The Signs That Keep Us Connected
Introducing 'Conversations on Grief': a limited podcast series
When I started my podcast, Boldly You, in 2024, nowhere on the vision board did I have conversations about grief.
The goal of Boldly You is to inspire people to live their most authentic and bold life.
But I could argue - 5 months after losing my mom - that embracing grief and choosing to lean into it - to explore it deeper - is the boldest thing I’ve ever done.
In the days following my mom’s death, I found myself frantically searching for podcast episodes about grief. Something to help me feel less alone, less “insane” to use my words. Something to give me the answers and clarity in a time that felt so ungrounding and uncertain.
In listening to other’s stories and experiences, I found all those things.
And as I got to a point in the months following where I can talk about it with more ease, where I WANT to talk about it more and more. Not just with my therapist or here on my Substack, or in the quiet corners of my journal, but out loud - with people who get it. People who have talked their own winding road of loss. People who could say, “me too,” and mean it.
So I started recording these conversations - raw, unscripted, and deeply human. They’ve been healing in a way I didn’t expect. Each guest has helped me see something new in my own grief. Each conversation has felt like a thread, weaving meaning into a season that can feel so chaotic and tender.
I’m so excited to share this limited series with you over the next 5 weeks, knowing deeply that even if you haven’t experienced deep loss yet, that you will still get something out of these conversations.
I’m so honored that my guests shared their time, stories, and wisdom with me. Their courage and willingness to speak out loud the most vulnerable experiences of their lives is inspiring, courageous, and yes, bold.
This episode with my dear friend Maria Dent is one of those threads.
Maria and I both lost our mothers.
In this conversation we explore how that loss continues to shape us. We talk about the responsibility of caring for loved ones as they pass, the emotional weight that lingers long after, and the rituals and symbols that help us stay connected. We share stories of signs - from butterflies to favorite songs - that have brought us comfort in surprising ways.
We also talk about what it means to hold joy and sorrow at the same time, especially around anniversaries and milestones. We laugh about chocolate as a coping mechanism, and we name how powerful it is to have people show up for you—not to fix anything, but to simply be there.
This conversation is for anyone who is grieving, or anyone who will one day grieve someone deeply loved. It’s also for the people who love someone who is grieving and want to understand them better.
Because grief is not a problem to solve. It’s a story we learn to live with.
And sometimes, when we’re lucky, we find signs that remind us we’re not alone.
Thank you for listening, for feeling alongside us, and for being part of this unfolding series. You can listen to the episode here on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
With love,
Alicia
