Andrea and Rebecca interview Carl Manlan about his debut book of poetry, I Can Breathe. Together they delve into the profound ways grief impacts our lives, identity, and relationships, featuring intimate stories, poetic reflections, and expert insights. Join us as we explore how grief is a universal, shared experience that can foster empathy, healing, and connection.

In this episode:

• Andrea shares her experience of physical grief after her father's passing
• Carl Manlan introduces his poetry collection "I Can Breathe" and discusses grief as a journey of renewal
• Experts discuss grief in different cultural and personal contexts
• Reflection on the significance of language and storytelling in grief processing
• Practical insights on how showing up for others in grief strengthens our collective humanity
• The importance of patience and emotional acceptance in long-term grief management
• How current global conflicts deepen collective grief and empathy

Resources & Links:

• I Can Breathe by Carl Mandlin (Link to purchase or more info)
• https://www.youtube.com/@InsideTheBluePrintPodcast

Connect with Carl Manlan:

Instagram @carlmanlanofficial

• https://ke.linkedin.com/in/carlmanlan

In this episode, Andrea and Rebecca are joined by poet Cheryl Slover-Linett for a deeply moving conversation about grief, trauma, motherhood, land, and the healing power of poetry. Cheryl shares how her life experiences shaped her work, including the long arc of writing The Seduction of the Daughter in 15 Pieces and the emotional care required to tell a traumatic story without overwhelming herself or the reader.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The strange emotional tension of Colorado spring: beauty, heat, fire risk, and unease
• Cheryl’s grief origin story and the moments that shaped her early life
• How trauma, memory, and grief show up in poetic form
• Writing about sexual violence with care, specificity, and boundaries
• The role of nature in holding difficult creative work
• Mother wounds, protection, and the grief of not being fully protected
• Land, colonization, ancestry, and the grief embedded in place
• Hope, recovery, and what it means to keep living with unresolved pain
• The embodied power of poetry and why form matters

Featured guest

Cheryl Slover-Linett

Poet based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her work has appeared in multiple literary journals, and she also leads wilderness retreats through Lead Feather, the nature-based nonprofit she founded in 2008.

Poems featured in the episode

• Glastonbury Guzzle
• Mistletoe

Connect with Cheryl:

• Get her book of poetry: https://dulcetshop.myshopify.com/products/the-seduction-of-the-daughter-in-fifteen-pieces-cheryl-slover-linett-copy
• Lead Feather Wilderness Retreat

In this conversation, Andrea and Rebecca talk with Becky Galli who shares how a life of unexpected losses shaped her perspective and how writing became a way to process, reflect, and stay connected to what matters most.

Key moments

• Becky opens up about the recent hospitalization and what it felt like to recover afterward.
• She shares the origin of her grief story: the sudden death of her 17-year-old brother.
• The conversation explores how each family member grieved differently and how they stayed connected.
• Becky reflects on raising children with special needs, divorce, and paralysis.
• She explains how writing columns, books, and daily reflections helped her navigate life.
• The episode closes with a discussion about when people feel least alone in grief.

Keywords

grief, loss, healing, resilience, journaling, uncertainty, family, support, special needs, paralysis, storytelling, recovery, honesty, emotions, love, connection

About Becky Galli

Becky Galli is an author and columnist who writes about love, loss, and healing. She is the author of Rethinking Possible and Morning Fuel, and writes the weekly column Thoughtful Thursdays.

Find her online at

https://rebeccafayesmithgalli.com/

On Instagram @chairwriter

Andrea and Rebecca welcome poet Sarah Hanson to explore her journey through an abusive relationship, leaving, and truth telling as a tool to reduce shame. They discuss the power of storytelling, the nuances of relationships, and finding respite in the places that nurture our souls. Discover how her poetry offers a space for healing, understanding, and embracing imperfection.

