How To Get The Struggle Bus Moving-Interview with Laura Sharp-Waites

How To Get The Struggle Bus Moving-Interview with Laura Sharp-Waites

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/fan_mail/new] Some days feel so heavy you can’t even tell what you’re feeling, you just know you’re tired. When grief is fresh, when dementia caregiving never really “turns off,” or when life keeps stacking one problem on top of another, it can start to feel like God is far away. We talk about that reality openly and without polishing it up, because spiritual life doesn’t stop when things get dark, it just gets more honest. I’m joined by Laura Sharp Waits, a licensed minister and the voice behind At the Counter with the Baking Pastor. Laura shares simple, practical ways to steady yourself when your mind is full: taking a quick inventory of what’s swirling in your head, journaling to “download” the noise, and looking for tiny gratitude moments that can get the struggle bus into first gear. We also dig into what it means to feel distant from God, why community and prayer partners matter, and how to ask for support when you don’t even know what you need. We go straight at the hard stuff too: caregiver guilt, loneliness after everyone goes home, and the anger you might feel toward God. Laura explains why grief isn’t only about death, it’s about change, lost routines, and compound loss, and why there’s no timeline you have to obey. Along the way, we talk about slowing down in a quick-fix culture, noticing God in ordinary moments, and finding hope even when you can’t see the light yet. If you’re looking for faith-based grief support, encouragement for dementia caregivers, and grounded steps you can take today, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more listeners can find Patty’s Place. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/support]

Choosing The End-Interview with Author Theresa Evans

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/fan_mail/new] A planned goodbye sounds impossible until you hear what it actually looks like inside a family that chooses it. We’re joined by Teresa Evans, an author and former ICU nurse, to talk about her book *Choosing to Die* and the final months she spends with her mother in Ontario as her mom pursues medical assistance in dying (MAID). Teresa brings both clinical clarity and daughter-level honesty to a topic that’s often buried under fear, politics, and silence. We walk through what MAID is, how the medical aid in dying process works, and why safeguards like capacity assessments and real-time consent matter. We also zoom out to the bigger end-of-life planning picture: advance directives, durable power of attorney for health care, and the hard but necessary family conversations that keep people from feeling trapped when suffering becomes intolerable. If you’ve been searching for guidance on assisted dying laws in Canada and the United States, or what a compassionate end-of-life option can look like, you’ll find practical context here. The conversation also meets dementia caregiving head-on. We talk about anticipatory grief, the reality that dementia can block access to MAID because consent may be impossible at the end, and how caregivers carry loss long before a death occurs. Teresa shares a powerful metaphor from her mother’s garden, reminding us that love, presence, and thoughtful preparation can change the emotional texture of a goodbye. If this resonated, subscribe, share the episode with a caregiver or sibling, and leave us a review so more families can find these conversations when they need them most. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/support]

The Village Solution-Interview with author Carl Nassar

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/fan_mail/new] Loneliness doesn’t always look like being alone. Sometimes it looks like being a caregiver with a full calendar, a heavy heart, and nobody to hand the weight to. I sit down with psychotherapist and writer Carl Nassar, author of The Village Solution, to name the thing so many of us feel but struggle to explain: we’re exhausted because we’re living without the kind of village humans evolved to rely on. Carl walks us through how village life used to spread care, work, and emotional support across a whole community and how consumer culture quietly replaced that with isolation, striving, and the promise that the “right stuff” will bring our people near. We talk about why ads hit so hard, why achievement can become its own trap, and why even the hero’s journey makes more sense when the real ending is a return to belonging. We even bring in Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin as a surprisingly accurate map for building a community that accepts us the way we are. We also get practical about what to do when grief, trauma, or dementia caregiving makes you feel cut off. Carl shares what “village support” actually looks like today, from therapy and grief circles to intentionally showing up for a small group every week and letting care spill into real life. We close with two grounded tools you can start practicing right now: stillness and compassion, the qualities that make it safer to be honest and easier to be together. If this conversation helps you feel a little less alone, subscribe, share it with someone who needs a village, and leave a review so more caregivers and grievers can find Patty’s Place. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/support]

Caregiver Support Is The Best Medicine-Interview with Dr. Warren Wong

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/fan_mail/new] We sit down with Dr. Warren Wong to rethink what dementia care should look like when the goal is love, dignity, and real quality of life for both the person living with memory loss and the caregiver. We share hard truths about emergencies, wandering, and burnout, plus practical ways to build trust and get meaningful support instead of trying to white knuckle it alone.  • Dr. Wong’s journey into geriatrics and the PACE model for keeping seniors in the community  • Why “call 911” can trigger hospitalization and loss of independence for frail older adults  • Cultural expectations and caregiver guilt that block families from asking for help  • Our personal story of refusal to test, crisis diagnosis, and the overwhelm of finding memory care  • Trust building, routine resistance, and the green light yellow light red light days  • Why showering can be terrifying and how to approach care with more safety  • Medicare GUIDE, caregiver training, respite options, and 24 7 dementia support  • Care navigation versus care coordination and why checklists are not enough  • Dementia villages, memory cafes, and social connection as part of care  • “Doing to” versus “doing for” versus “doing with” as a dignity framework  • Wandering risk and why the first 24 hours matter  Make sure you leave us a review or subscribe to our YouTube channel  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/support]

Stop Saying “Let Me Know If You Need Anything”-Interview with Kelly Edmundson

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/fan_mail/new] The funeral ends, the messages slow down, and suddenly the calendar becomes the hardest part of grief. We sit down with Kelly Edmondson, founder and CEO of Timely Presence, to talk about what support should look like after the sympathy flowers are gone and real life returns. As a former trauma nurse and now a certified grief counselor, Kelly brings both clinical experience and the honesty of living through profound loss as a bereaved mother. We get specific about the moments that sting: a loved one’s birthday, Mother’s Day, the holiday season, and the first anniversary of death. Kelly explains why “If you need anything, let me know” often fails, and what helps more: steady, practical presence that doesn’t ask the griever to manage everyone else’s discomfort. We also talk about grief brain and the hidden symptoms people don’t expect, from exhaustion and low motivation to forgetfulness and trouble focusing at work, especially when bereavement leave runs out long before you feel like yourself again. Kelly walks us through how Timely Presence supports someone through the first year with heirloom-quality memorial gifts delivered on key dates, including an engraved memory box, interactive wind chimes, a crystal votive candle holder, and a 3D photo crystal keepsake. We also explore creating new rituals, planning for triggers, and why even pet loss can feel like a “loud absence” after years of caregiving routines. Year-Long Sympathy & Memorial Gift Collections | Timely Presence [https://thetimelypresence.com/] If you’ve ever wanted to show up better for someone grieving, or you’re trying to navigate your own loss with more tenderness and less isolation, listen through and share this with a friend. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what milestone date is hardest for you to face. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/support]