The Kindred & Brave Project

Sara Rian is a poet, author, mother, wife, licensed therapist, and griever living in Metro Detroit. She has been drawn to grief poetry ever since her mother died in 2018. As a mental health professional, suicide loss survivor, and grieving human, Sara shares her work with others to let them know that they are not alone in their love or grief. In this episode, Sara and I have a vulnerable and authentic conversation about imposter syndrome in our humanness, our shared grief stories, and Sara’s beautiful words. We talk about how difficult and bittersweet it is to be motherless mothers and how we work to continue the bonds with our own mothers and help our children learn to meet them. Sara shares her journey to becoming a therapist and the work that her and her mom did to talk about the hard things. She reads a brand new poem for us. Thank you for listening. Remember - your stories matter, your feelings are valid, and the universe has your back. Resources // https://www.sararianbooks.com/ https://www.instagram.com/sara_rian_books/ With Gratitude, Mandy

In today’s episode, I share the unexpected loss of a pet and my son's big reaction to it. The story I share has some lessons about cumulative grief and what it is, knowing your own kiddo and honoring their needs, and remembering that sometimes we need to sit with them in the dark instead of trying to turn on the light. Thank you for listening. Remember - your stories matter, your feelings are valid, and the univverse has your back. With Gratitude, Mandy

In this micro episode, I share the stories about how I’ve learned about my grief since my mom died. Learning about our grief is a way to understand how it shows up in our bodies and brains (hint: our body knows first). It’s a vulnerable choice to sit with the grief as it comes and examine the emotions it brings us. It’s self-awareness and self-compassion. Resources // Season 3: Episode 3 Collective Grief // with Claire Bidwell Smith Thank you for listening. Remember - your stories matter, your feelings are valid, and the universe has your back. With Gratitude, Mandy

Claire Bidwell Smith is a licensed therapist, international speaker, and the best-selling author of five books on grief and loss, published in 22 countries. Widely recognized as a leading voice in contemporary grief work, she has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, CNN, MSNBC, Scientific American, Goop, and Oprah Daily, among many others. Today, we have a conversation about what grief is, and the specific ways that we are experiencing it in 2026. Claire sheds light on how our grief needs safety and connection, how community can help us, and the value of empathy when there is collective and disenfranchised grief. Claire expresses hope for the future generations in holding space for grief and supporting others when they experience this inevitable, human emotion. Thank you for listening. Remember - your stories matter, your feelings are valid, and the universe has your back. Resources // https://clairebidwellsmith.com/ https://www.instagram.com/clairebidwellsmith/ With Gratitude, Mandy

In today’s episode, I share with you the concept of Wintering, based on Katherine May’s book of the same title, as well as the feelings of sorrow many of us are experiencing not just due to the season, but because of the state of the world. Also, I share a bit about SAD, better known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, brought on in these cold, dark months, and ways to care for ourselves physically and emotionally. Thank you for listening. Remember - your stories matter, your feelings are valid, and the universe has your back. With Gratitude, Mandy

In this first episode of 2026, Year of the Horse, I’m here to talk to you about the power of releasing expectations. I’m sharing the nitty-gritty details of why this practice matters and how it can help you build a new muscle and distress tolerance. With stories about motherhood and self-care, I hope you take what you need and know that you aren't alone. A gentle reminder that it’s still winter, we can move slowly and gently as we shed last year. Thank you for listening. Remember - your stories matter, your feelings are valid, and the universe has your back. With Gratitude, Mandy

October is ADHD awareness month, and in honor of that & my own kiddo today, I share some candid stories about what this journey has looked like for us as a family. It’s an episode that sheds light on how having a neurospicy kiddo impacts the family as a whole and flips the script on what we “typically” learn about parenting. I leave you with some of our hardest moments and biggest wins, as well as how to think about showing up for your students, friends, or relatives who have ADHD. Thank you for listening. Remember - your stories matter, your feelings are valid, and the universe has your back. Resources: https://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org/ Dr. Becky “The Single Most Important Parenting Strategy” Inspired by this Moth Card Deck - Think about: A time you felt the HEAT. A time you got burned. A time you fanned the flames. With Gratitude, Mandy-

Hello - I’m back! Today, I talk about the summer I accidentally took off from here and what I’ve learned from falling apart. This episode isn’t about putting a pretty bow on the unraveling that is bound to happen in midlife; it’s about learning to turn within when your compass goes awry. It’s an honest chat about the inner work that never ends if we want to keep choosing ourselves. Resources // https://brenebrown.com/articles/2018/05/24/the-midlife-unraveling/ Thank you for listening. Remember - your stories matter, your feelings are valid, and the universe has your back. Mandy

Today, I share all the things that have gone wrong in the last few months and how I realized that our lessons are in learning and that learning takes time, discomfort, and pushing against old ideas. We have the opportunity to refuel - be it with grace, forgiveness, and the reminder that you know best how to fill your own tanks. Welcome to a brand new half of 2025. I hope you can take what you need. With Gratitude, Mandy

Does anyone else have some anxiety about how the first half of the year has gone? Maybe you aren’t “on track” with your goals, or life is "lifing" too hard that you feel stuck? Today, I want to share some ideas about what happens when our brain tries to take control by using some of my own stories about the last 6 months. Spoiler: not a lot has gone as planned. I’ll leave you with some reminders & a lucky duck glimmer that I hope will make you feel seen & have a giggle at the unpredictable nature of life. With Gratitude, Mandy

In this episode, I talk with Carla Fernandez, author of Renegade Grief and co-founder of The Dinner Party. We share grief stories and the power of connection during times of grief and loss. Carla shares important insights for how to navigate the Mother's Day and Father's Day holidays and ways to be an ally for other grievers and create rituals. https://www.carlafernandez.co/ https://www.thedinnerparty.org/ With Gratitude, Mandy

