Judging Meghan

In this episode I welcome author and radio personality Nancy Howard Cobb for an honest conversation about grief, loss, and the ways we continue to carry the people we love after they are gone. Nancy’s book In Lieu of Flowers: A Conversation for the Living is being rereleased 25 years after its original publication, bringing its message about grief, storytelling, and human connection to a new generation. Together we explore the idea that grief is not something we “get over,” but something we move through. Nancy shares why she has always rejected the idea of closure, believing instead that relationships do not end with death but simply change. Through memory, storytelling, and the small moments that reconnect us to those we have lost, the bonds we share continue to live on. Our conversation also touches on spirituality, hospice care, and the sacred moments that often surround the end of life. Nancy reflects on caring for her mother through hospice and the powerful realization that birth and death are deeply connected experiences. We talk about how spirituality can take many forms and how, for many people, believing that our loved ones remain with us in some way offers comfort, meaning, and hope. Throughout the episode we reflect on the importance of empathy, compassion, and human connection in a world that can often feel overwhelming and divided. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do for one another is simply listen. A conversation, a shared memory, or a moment of kindness can remind someone they are not alone in their grief. Learn more at: https://www.nancyhowardcobb.com/  Follow Nancy here: https://www.instagram.com/nancyinconversation/  This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #GriefJourney #LivingWithLoss #HealingThroughGrief #GriefAwareness #LossAndLove #RememberingLovedOnes #SignsFromBeyond #CarryThemWithYou #LoveBeyondLoss #StoriesThatHeal #JudgingMeghan #PodcastConversations #HeartfeltTalks #StorytellingHeals #ListenAndReflect #SpiritualConnection #LifeAfterLoss #CompassionAndEmpathy #GriefAndHope #EmotionalHealing #BereavementSupport #MemoryAndLove #HopeAfterLoss #NavigatingGrief #HealingTogether #LifeAndLoss #SharedHumanity #SignsOfLove #HonoringTheDeparted #MindfulHealing #EmbraceTheJourney #LivingFully #SpiritualHealing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trigger Warning: This podcast episode contains emotionally charged discussions about stillbirth and miscarriage grief. Listener discretion is advised, as this content may be distressing or triggering for those who have experienced similar losses or are sensitive to such topics. We aim to provide a safe space for discussion and healing, but please prioritize your mental and emotional well-being while listening. Join my guest Hailey Ricks and I for an emotionally charged and compassionate exploration of stillbirth and miscarriage grief in this powerful episode. Hailey Ricks, founder of the Still Born Still Loved Foundation, shares her deeply personal journey through the heart-wrenching experience of losing a child. Through her story, she vividly portrays the post-stillbirth ordeal, from the haunting sound of newborns crying in the maternity ward while her baby rests silently to the stark contrast of leaving the hospital with just a single piece of paper amidst the celebration of other new mothers. This conversation dives deep into the unspoken world of pregnancy and infant loss, challenging societal taboos. It highlights the need for empathy and support, regardless of the stage of pregnancy, and emphasizes the power of storytelling to connect, heal, and remember the lives of lost children. Together, we break the silence around these painful topics, providing insights, support, and a safe space for anyone touched by stillbirth and miscarriage grief. I am an independent podcaster and your monthly donations and partnerships help more than you can imagine. This is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by looking forward together! #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #abuserecovery #traumahealing #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #podcasts #selfhelp #selfhelp #newborn #stigma #mom #support #grief #stilllovedfoundation #stllbirth #miscarriage Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/judging-meghan/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is especially meaningful as I celebrate my podcast’s six year anniversary during Suicide Prevention Month. I’m joined by Riaz Patel, a two time Emmy nominated director and producer and Broadway producer, who shares his story of growing up Pakistani, Muslim, and gay in rural West Virginia and Maryland. He opens up about feeling like an outsider, constantly navigating prejudice, experiencing hostility after 9/11, and a pivotal moment when the film Maurice helped him see a different future for himself during one of the darkest times in his life. Riaz shares how that experience led him into entertainment, the unexpected path that brought him to reality television, and the story of meeting his husband, Miles, and building a family. We also talk about the importance of hope, connection, and finding a reason to keep moving forward when life feels overwhelming. Riaz is also the creator of Connect Effect, a 53 minute entertainment based experience designed to create "on demand belonging" and help people find common ground. We talk about loneliness, our increasingly screen driven world, political division, and how easily we can focus on anger while missing the light around us. This conversation is a reminder to listen, stay connected, and remember that even in our darkest moments, there can still be hope and a path forward. Follow Riaz here: https://www.instagram.com/riazrpatel/?hl=en  Learn more about ConnectEffect here: https://connecteffect.us/  Our listeners get a FREE MONTH of Primal Queen plus FOUR FREE GIFTS at PrimalQueen.com/JUDGING. #ad Head to AquaTru.com and use promo code JUDGING to get UP TO 20% off today! I’d love to hear from you. If you have questions for me, topics you’d like discussed, or stories you want to share, please reach out through my website at judgingmeghan.com or send me a message on Instagram at @judgingmeghan. Your questions may be featured and answered in an upcoming episode. