In this solo episode, I share my recent reflections after attending three different memorials.

We often avoid going to funerals, memorials, or celebrations of life because we are afraid it will be too sad or that it will "bum us out". However, I want to share how these ceremonies can actually be incredibly inspiring and uplifting experiences centered around an immense amount of love.

I discuss the beautiful and unique ways these families chose to honor their loved ones, who all lived into their 80s. You will hear about a beautiful at-home memorial that perfectly captured a mother's sense of humor with prank plastic spiders and her favorite recipe cards. I also share the story of a gentleman whose eulogy highlighted his incredible journey of moving to the United States, learning new languages, and validating his studies to build a beautiful life.

Key Takeaways from this episode:

 * Funerals are about love, not just sadness: While there is certainly grief, the core of a memorial is the immense love present for the person who passed.
 * Personalization brings deep comfort: Honoring a loved one's specific quirks—like their love for cats, cultural food, or even playing pranks—helps attendees connect with their memory and share wonderful stories.
 * Witnessing the end of a life can inspire the rest of yours: Hearing about these lives lived with such profound purpose deeply inspired me. Having just turned 50 myself, these memorials made me reflect on how I want to show up for my family and live my next 30 years with intentionality and presence.

I invite you to listen and perhaps reconsider any reluctance you might have about attending a funeral or memorial in the future. I would also love to hear about your own experiences and what you have learned from the memorials you have attended!

Contact me on my website: https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/ or on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/griefgratitudepodcast/#]

What Attending Three Memorials Taught Me About Living a Purposeful Life

Jenny Robinson Clark is an author, former dancer and actress, and homeschooling mother of four. Inspired by motherhood, healing, and mindfulness, she wrote Are You Here?, a heartfelt children’s book exploring connection, grief, and the magical signs that remind us we are never alone. Jenny is passionate about meditation, creative living, and building meaningful moments with her family. When she’s not writing or baking sourdough, she can often be found in a hip-hop dance class with her husband, Travis Clark, her biggest supporter.

Travis Clark is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and founding member of the pop-rock band We the Kings, whose music has connected with fans around the world through heartfelt lyrics and high-energy performances. Throughout his career, he has remained passionate about creating music that brings people together and tells meaningful stories.

While his accomplishments in music have shaped much of his professional journey, Travis considers his most important role to be that of a devoted husband and proud father to his four children. Family is at the heart of everything he does, inspiring both his life and his creativity. Balancing life on the road with life at home, he strives to lead with love, gratitude, and purpose — believing that his greatest success is found not on stage, but in the memories and moments shared with his family.

 Order your Book here www.jennyrobinsonclark.com [http://www.jennyrobinsonclark.com/] 

Free Printables for Children [https://www.jennyrobinsonclark.com/resources#printables]

Song by We the Kings "Are you here?" [https://youtu.be/_gPD5TLs9Tg?si=pe359rMIXXgkW81F]

Connect with Kendra Rinaldi [https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/] to be a guest on the podcast or for information about Grief Coaching and Grief Education Workshops 

In this episode, we cover:

 * The Inspiration Behind the Art: Jenny shares the emotional journey of moving back to Florida to care for her mother, Debbie, during her cancer treatments. She recounts the profound peace of her mother's passing at home, accompanied by a beautiful sign: three deer that laid outside her window for three days and walked away just as she took her last breath.
 * A 3 A.M. Divine Message: After attending a Joe Dispenza retreat with the intention of reconnecting with her mom's spirit, Jenny woke up in the middle of the night and channeled a beautiful poem.
 * Turning Grief into a Song: Travis (lead singer of We the Kings and Jenny's husband) shares how he took Jenny's late-night poem and turned it into the emotionally resonant companion song, Are You Here?,.
 * Creating a Toolkit for Children: Jenny and Travis explain how the poem naturally evolved into a children's book. With stunning, hopeful illustrations by Elisabetta Fantone (who was also grieving the recent loss of her father), the book serves as a "toolkit" to help kids understand grief, process the unknown, and look for signs from their loved ones.
 * Healing the Inner Child: We discuss how this book is not exclusively for children. For adults experiencing "grief brain" who cannot focus on a novel, this book offers simple, grounded beauty. It also provides an opportunity for adults to heal their "inner child" if their own childhood grief was never acknowledged or processed.
 * A Mission over Ego: Jenny shares her ultimate mission for the book: to get it out of the stores and directly into hospitals, grieving centers, libraries, and schools to help families navigate their darkest seasons with hope and connection