I’m sharing something special with you all today. After 5 years I finally got the courage to write a eulogy for my mom. We never got to have a service and I was never able to honor her in this way; I’m sharing some of the stories that describe who she was as a person, a mother, colleague, and grandmother. My hope is that you can learn more about me by learning more about her - some might say we are two peas in a pod. This is also a testament that your grief journeys and rituals can look like whatever you want or need them to. If you never got to speak about your person the way you’d hoped you can use this as a practice for yourself. Thank you for listening. Remember - your stories matter, your feelings are valid and the universe has your back. With Gratitude, Mandy

Grief Bombs. The reality is that no amount of time keeps them away. And that's ok. It's hard. And it's natural. In this episode, I share the story of the “biggest” grief bomb I’ve had in the almost 5 years since my mom has died, how I dealt with it, and how I’ve reflected on it. The idea in these moments is to pause and let it be. Give yourself a moment to recognize what you feel and honor it. Don't push it away. Thank you for listening. Remember - your stories matter, your feelings are valid, and the universe has your back. With Gratitude, Mandy

I am honored to introduce you to today’s very special guest - my dear husband Andy Lundquist. Andy has spent 15 years as a high school educator focusing on social studies and religion, having taught in Washington, Indiana and Illinois. Following his masters in transformational leadership, Andy began his PhD in Bluey over a year ago alongside fellow student, our now four year old daughter Zoey. We talk about how the show Bluey has helped us on our parenting journey and how we can learn right along with our kids. Andy serves up insightful observations about some episodes from this lovable children’s show that remind us about how hard adult friendships can be to cultivate, how to be fully present with our kids, and releasing control over how things “should” go. Resources https://www.bluey.tv/ Season 1: Episode 6 // The Courageous Act of Grieving Season 1: Episode 7 // Finding Friends & Community in Mid(ish) Life With Gratitude, Mandy

Today I’m talking about what it felt like to have the most significant opportunity of my career by presenting at SXSW EDU and embracing the AND/BOTH of big feelings. There is so much we can learn when we have the courage to lean into the discomfort of being afraid and still work through it. I don’t believe the work removes the fear but it allows us to hold fear AND courage - that’s a powerful thing. There were some big lessons (and winks from my mama) in my time in Austin. I hope you take what you need. Thank you for listening. Remember - your stories matter, your feelings are valid, and the universe has your back. Resources Prism Oracle Deck Episode 13: A Language For Mental Health: Why It Matters I would be honored if you shared this episode. Please remember to like and subscribe to the show - it makes a big difference in who can find it online! And if you took the time to write a written review that is the icing on the cake - I would be so grateful. Your support means so much to me. With Gratitude, Mandy

Today’s conversation features Brie Overton, the clinical director for Experience Camps, an award-winning national nonprofit that transforms the lives of grieving children through summer camp programs and innovative, year-round initiatives. We dove into the ways that she was supported early in her grief journey and the class that changed how she thought about death and dying. Brie shares the impact of Experience Camps and talks about the many ways she helps kids and teens build a toolbox to cope with their grief. We bond over the openness in literature and language we share with our kiddos about grief and loss. Brie’s book, “My Grief Comfort Book” just hit the shelves and she discusses how a variety of activities, physical and emotional, are important to our grief journeys. “I know a lot of folks say I don’t want my kids to see me cry, but they need to see you cry. They need to know it’s ok to have these emotions.” Brie Overton Resources // Experience Camps My Grief Comfort Book Gentle Reminders With Gratitude, Mandy

Welcome back for another Wellness Check episode; mini-episodes that serve as a quick reflective moment and opportunity for perspective. Today’s episode is inspired by my amazing producer, John. I’m talking about how the wound is the way - a simple phrase he handed to me after our last recording. I invite you to go for a quick walk or grab something warm to drink as I share some of the invitations that have come from a recent wound and the hilarious (and embarrassing) effects. My hope is that you can get curious about what wounds might be holding invitations for you. You might be surprised. Thank you for listening. Remember - your stories matter, your feelings are valid, and the universe has your back. Resources // Gabrielle Bernstein Super Attractor Deck With Gratitude, Mandy

This episode is all about grief. We need to understand that there are different types of grief and when we know more we can do better. Grief wasn’t meant to be done alone. I believe the first step in helping to build our grief literacy begins in our classrooms and is built on learning the language of grief. I’d love to hear from you all - I’ve created a short survey that asks about your experience with grief - whether you learned what it was, if you talked about it in your families or with your friends, and what, if any education you received about this every human, very common experience in your educational experience. It would mean so much to me if you took a few moments to share your responses and experiences. Resources // Please take the survey here With Gratitude, Mandy

In this episode, I talk about the many ways that our world is experiencing collective grief. In honoring this difficult emotion I offer some ways to tend to yourselves during a time of fear and uncertainty. I share some of the ways that we can bring ourselves back to baseline so we can be present for our communities, families, and friends. We have to name it to tame it and feel it to heal it. Resources // Support our friend Natasha Sizlo who lost her home in the Palisades fire & listen to our conversation: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-support-natasha-her-kids-after-the-fire https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-21-signs-the-magic-of-the/id1715926509?i=1000659637687 Emotion Wheel Open App With Gratitude, Mandy

Welcome to the Wellness Check. These are mini-episodes that serve as a quick reflective moment and opportunity for perspective. Today I’m talking about Hope and the power of finding it, being it, and spreading it. Thank you for listening. Remember - your stories matter, your feelings are valid, and the universe has your back. Resources Working Mom Notes // LA Wildfire Stuffed Animal Recovery List: A Community Effort to Bring Comfort to Children With Gratitude, Mandy