Stop Telling Me How to Grieve
A Thousand Tiny Steps
I’m tired of people telling me how to feel, how to grieve, when to grieve, and for how long. Many people project their emotions because they’re uncomfortable, but sometimes people just need to sit in grief and not have it minimized. Key Takeaways: [0:44] Stop telling me how to grieve and projecting your emotions [2:27] The memory chair [11:51] Minimizing grief and the advice people give [19:11] Being part of a Heart Warriors group and realizing I do belong [20:56] Being understood in my grief and cleaning out the closet [24:59] Think about what...
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The Concord Prom
A Thousand Tiny Steps
There has been drama in my town because the prom has been moved locations. This had me reminisce about my own prom, the things others remembered, the history of the prom in my town, and how it should be about bringing the community together. Key Takeaways: [1:45] The drama with the prom [3:27] What I remember about my prom [9:21] The prom moved to a few key locations, but it’s kept shifting [17:30] The history of the prom in my town [20:05] My message to the kids who prom got moved [23:32] What I think should happen with the future of the...
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Living an Ordinary Life with Achondroplasia with Brenda
A Thousand Tiny Steps
Brenda has achondroplasia, a genetic condition which impacts her bones, but she doesn’t let it stop her from living an ordinary life. She talks about how it impacts her day to day, all the businesses she’s owned, and how she’s never know anything else so she doesn’t feel that different. Key Takeaways: [0:43] Brenda’s condition and how it impacts the body [6:00] A controversial treatment [9:09] Brenda’s childhood [14:52] Chronic pain, the jobs she’s had, and how it impacts her day to day life [22:12] Being an older mom, having a normal...
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Running in College with Marty
A Thousand Tiny Steps
When I met Marty in high school, I didn’t know it would lead to a decades long friendship, but here we are. We got together to discuss running at Boston College, the drama that came with it, what new sports Marty has discovered, and how our life has changed as we age. Key Takeaways: [0:43] How I met Marty: be beating her in a race [4:18] A love hate relationship, what unified us, and how we went to college together [12:09] The trauma so many of us runners shared [19:27] Marti moved and started a company, but then got injured [23:28] Becoming...
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Pig Kidney Transplant with Tim
A Thousand Tiny Steps
My friend Tim, is an extraordinary person who advocated for himself to get a kidney transplant - from a pig. With the help from his wife Karen, he prepared himself for the transplant, recovered, and is now living a better quality life. Although it is only a gap until he can receive a human kidney, it has helped give him and others on dialysis hope. Key Takeaways: [1:15] Tim’s kidney failure rapidly progressed [4:18] Tim put himself in the program to get a pig’s kidney [8:02] He wanted to quit dialysis, his recovery process, and what’s changed [13:26] The...
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Going to the Boston Marathon
A Thousand Tiny Steps
I finally went to the Boston Marathon again, contemplated more deep feelings of grief, and saw some old friends from the running community. I think I’m finally ready to join the running community again and get involved in things. In this episode, I really want to hit home that you do what you need to do to get through grief. Key Takeaways: [2:45] Going to the Boston Marathon again [4:32] Losing your child is not the same as losing your parent or pet [6:01] Making changes, seeing Joanie again, and how running saved me [14:50] Not knowing your going to lose...
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10 Years Without Molly
A Thousand Tiny Steps
As we are upon 10 years without Molly, this anniversary hits especially hard. It makes me relive all the days surrounding it, what I was like, what happened, and the connections that I’ve found. In this episode, I go into what has changed over a decade and what still remains the same. Key Takeaways: [0:36] The doctors proving Molly was dead was horrific [3:01] Going back to the Boston Marathon and not celebrating holidays [6:01] Going further into my drug use and my guests [9:57] Molly dying didn’t change the same issues we had as a family [14:36] Jack...
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Baylie’s Coma and What Went Wrong with Shawnee
A Thousand Tiny Steps
Baylie’s story is one of a night with friends gone wrong and how a series of choices lead to her death. From the police, to the hospital, to the investigation, to fighting to pull her off life support because she didn’t want that was a rollercoaster. It was so much more traumatizing than it had to be. But it inspired Shawnee to start a foundation, advocate for college safety, having a will, and writing a book to make sure others know: this can happen to anyone. Key Takeaways: [1:48] Baylie going off to college as a pre-med student in neuroscience [5:24] Going out...
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Finding Sobriety and Getting Pregnant With Skyler
A Thousand Tiny Steps
Skyler’s story is full of ups and downs from having a rocky childhood to getting pregnant while addicted to then finding sobriety with a husband that supports her. Through her journey she has posted on social media sharing her story, most recently of the last words she said to her mom and the things that will stick with her for a lifetime. Key Takeaways: [1:48] My parents were addicts, being abused, and starting to use drugs [8:28] Getting pregnant, trying not to relapse, and losing my child [15:22] My child’s father dying and finding out in the worst way ...
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The Forgotten Ones: Sibling Grief
A Thousand Tiny Steps
As I got into an argument with Gracie, it made me dive deeper into a topic that’s not talked about enough: sibling grief. People often focus more on the parent’s and not the child that has just lost the person they spent their formative years with. This can cause Gracie and I to have very different views and ways of grieving, but it has also opened my eyes on how to be more understanding. Key Takeaways: [2:30] Sibling vs parental grief [5:07] Gracie lost her person in this world that she did everything with [11:23] Our argument over the MollyB Gala and Gracie...
info_outlineMichelle and I sat down to have a conversation on her work with the nervous system, biofeedback, neurofeedback, traumatic responses, and addressing the root of a problem. She takes on work that’s not traditional in a therapist’s office, but is so needed because of the mind/body connection.
Key Takeaways:
[3:15] Michelle is a complementary therapist and looking at the nervous system
[10:34] Teaching the next generation, trusting them, and rolling with the changes
[18:41] What neurofeedback is and traumatic responses
[33:27] Learning from a situation and young people’s relationship to technology
[47:08] Not projecting my belief system, but addressing the root of the problem
[59:18] A big part of Michelle’s work is doing seminars and having the non-profit
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