Helping Children Process Grief: "Are You Here?" with Jenny Robinson Clark and Travis Clark

Nancy Watson has been practicing yoga since the year 2000. In 2019, she experienced a traumatic loss and realized that the only thing that made her feel a tiny bit less awful was continuing to show up on her yoga mat. She completed her yoga teacher training (YTT-200) in 2022 and knew that she wanted to help others to discover the ways that yoga can be helpful in grief. She went on to achieve a certification in Compassionate Bereavement Care Yoga from the MISS Foundation and began offering Yoga for Grief classes in January 2024. Nancy is currently the only yoga teacher in the Northeast Texas area who leads yoga classes specifically for grieving individuals.  She loves sharing what she calls "the yoga magic" with her participants, both in her grief-focus classes and in her "regular" yoga classes. Find her on Instagram @yogaforgriefdallas or on Facebook @yoga.for.grief.dallas.

yogaforgriefdallas.com [http://yogaforgriefdallas.com/]



Contact Kendra Rinaldi to be a guest, get the newsletter  or for a complimentary coaching session: https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/

Show Highlights:

 * A History of Silent Grief: Nancy reflects on losing her father to a brain tumor at age six in 1967, and how her family’s refusal to talk about him shaped her early inability to process loss.
 * The Loss of Adam/Emily: Nancy opens up about the sudden death of her child, who was born Emily and later transitioned to Adam. She discusses the complex layers of her grief, including the feeling that she had to grieve her child twice.
 * A Tiny Bit Less Awful: In the harrowing months following her child's death, Nancy found that stepping onto her yoga mat—even if she cried the entire time—was the only thing that made her feel a "tiny bit less awful".
 * The Parallels of Grief and Yoga: Nancy and Kendra explore how grief, much like yoga, should be non-competitive and non-comparative. They discuss how grievers must honor wherever they are on a given day, just as a yogi must accept their daily balance on the mat.
 * Quieting the "Mean Mind": Nancy explains how yoga breathwork helps regulate the nervous system and how mindfulness can help grievers step back from the cruel things their "mean minds" tell them.
 * The Yoga for Grief Workbook: Nancy shares the journey of creating her workbook, which is designed for all bodies and includes short, accessible yoga flows (both floor and chair versions) and guided meditations

Yoga for Grief and Finding Self-Compassion with Nancy Watson

En este episodio, quiero validar la pesadez y las emociones encontradas que trae esta encrucijada. Hablamos sobre cómo nuestros roles cambian drásticamente: pasamos de ser los "managers" de nuestros hijos a ser sus consejeros, y al mismo tiempo, nos convertimos en los cuidadores de nuestros padres. Es un proceso lleno de duelo por la dinámica familiar que conocíamos.

Si te sientes abrumado tratando de estar en dos lugares a la vez, este episodio es para ti. Te comparto mis reflexiones sobre el mito del "balance" perfecto y tres herramientas fundamentales para sobrevivir esta etapa sin volverte loco: priorizar tu autocuidado (ponerse la máscara de oxígeno primero), soltar la culpa y apoyarte en tu comunidad.

Quiero que sepas que te veo, te entiendo, y estás haciendo un trabajo increíble sosteniendo ambas partes de tu mundo. ¡Date mucha gracia y paciencia.

Conéctate conmigo:

 * Suscríbete a mi Newsletter mensual en mi página web para recibir información y recursos adicionales. https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/
 * Si estás pasando por un momento difícil y buscas acompañamiento de duelo, puedes encontrar la información de mis servicios en mi sitio web.
 * ¡Me encantaría saber de ti! Envíame un mensaje por correo electrónico o a través de mi Instagram y cuéntame si estás pasando por algo similar y cómo lo estás navegando.
 * Para otros episdios en Español puedes ver mi playlist en YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKs779zqB5jLcN29ifnK4kTKyVOFzPvSN] donde tengo la lista de episodios en español.

