Learning to Live Beyond Survival

Learning to Live Beyond Survival

What happens when survival has been your normal for so long that joy begins to feel unfamiliar? In this episode of The Grief Between Us, Patti sits down with Mariah Pagliasotti, Executive Producer of The Grief Between Us and Executive Assistant to The Waiting Place Foundation, for a deeply personal conversation about trauma, chronic illness, grief, emotional safety, and learning how to build a life beyond simply making it through the day. Mariah reflects on growing up around instability, navigating lupus and cancer diagnoses at a young age, and living for years believing she would never make it to thirty. Together, Patti and Mariah explore survival mode, self-worth, chosen family, emotional healing, and the fear that can come with allowing yourself to dream about a future you never expected to have. This episode also touches on grief, mental health, trauma responses, empathy, forgiveness, chronic illness, and the complicated process of learning to care for yourself after spending years only trying to survive. At its heart, this conversation is about what becomes possible when safety, compassion, and connection begin to replace fear. The Grief Between Us is part of The Waiting Place, a non-profit dedicated to supporting those navigating grief and loss. Learn more about us and upcoming events below! The Waiting Place Foundation [https://www.thewaitingplacefoundation.org]

You Can Heal and Still Carry Scars

What does healing actually look like after deep loss? In this episode of The Grief Between Us, Patti sits with Angela to explore widowhood, long-term grief, faith, and the complicated journey of learning how to move forward without feeling like you’re leaving someone behind. Angela shares the experience of losing her husband nearly eleven years ago and reflects on the ways grief has changed over time. Together, they talk about the difference between “moving on” and “moving forward,” the pressure society places on grieving people, and the guilt that can come when joy begins to return. This conversation also explores motherhood, memory-making, faith, community support, and the importance of giving ourselves permission to keep living. Angela speaks openly about how grief softens over time without ever fully disappearing, and how healing doesn’t erase the scars left behind. If you’ve ever struggled with the fear of becoming joyful again, or wondered whether healing means forgetting, this episode offers a compassionate and hopeful perspective. The Grief Between Us is part of The Waiting Place, a non-profit dedicated to supporting those navigating grief and loss. Learn more about us and upcoming events below! The Waiting Place Foundation [https://www.thewaitingplacefoundation.org]

The Eclipse Won't Last Forever

What happens when grief doesn’t come just once, but in layers? In this episode of The Grief Between Us, Patti sits with Darlyn to explore the experience of carrying multiple forms of grief at the same time. Together, they talk about losing loved ones, navigating mental illness within a family, unresolved family ruptures, and the complicated reality of continuing forward while still holding pain. Darlyn shares the story of losing her grandson Theo shortly after his birth, the heartbreak of watching her daughter walk through unimaginable loss, and the way grief can affect generations all at once. She also speaks openly about parenting children with bipolar disorder and anxiety, and the grief that can come with unmet expectations, fear, and watching someone you love struggle. This conversation explores layered grief, self-compassion, therapy, faith, and the importance of allowing joy and sorrow to coexist. Together, Patti and Darlyn reflect on the ways grief impacts both the body and the spirit, and how healing often begins by simply allowing ourselves to feel what is true. If you’ve ever felt buried beneath multiple losses, or struggled to believe the light would return, this episode offers a gentle reminder: the eclipse won’t last forever. The Grief Between Us is part of The Waiting Place, a non-profit dedicated to supporting those navigating grief and loss. Learn more about us and upcoming events below! The Waiting Place Foundation [https://www.thewaitingplacefoundation.org]

Her Roots Survived the Fire

What happens when the life you’re born into isn’t the life you choose to live? In this episode of The Grief Between Us, Patti sits with Jullian to explore what it means to grow up in instability, experience loss, and still choose a different path forward. Jullian shares her story of being removed from her parents’ home as a child, navigating the transition to living with her grandparents, and the complexity of growing up in a family shaped by addiction, separation, and change. She reflects on the grief of what wasn’t given, alongside the deep love and connection that became her foundation.  This conversation also explores the loss of her father later in life, the process of forgiveness, and how grief can resurface in different seasons. Through it all, Jullian speaks to the power of choosing who you become, finding strength in your roots, and recognizing that even after life’s hardest fires, something within you can survive and grow. If you’ve ever felt defined by where you came from, or wondered if a different life is possible, this episode offers a grounded and hopeful perspective. The Grief Between Us is part of The Waiting Place, a non-profit dedicated to supporting those navigating grief and loss. Learn more about us and upcoming events below! The Waiting Place Foundation [https://www.thewaitingplacefoundation.org]

After the Blessed Rain: A Mother’s Story of Loss and Becoming

What does it mean to grieve not only what was lost, but what was never allowed to fully begin? In this episode of The Grief Between Us, Patti sits with Sundy, a licensed marriage and family therapist, to explore the layered grief of pregnancy loss and the experience of becoming a mother through both loss and love. Sundy shares her story of losing two babies during pregnancy, the trauma of those moments, and the uncertainty that followed. She speaks to the ambiguity of that kind of loss, where there are no clear markers, no shared language, and often no recognition of the depth of what was lost. This conversation also explores how grief and joy can coexist, the impact of unmet expectations, and what it means to surrender control in the face of uncertainty. Through her personal and professional lens, Sundy offers insight into how we carry grief over time and how it shapes who we become. If you’ve experienced loss, ambiguity, or the quiet grief of what never came to be, this episode offers a space to feel seen in that. The Grief Between Us is part of The Waiting Place, a non-profit dedicated to supporting those navigating grief and loss. Learn more about us and upcoming events below! The Waiting Place Foundation [https://www.thewaitingplacefoundation.org]