Reflecting on the death of his grandson, my friend shared this on facebook:

Two years have passed since Jan 4th, and yet the shadow of that redwood, mighty and indifferent, still looms over my heart as if it fell but yesterday. Aeon—his name an echo of eternity, his spirit a flicker of divine light—was taken by the same earth that cradled him. A boy so full of wonder and possibility, his laughter seemed to carry the whispers of angels, and his eyes bore a brightness that spoke of a world yet to be explored. How cruelly the tree, a symbol of life and strength, became the instrument of loss. Yet, even in this, there is something profoundly human—a mystery of suffering, a question directed at the heavens. Aeon’s absence leaves a silence that reverberates louder than words, a reminder that love endures beyond the grave, bearing witness to the unbearable and transforming it into something eternal.

Dan’s loss reverberates with the universal human experience of suffering. And speaks to my heart about the nature of true comfort.

What a contrast. The comfort he shares is so different than the notion we’ve absorbed, that comfort is solely about ease and convenience.

No! Dan’s words echo that true comfort is found in love’s endurance through all of life’s challenges and reaches beyond the grave.

At the heart of this episode is the unwavering belief in the transformative power of love, weaving through history and the struggles of marginalized voices who have fought for equity and justice, at great personal cost.

Love is the only force powerful enough to make a duet of wonder and grief ~ words from the poem, Adrift by Mark Nepo.

Perhaps isolation is an epidemic because we've been conditioned to think we are less than we are – that we and others don’t have the capacity to be with all that life brings.

Love, loss, pain, and joy are all part of the human experience. But we’ve absorbed a lie that we and others can’t handle the complexity of life. This leads to hiding emotions, which keeps us segregated from ourselves and others.

Isolation.

I found out Chip died at midnight. By 7:00 am, 9 women were at my door ready to support me however possible.

That afternoon, I could hear them huddled together, whispering. I yelled out, “Nothing about me without me!”.

They were trying to help, but didn’t recognize that talking without me sent the message that I wasn’t able to be with my own life and denied me the community I needed for this desperate time.

How have you experienced this in your own life - times when you or others have tried to "protect" someone from the full range of emotions?

What could it look like to embrace the complexity of life's joys and sorrows together?

What intimacy might this create?

Because…

“The way you see any individual in your mind is the best they can ever be in your presence.” - John Overdurf.

In this episode, I share more stories and metaphors of how I’ve seen and experienced John’s words.

Join the conversation on death, loss and grief as the Grief Heals substack: http://griefheals.substack.com

A sweet friend and client sent me, "The Hidden Messages of Water," by Masaru Emoto. The treasure I received from the author and water is

Love and Gratitude

https://a.co/d/bSAS7zQ

This has me thinking about the radical invitation of grief.

What if grief’s invitation is to

Slow.

Down.

When I get slow. I mean slow enough to notice that I breathe. Slow enough to notice that I see.

Every time I get slow, Love and Gratitude emerge.

Even when I’m entering my deepest losses, love and gratitude arise when I get slow.

Grief has a powerful tendency to arrest us, to slow us down in a way that can feel overwhelming.

I wonder if it feels overwhelming because we don’t have a place to hold it in a culture that prizes productivity above people.

On the other hand, a storm might be called overwhelming, though there is a sense that storms are part of the natural world and won’t last forever.

We somehow know that there is a flow and calm becomes storm and storm becomes calm – like it’s part of the same cycle.

This book has me thinking about the cost of moving fast and reflecting on what that has meant for me and those around me. It also has me looking at slowing down in new ways.

As you listen to this episode, I invite you to consider:

How has grief invited you to slow down and become more present?

How does slowing down help your communication and interactions with yourself? Loved ones?

I believe that saying yes to grief's radical invitation, opens us up to a deeper understanding of ourselves, our connections, and the beauty that lies within our experiences.

Have a listen here and please share it with a friend!

Today’s episode was inspired by a Christmas gift I received from my dear friend Michelle - The Nap Ministry's Rest Deck, created by Tricia Hersey.

I explore how her entreaty to rest as a form of resistance against the "grind culture" connects with embracing grief to humanize humanity.

I share how my experience of pushing away grief resonates with her assertion that grind culture is a collaboration between capitalism and white supremacy.

And how grief’s sacred doorway is an invitation to life.

Tricia's work reveals the beauty and liberation found by entering our own and ancestral grief. She reminds us that resting and dreaming connects us to our divinity and one another.

Click below to learn more about her hallowed work:

https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/

May this episode nourish your soul and taste our oneness.

OKAY.

However you are coming into the New Year —- WELCOME!

Imagine getting to be where you are, how you are, exactly as you are – and welcoming all of you to this space. The happy, sad, good, bad – whatever concoction of duality you notice, what might it be like to practice welcoming all of your experience?