"Generación Sándwich"  Entre Soltar a Nuestros Hijos y Cuidar a Nuestros Padres

Kathy Mullen is an angel mom, music lover, and an adventure seeker focused on healthy, joyful living. She started Mullen’s Miracles in honor of her son, Eric, whom she lost to suicide on October 2, 2018. Even with medical personnel, trauma therapists, and recovery programs, it was overwhelming sorting through the abundance of resource options while losing the battle against time to find the help Eric so desperately needed while he was alive.

“Before I left Eric’s hospital bed, I committed to helping others live healthier lives by finding ways to ‘fill the gaps’ we had experienced. Mullen’s Miracles exists to make your journey easier so your ‘Eric’ can survive and live a long, beautiful life.”

https://mullensmiracles.org/

Show Highlights

• The Trauma of "Saving to Lose": Kathy shares the heartbreaking backstory of her son, Eric. After saving his father’s life with CPR following a massive heart attack, Eric was forced to make the decision to remove life support 18 days later—a trauma that deeply contributed to his own downward spiral.

• "I Don't Know How to Live": Kathy reveals the painful reality of her son's mindset before his death. She shares that Eric told her, "Mom, I don't want to die, but I don't know how to live anymore," highlighting the distinction between wanting death and simply lacking the tools to cope with life.

• Choosing Truth Over Stigma: Immediately after arriving at the hospital following Eric’s attempt, Kathy made the brave decision to tell the truth about his suicide to family and friends. She realized, "If I don't tell the truth now... I can't help anybody else not be here".

• The 3-to-5 Year Reality Check: Kathy discusses the vital advice she received from her therapist, Mark, who told her that deep grief is a "three to five-year process" to find joy again. This realistic timeline helped her surrender to the journey rather than trying to rush her recovery.

• Surviving Compound Grief: Kathy’s resilience is tested by extreme loss; within a seven-year span, she lost her brother, her ex-husband, her son, her father, her mother, and her father-in-law, requiring her to close out five estates while trying to survive her own grief.

• Mullen’s Miracles & The 6 Pillars: We explore the founding of her nonprofit, Mullen’s Miracles, which focuses on six pillars including awareness, crisis intervention, and the mantra "We Go On." She also discusses her new app designed to help users track moods and signal friends for support.

• Healing Through Music: Kathy shares her collaboration with Ross Vanelli (brother of Gino Vanelli) to create Live Like There’s No Tomorrow, an album of 11 original songs and videos designed to provide a "better space in music" for those grieving.

• Signs of Love: Kathy ends on a lighter note, sharing how she stays connected to Eric through signs—specifically finding heart shapes in everything from nature to a piece of toast.

Connect with Kendra Rinaldi to find out more about how to be a guest on the podcast https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/

Turning the Loss of a Son into a Lifeline for Mental Health with Kathy Mullen

Tiriq Rashad Callaway is a spoken-word artist, recording poet, and storyteller whose work blends emotional depth, cinematic soundscapes, and lived experience. His EP When the HeArt Speaks earned official GRAMMY® consideration, and his latest album Kiss My Art has further solidified his voice across the poetry and music landscape.

Featured in Ebony Magazine and celebrated by the late Nikki Giovanni—who praised him as “a poet with vision beyond his years”—Tiriq uses vulnerability, narrative, and performance to explore grief, healing, identity, and purpose. He has also taken the TEDx stage, sharing his powerful perspective on innovation, compassion, and storytelling.

Through his art, Tiriq aims to move audiences toward connection, reflection, and emotional truth—one poem, performance, and project at a time."

