating Grief: Charlene Lam on Choosing What to Keep vs Release After Loss

    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. *** Video version available here. *** 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_griefcuratinggrief.com[BOOK] Curating Grief: A Creative Guide to Choosing What to Keep After a Loved One DiesHosted by: Nina Rodriguez griefandlight.com@griefandlightResting Grief Face on SubstackGrief Tending ToolkitSend a text Support the show Thank you for listening! Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

    1h 2m
  6. 100 Episodes of Leaning Into Grief — Navigating Life Shifts with Matt & Nina

    12/17/2025

    100 Episodes of Leaning Into Grief — Navigating Life Shifts with Matt & Nina

    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. *** Read:  Grief and Light Podcast: Exploring Grief & Lighting the Way to Hope by Frank Racioppi, EAR WORTHY *** 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@thelifeshiftpodcastConnect with Nina Rodriguez: Send a text Support the show Thank you for listening! Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

    1h 6m
  7. Women Who Podcast: Kathy Barron on Grief, Creativity, and Building Community

    12/16/2025

    Women Who Podcast: Kathy Barron on Grief, Creativity, and Building Community

    An honest exploration of grief, creativity, and community with the visionary behind Women Who Podcast magazine—covering storytelling, anticipatory grief, and the movement to amplify women’s voices in podcasting. In this conversation, Nina Rodriguez sits down with Kathy Barron, founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women Who Podcast Magazine, to explore the power of women’s voices, the complexity of grief, and the courage it takes to tell honest stories. *** Video available here *** Kathy shares the origin story behind the magazine: a space born from her desire to see women not just represented in podcasting, but truly celebrated. As the conversation unfolds, Kathy opens up about her own relationship to loss, including the quiet, complicated ache of anticipatory grief as she navigates her mother’s aging, as well as moments of soul-level connection she feels with farming communities and Mexican culture. Nina and Kathy explore how grief shapes identity, creativity, and the way we move through the world. They talk about the tension between what we hold privately and what we offer publicly, the healing potential of artistic expression, and the moments of clarity that come from living inside “the dash”—the space between birth and death. Kathy also reflects on the evolving landscape of podcasting, from the pressures of imposter syndrome to the new possibilities—and challenges—posed by AI. She offers grounded, generous advice for aspiring women podcasters seeking connection, mentorship, and confidence in a space that hasn’t always made room for them. This episode is a reminder that storytelling is community-building, grief is deeply personal but never solitary, and women’s voices deserve to take up space—loudly, boldly, and without apology. Key Takeaways Women Who Podcast magazine amplifies and uplifts women’s voices across the industry.Community is essential for creative collaboration, support, and sustainability.Grief manifests differently for everyone, shaped by personal and generational experiences.Artistic expression—writing, podcasting, humor—can deepen connection and understanding.Anticipatory grief involves mourning who someone once was while caring for who they are now.Hard conversations about mortality, aging, and loss are uncomfortable—but necessary.Sarcasm can be a tool for truth-telling and authenticity in storytelling.Aspiring podcasters benefit from mentorship, collaboration, and supportive networks.Critical thinking is more important than ever in a rapidly shifting tech landscape.Reclaiming creativity in the age of AI matters for podcasters, writers, and artists alike.Guest: Kathy Barron Founder & Editor-in-Chief@womenwhopodcastmagazineSend a text Support the show Thank you for listening! Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

    57 min
  8. How solo travel helped this Latina find herself again with Bianca Alba

    12/09/2025

    How solo travel helped this Latina find herself again with Bianca Alba

    Sometimes, healing begins in motion. In this episode, Nina Rodriguez sits down with Bianca Alba, founder of This Latina Travels, to explore how grief, identity, and travel intertwine. What starts as a conversation about exploring the world becomes a deeper story about returning to yourself. *** Video available here *** Her story begins in a single-parent household where vacations felt like something other people did, faraway dreams that didn’t belong to families like hers. Today, Bianca has traveled to six continents and uses her platform to show women of color what’s possible when you give yourself permission to go. Her work reminds us that representation isn’t just inspiring, it’s necessary. Nina and Bianca also reflect on the power of community, having recently shared virtual space as speakers at the Latinas in Podcasting Summit 2025. The conversation moves through grief, identity, purpose, and the courage it takes to keep expanding your life after loss. Bianca opens up about the Lola Challenge, a three-day running event in Puerto Rico that connects her to her body, her resilience, and the island she now calls home. She recounts a deeply emotional moment on a beach in the Virgin Islands that reminded her how grief meets us wherever we are. They also explore the complexities of traveling during political and social turbulence, including recent US disruptions affecting travelers. Bianca speaks honestly about the privilege and guilt of being a travel content creator during difficult times, and how she balances joy with responsibility, visibility, and awareness. Her love for Puerto Rico weaves through the conversation—its beauty, its challenges, and the hope she carries for change. Bianca shares her vision for future retreats on the island: spaces rooted in culture, learning, healing, and community. Places where women can breathe, honor their grief, and rediscover parts of themselves that got lost along the way. This episode is an invitation to rethink how movement, land, and connection can hold us through grief. A reminder that healing isn’t linear; it’s lived, mile by mile, moment by moment. Key Takeaways: Travel can be a companion to grief, offering new ways to process loss.Representation matters—It can be life-changing for women of color to see themselves in spaces historically closed to them.Grief and joy often coexist, and choosing adventure after loss isn’t forgetting—it's honoring the fullness of being alive.Community heals—from podcast summits to shared stories, connection lights the way forward.Travel during turbulent times is complex, and it’s okay to hold both gratitude and discomfort as you navigate privilege and responsibility.Puerto Rico holds deep lessons about resilience, culture, and what it means to belong to land and community.Guest: Bianca Alba Blogger & PodcasterSend a text Support the show Thank you for listening! Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

    51 min
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About

This space was created for you by someone who gets it – your grief, your foundation-shattering reality, and the question of what the heck do we do with the shattered pieces of life and loss around us.It’s also for the listener who wants to better understand their grieving person, and perhaps wants to learn how to help.Now in its fourth season, the Grief and Light podcast features both solo episodes and interviews with first-hand experiencers, authors, and professionals, who shine a light on the spectrum of experiences, feelings, secondary losses, and takeaways.As a bereaved sister, I share my personal story of the sudden loss of my younger brother, only sibling, one day after we celebrated his 32nd birthday. I also delve into how that loss, trauma, and grief catapulted me into a truth-seeking journey, which ultimately led me to answer "the calling" of creating this space I now call Grief and Light.Since launching the first episode on March 30, 2023, the Grief and Light podcast and social platforms have evolved into a powerful resource for grief-informed support, including one-on-one grief guidance, monthly grief circles, community, and much more.With each episode, you can expect open and authentic conversations sharing our truth, and explorations of how to transmute the grief experience into meaning, and even joy.My hope is to make you feel less alone, and to be a beacon of light and source of information for anyone embarking on this journey."We're all just walking each other HOME." - Ram DassThank you for being here.We're in this together.Nina, Yosef's Sister--For more information, visit: griefandlight.com

Information

  • Creator
    Nina Rodriguez
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    105
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 GRIEF AND LIGHT
  • Show Website
    GRIEF AND LIGHT

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