You know what helps me practice welcoming all of my experience? I think of everything as moving around a circle.

Ha! The Circle of Life. Cue Lion King lyrics.

It's the circle of life

And it moves us all

Through despair and hope

Through faith and love

'Til we find our place

On the path unwinding

In the circle

The circle of life

Our seasons really do operate in a circle. Winter becomes spring, spring becomes summer, summer to fall, fall to winter. And ohhhhh. Think of all that happens in the rich, beautiful, vibrant darkness of the soil.

When do the fallen leaves of winter become the spirited buds of spring? Life feeding new life underground…

Until. New. Life. Emerges.

Join the Grief Heals conversation on this first episode of 2025 where we talk about

Being with what is

The Reticular Activating System

Life as a circle

Creating an “I AM” for the new year

The "I am" statement is a powerful way to foster belonging and connection in the new year. It’s a simple way to embrace yourself and others in the year ahead because it helps you cultivate authenticity, stay grounded, and open to meaningful connections.

Join the conversation on our substack! http://griefheals.substack.com

Host Lisa Michelle Zega talks about the importance of embracing and investing in personal loss and grief as a path to growth and profit, both for the individual and one's broader ecosystem. In the course of this, Lisa reflects on her childhood experiences and the stories they have held onto and explores how letting go of these narratives and welcoming all parts of oneself can lead to greater compassion, connection, and wholeness. The episode emphasizes the value of self-reflection, self-hypnosis practices, and a curious, non-judgmental approach to one's own history and inner landscape.

Questions for Further Reflection

1. What personal stories or losses have you been most invested in holding onto? How might you approach those with more curiosity and openness to letting go?

2. In what ways have you witnessed unwitnessed loss or grief in your own life or in the larger societal/historical context? How could embracing that loss lead to greater connection and understanding?

3. What parts of yourself have you previously judged or pushed away? How might welcoming and honoring those aspects lead to more self-compassion and growth?

4. How could the self-hypnosis practice described be adapted or expanded to further support your own process of investing in loss and accessing deeper wisdom and insight?

5. What are the potential "profits" - whether personal, relational or societal - that could emerge from a willingness to truly grieve and let go of cherished narratives or identities?

In this thought-provoking episode of Grief Heals, host Lisa Michelle Zega embarks on a profound exploration of the interconnectedness of all things. Drawing insights from the natural world, Zega delves into the intricate web of human systems and emotions, highlighting the ways in which grief, joy, and resilience are inextricably linked. Through reflections on brain development, the cycles of nature, and the power of physical and emotional resistance, Zega invites listeners to consider grief not as an isolated experience, but as a manifestation of the deep love that binds us all.

Questions for Further Reflection

1. How has your understanding of grief shifted after considering the interconnectedness of emotions and systems within the self and the larger ecosystem?

2. In what ways have you experienced the "death and resurrection" cycles that the speaker describes, and how have those cycles informed your personal growth?

3. What does it mean to you to "lean into the wind" of life's challenges, and how can cultivating that mindset support your healing process?

4. How might considering the role of resistance and struggle in natural systems, like the trees in the biosphere study, change the way you approach personal growth and transformation?

5. What insights from the speaker's reflections on brain development and the impact of environment could be applied to supporting mental health and emotional well-being?

6. How can an understanding of interdependence and the interconnected self inform the way we offer compassion and support to those experiencing grief or other life challenges?

7. What practices or mindset shifts might you explore to deepen your sense of connection to the larger web of life, and how could that impact your relationship with grief?

In this episode, Lisa Michelle Zega explores the themes of grief, personal growth, and the importance of being witnessed and celebrated for one's unique brilliance. She reflects on leading a workshop for individuals re-entering the workforce, where she was deeply moved by the profound wisdom and perspectives shared by the participants. She connects this experience to the broader idea that grief can stem from not being seen and heard in our full individuality, rather than being forced to conform to societal norms. The episode emphasizes the healing power of creating spaces where people can reconnect with their authentic selves and the collective brilliance that emerges when we honor each person's distinct gifts. Questions for Further Reflection

1. How can we create more spaces and opportunities for people to be witnessed and celebrated for their unique brilliance and perspectives, rather than feeling pressured to conform?

2. What are some of the ways that dominant cultural narratives and expectations can suppress or bury our individual genius and creativity? How can we work to uncover and amplify those suppressed parts of ourselves?

3. In what ways have you experienced grief or a sense of loss related to not feeling seen, heard, or valued for who you truly are? How might reframing that grief as a longing to be witnessed change the way you approach it?

4. What are some practical strategies for helping others, or ourselves, reconnect with the core essence of who they are, especially when it has been obscured by trauma, stress, or societal conditioning?

5. How can we foster more collective experiences of honoring and learning from each person's distinct gifts, rather than pitting people against each other or promoting a singular "right" way of being?