Links & Socials:
• Website: tiriqrashad.com [http://tiriqrashad.com/]

Contact Kendra Rinaldi: https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/

Show Highlights:

 * The Journal as a Best Friend: Growing up in a culture where "boys don't cry," Tiriq found his emotional outlet in a notebook, which became his "therapist and counselor" to process everything from childhood responsibilities to heartbreaks.
 * A Hero’s Passing: Tiriq shares the tragic yet heroic story of his mother, who passed away in 2021 while stopping on a highway to save a stranger from a burning vehicle—a final act of service that defined her life.
 * The "Tug of War" on Sacrifice: Reflecting on his mother's death, Tiriq discusses the internal conflict between honoring her selfless legacy and his own need to preserve his life for his children.
 * The "Achilles Moment": After tearing his Achilles tendon and losing a corporate job opportunity, Tiriq was forced to sit still and reflect, leading him back to his true purpose of writing and creating his memoir.
 * Navigating Compound Grief: Tiriq opens up about the immense weight of losing his brother, his mother, and his unborn daughter in a short span of time, and how he used art to heal.
 * Self-Care is Not Selfish: Through his song "No Regrets," Tiriq emphasizes that prioritizing your own mental health is essential, as you cannot be a light for your family or community if you do not take care of yourself first.

From Pain to Poetry: Navigating Loss and Finding a Voice with Spoken Word with Tiriq Rashad Callaway

Hannah Rumsey is a writer, certified Grief Educator, and the podcast host of Friends Missing Friends [http://friendsmissingfriends.com/]. After the death of her beloved friend Lauren in 2015, she noticed a stark lack of friend-loss resources. To fill this gap, she launched the Friends Missing Friends Collective [http://friendsmissingfriens.com/griefgroup]—an affordable online membership for friend-loss grievers to get 1:1 and group support. Her mission is to speak out about this disenfranchised grief, and nurture a community where folks grieving friends feel seen, heard, and understood.

Contact Hannah Rumsey: : friendsmissingfriends.com [http://friendsmissingfriends.com/]

https://www.instagram.com/friendsmissingfriends/

 https://www.facebook.com/friendsmissingfriends  [https://www.facebook.com/friendsmissingfriends]

Grief Groups through the Friends Missing Friends Collective: friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup [http://friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup]

Contact Kenddra Rinaldi https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/

In this episode, we cover:

• The Gift of "One Last Summer": Hannah shares the beautiful story of meeting her friend Lauren at Interlochen Arts Camp and how Lauren, though younger, gave Hannah the gift of one last childhood summer before adulthood set in.

• The Trauma of Digital Grief: We discuss the jarring reality of finding out about a loved one's death via social media. Hannah recounts the heartbreaking moment she went to post a "Happy Birthday" message on Lauren's Facebook wall, only to discover "Rest in Peace" posts instead.

• Grief in Young Adulthood: We explore the unique disorientation of losing a peer at age 23. Hannah explains how this "out of order" loss shattered her ability to create a "five-year plan" because the concept of a future felt impossible to grasp.

• From Perfectionism to Improv: Hannah details her radical pivot from being a classical trumpet player to studying Improv comedy in Chicago. She explains how Improv became a survival mechanism, forcing her to live entirely in the "present moment" because looking ahead was too painful.

• Friend Loss as Disenfranchised Grief: We define "Disenfranchised Grief" and discuss why society often invalidates the loss of a friend. Hannah shares her frustration with Googling "friend loss support" and only finding resources for pet loss.

• Internalized Disenfranchisement: We talk about the concept of "Name it to Tame it." Hannah explains that because society didn't validate her pain, she began to feel like she was "going crazy" or overreacting, until she learned that her grief was real and valid.

• Friends Missing Friends: How Hannah turned her isolation into community by creating the Friends, Missing Friends Collective to support others navigating this specific type of loss.

Grief in Young Adulthood with Hannah Rumsey

In this vulnerable solo episode, I am sharing my heart regarding the emotional weight of these past few weeks. Recently, it really hit home for me when some teenagers from my daughter's school here in Texas died in a tragic sledding accident during a rare ice storm. When you combine a local tragedy like that with the grief of injustices, war, and shattered families happening all around the world, our nervous systems can tighten, and the collective grief can feel like too much to carry.