TOPICS

• The role of honesty, storytelling, and emotional truth in healing
• Understanding grief’s origins and its impact on identity and relationships
• The significance of nature, water, and stillness as sources of respite

KEYWORDS

grief, poetry, healing, honesty, self-compassion, trauma, relationships, mental health, storytelling, vulnerability

RESOURCES

Conjuring the Hurricane | Sarah Hanson Book | Memoir-in-Verse

CONNECT with Sarah Hanson:

Instagram | Website

In this episode, Jermaine Ee shares how grief, legacy, and intentional living intersect through his work with HeirLight—a tool designed to make estate planning and leaving an emotional legacy accessible. Tune in for inspiring stories about the invisible inheritance of values and the importance of living in a way that honors our loved ones and ourselves.

Key Topics:

• The profound impact of grief and how it shapes our understanding of legacy
• The origins of HeirLight and its mission to make estate planning more accessible
• Personal stories of loss, including Jermaine’s experience with his mother’s passing
• How shared family traditions and conversations deepen our connections
• Rethinking independence and community in aging and life planning
• The transformative power of storytelling for healing and legacy-building
• Lessons learned from cultural perspectives on love, obligation, and materialism
• Practical approaches to designing a life centered around connection rather than possessions
  

Connect with Jermaine Ee:

• HeirLight - Jermaine’s innovative estate planning tool

• www.eejermaine.com
• Instagram: @eejermaine
• www.linkedin.com/in/eejermaine

50% off HeirLight:

https://heirlight.com/en/podcast

In this episode, Andrea and Rebecca sit down with Morgan Holliday, founder of Morganize It, to discuss how grief and the process of death cleaning shape the way we approach living, letting go, and honoring loved ones. Morgan shares insights from her personal journey, professional expertise, and her mission to help others find calm and clarity amid grief and transition.

Main Topics:

• The impact of grief on identity and daily life
• The concept and practice of Swedish death cleaning
• How decluttering can facilitate grief, memory, and legacy
• Practical steps for managing possessions and emotional attachments
• Fostering a meaningful relationship with memories, stories, and objects
• Cultural differences in approaches to belongings and inheritance
• The importance of storytelling and intentionality in letting go

Links:

http://morganizeit.net

On Instagram @morganizeitmoving

In this heartfelt episode, Caroline Williams shares her extraordinary journey navigating terminal cancer while advocating for life, love, and storytelling. Her resilience and openness offer powerful insights into grief, hope, and the importance of community.

Key Topics:

• Terminal diagnosis and the heart rending decision to terminate pregnancy
• Navigating the emotional landscape of diagnosis, loss, resilience, and life before death
• How community and shared stories foster healing and connection

In this heartfelt episode, Andrea and Rebecca welcome author and nature enthusiast, Larry Glover. Together they explore Larry’s life journey from religious trauma to profound nature-based spirituality. Larry offers powerful insights into embracing our wounds and stepping into wholeness.

Key Insights:

• Grief is a wild, transformative force that invites us into deeper understanding and relationship with ourselves and the planet.
• Larry's sacred encounters with bears and nature helped him heal past trauma and reconnect with the essence of being human.
• The legacy of religious harm, especially the Jehovah wound, can breed unworthiness but also contains opportunities for reclamation through self-love.
• The cyclic love of life—emphasized through the metaphor of trees and oceanic pulses—reminds us that self-love is not at anyone else's expense.
• Cultivating reverence for life's polarities, including rage and sorrow, allows for deep ecological and spiritual integration.
• Moving from fear to trust—embodying boundaries that honor life—can transform our response to crises, illness, and societal breakdowns.
• The practice of asking others—especially our inner young selves—to be seen and loved helps heal wounds of disconnection and rejection.

Connect with Larry Glover:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Wild Joy: Eco-Spiritual Encounters with Nature as Teacher, Healer, and Lover

keywords

grief, transformation, nature, belonging, sacredness, healing, trauma, love, resilience, spirituality