We often feel a pressure to speak up publicly or post on social media, fearing that if we don't, we aren't doing enough. But in this episode, I want to remind you that we are all part of an "ecosystem" of life—kind of like a potluck dinner where everyone brings a different dish. Some of us bring activism, while others bring art, prayer, laughter, or a quiet presence, and all of these roles are necessary for change.

In this episode, I touch on:

• The Pressure to Perform: Releasing the guilt of not publicly speaking out on every tragedy and understanding that your role might look different than someone else's.

• The Ecosystem of Change: How to identify if your role today is to be on the front lines, or if your role is to rest so you can hold space for others tomorrow.

• Nervous System Regulation: Why we need to pause when we feel overwhelmed—because if we are all crumbling, we can't hold anyone else up.

• Micro-Acts of Love: How small things, like smiling at a stranger, checking on a friend, or dropping off a meal, are powerful ways to tend to the collective grief.

• Curating Your Peace: The importance of breathing, moving your body, and setting boundaries around how much news and social media you consume.

I want to invite you to give yourself permission to feel whatever you are feeling—whether that is freezing, crying, or needing to retreat. We cannot fix everything, but we can always tend to someone.

Sending you all so much love.

https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/

Collective Grief & The Ecosystem of Healing: Why You Don't Have to Carry It All

Shari Ross is the author of Senior Living Made S.I.M.P.L.E.™ and creator of the companion workbook and toolkit designed to help families take clear, practical steps through the senior living journey with a clear path forward. She is also the founder of the Senior Living Made S.I.M.P.L.E.™ brand, where she has built a reputation for simplifying complex decisions and leading families toward the right solutions with compassion and expertise. 

An award-winning senior living sales specialist, Shari spent over a decade guiding hundreds of families through the challenges of assisted living, memory care, and long- term planning. Her expertise has made her a frequent guest on national podcasts and a featured speaker for organizations and events dedicated to aging, caregiving, and family transitions.

A graduate of NYU and long-time Southern California resident with East Coast roots, Shari combines her professional expertise with her personal journey. She continues to guide her own aging parents through their next steps while raising two young adult children, giving her an authentic, empathetic perspective that resonates deeply with the families she serves. 

Her mission is to transform aging from overwhelming to empowering. Through her signature S.I.M.P.L.E.™ Method, she equips families with a framework to make informed senior living decisions, helping them move forward with a clear path forward, dignity, and peace of mind.

https://www.seniorlivingmadesimple.com/    Amaon Book [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FFQJPDZN?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_XJPT73H2K6PVDVW056XC&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_XJPT73H2K6PVDVW056XC&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_XJPT73H2K6PVDVW056XC&bestFormat=true]  Amazon Workbook [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FKH1LD64?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_JPVFBBBGD2FKB4SBDQ0Y&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_JPVFBBBGD2FKB4SBDQ0Y&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_JPVFBBBGD2FKB4SBDQ0Y&bestFormat=true]  

IG @seniorlivingwithshari

Connect with Kendra Rinaldi [https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/] to be a guest on the podcast or to joing the newsletter

Show Highlights:

• The S.I.M.P.L.E. Framework: Shari breaks down her acronym designed to guide families through the maze of senior living: Support, Information, Matching, Preparation, Letting Go, and Engagement.

• Redefining Identity: We discuss the profound shift that occurs when you allow professionals to take over the caregiving duties, enabling you to step back into your original role as a son, daughter, or spouse.

• Navigating Guilt and "Stuff": Shari explains the two layers of "Letting Go": releasing the physical accumulation of a lifetime and releasing the emotional weight of guilt that suggests you aren't doing enough.

• Language Matters: Why words like "facility" or "institution" create fear, and how shifting our vocabulary to "community" or "apartment" can change the tone of the conversation.

• The Grief of Relocation: We acknowledge that moving brings legitimate grief over the loss of a home and independence, even when it leads to a gain in community, safety, and purpose.

• Proactive vs. Reactive: The importance of having these difficult conversations early—before a fall or medical emergen



Senior Living Made Simple: How to Have "The Talk" and Let Go of Guilt with Shari Ross

Ken Miller is a speaker, coach, and author whose life story is a powerful testament to the human capacity for betrayal, breakthrough, and becoming. Born into difficult circumstances and raised in a home marked by both love and trauma, Ken's early life was anything but easy. Despite the odds, he excelled academically, becoming a National Merit Scholar and eventually graduating from an Ivy League university—achievements that reflected his immense potential.

But life took a dark turn. Struggles with addiction and a series of poor decisions led Ken into a cycle of homelessness, incarceration, and despair. He went from prestigious classrooms to prison cells, from hopeful beginnings to rock bottom. Through it all, he carried the weight of regret and the fear that his story might end in tragedy. Yet, in the depths of that darkness, Ken made a decision that would change everything: to rebuild his life, one small, intentional choice at a time.

Released from prison with nothing but a box of belongings and $28 to his name, Ken began the long, challenging road of reclaiming his life. That journey, fueled by courage, accountability, and an unrelenting commitment to growth, led him to become the man he is today—a thriving entrepreneur, mentor, and voice of hope for those who feel trapped by their past.

Ken now uses his story to inspire others, proving that where you’ve been doesn’t have to determine where you’re going. He speaks to schools, organizations, and individuals across the country, sharing a message of identity, transformation, and the power of choice. His mission is clear: to show that no matter how far someone has fallen, it is always possible to rise, rebuild, and thrive.

www.kenmillerspeaks.com [https://kenmillerspeaks.com/]

Show Topics:

• The Broken Scholar: How a violent upbringing led an Ivy League student into a 30-year spiral of alcoholism and addiction.

• Shame vs. Guilt: Understanding the difference between being "shame-based" (a state of being) and "guilt-based" (a verb of action), and how this distinction saves lives.

• The Four Pillars of Wellness: How Ken rebuilt his life by focusing on his physical, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional health.

• Taking Power from Secrets: The necessity of "walking through the doors" of past trauma and turning on the light to find forgiveness and healing.

• Redefining Masculinity: The 1998 turning point when Ken heard the phrase "today I am a kind and gentle man" and decided to make that his life’s mission.

• From Survival to Service: Why Ken now focuses on being "good" rather than "great" and how he gives back through mentoring and speaking



Contact Kendra Rinaldi to be on the podcast or more information about the services she offers  and to  sign up for the newsletter. https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/

Shame vs. Guilt:  Understanding the Core of  Emotional Healing with Ken MIller

Bilingual Podcast by Kendra Rinaldi

Grief, Gratitude, and the Gray in Between: Exploring grief beyond death—identity, migration, divorce, and life’s joyful transitions like motherhood, marriage, and career change. / Explorando el duelo más allá de la muerte—identidad, migración, divorcio y las transiciones alegres de la vida como la maternidad, el matrimonio y los cambios profesionales.  

It is a bilingual podcast  each episode features heartfelt interviews with individuals sharing their personal grief journeys, conversations with experts offering tools and insights, and solo episodes where host Kendra Rinaldi reflects on topics that matter. Together, we honor grief in all its forms and learn tools we can use to help us navigate it.

Duelo, Gratitudy todos los matices de por medio: historias de cambio, amor y resiliencia es un pódcast bilingüe, en ingles  y en español,  que explora las muchas caras del duelo—no solo por pérdidas, sino también por las transiciones de la vida. Desde cambios de identidad y migración hasta divorcio, maternidad, matrimonio y transformaciones profesionales, profundizamos en la complejidad emocional del cambio. A través de conversaciones sinceras, historias personales y perspectivas expertas, honramos el duelo en todas sus formas y celebramos el crecimiento que lo acompaña. 

https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/

Grief, Gratitude & The Gray in Between

Kendra Rinaldi's Show

Duelo, Gratitud y Los Matices de la Vida

 Candid conversations  of individuals who show resilience as they've embarked transformative life changes. 

Kendra Rinaldi

Shows