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review really helps support the show and helps more people find these conversations. This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #EndTheStigma #YouAreNotAlone #HopeAndHealing #ChooseConnection #Community #TogetherWeCan #SupportMatters #ReachOut #KeepGoing #LifeAfterCrisis #SuicideAwareness #SuicidePreventionAwareness #PreventSuicide #CrisisSupport #EmotionalWellness #Wellness #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #AuthenticConnection #SocialConnection #BuildingCommunity #CommonGround #ListenWithEmpathy #Compassion #KindnessMatters #LessLonely #ConnectionOverDivision Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m repeating this episode to honor Will Jimeno, all of the victims of 9/11, the survivors, the first responders who ran toward the danger, and all of their families. This episode originally aired in 2021, but Will’s story is one I believe should never be forgotten. September 11, 2001, is a day so many of us remember exactly where we were when we heard the news. It was a day that changed our country and countless lives forever. Will was a rookie Port Authority police officer when he saw the shadow of American Airlines Flight 11 moments before it struck the World Trade Center. He and his fellow officers knew they had to go in and help. Will shares what it was like to walk into the towers knowing a plane had hit the building, never imagining what was about to happen. When the South Tower collapsed, Will became trapped beneath the rubble alongside Sergeant John McLoughlin and Officer Dominick Pezzulo. Only Will and Sergeant McLoughlin survived. Trapped for hours with little hope of being rescued, the two men shared deeply personal conversations about their families and the people they loved. Will even asked Sergeant McLoughlin to tell his pregnant wife that he wanted their baby girl to be named Olivia. Eventually, Will and Sergeant McLoughlin were found and rescued by former Marines Jason Thomas and Dave Karnes. Both men suffered devastating injuries and faced a long road of surgeries, rehabilitation, and recovery. It was an absolute honor to speak with Will, hear his story, and learn how he chose to move forward from such an unimaginable experience. Will has dedicated his life to serving others, and his courage, resilience, and commitment to service are a powerful reminder of the strength of the human spirit. I’m grateful to revisit this conversation and share Will’s story again as we remember September 11 and everyone whose lives were forever changed that day. I’d love to hear from you. If you have questions for me, topics you’d like discussed, or stories you want to share, please reach out through my website at judgingmeghan.com or send me a message on Instagram at @judgingmeghan. Your questions may be featured and answered in an upcoming episode. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review really helps support the show and helps more people find these conversations. This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #abuserecovery #traumahealing #mentalhealthawareness #WillJimeno #911 #September11 #NeverForget #911Memorial #911Survivor #PortAuthorityPolice #FirstResponders #Heroes #HonorAndRemember #Resilience #Courage #Service #NeverForget911 #Remembering911 #911Anniversary #JudgingMeghan #Podcast NOTE: This Revisited Series is the re-release of my favorite most important episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m joined by Jacob Cooper, an author, therapist, speaker, and past life regression expert, for a fascinating conversation about near death experiences, spirituality, and what may exist beyond this life. Jacob shares the stories behind his two books, Life After Breath, which explores his own near death experience, and The Wisdom of Jacob’s Ladder, which explores the lessons and insights he took from that experience. Jacob recounts experiencing a near death experience at just three years old in 1993 after suffocating from undiagnosed pertussis. He describes seeing a tunnel and a light, experiencing an overwhelming sense of love, encountering guardian angels and numerous other angels, entering what he calls a “soul pod,” and experiencing a life review that included memories of past lives. He also describes the profound feeling of choosing to return to this life with a service oriented purpose. Together, we explore questions about consciousness, spirituality, purpose, and what happens when we come face to face with the possibility of death. Jacob encourages listeners to remain open and curious while still maintaining healthy skepticism, and ultimately to focus on finding joy, serving others, and making the most of the life we have. Find out more here: https://jacoblcooper.com/  I’d love to hear from you. If you have questions for me, topics you’d like discussed, or stories you want to share, please reach out through my website at judgingmeghan.com or send me a message on Instagram at @judgingmeghan. Your questions may be featured and answered in an upcoming episode. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review really helps support the show and helps more people find these conversations. This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #JacobCooper #NearDeathExperience #LifeAfterBreath #TheWisdomOfJacobsLadder #Spirituality #Consciousness #Afterlife #LifeAfterDeath #PastLifeRegression #PastLives #SpiritualAwakening #SoulJourney #Angels #GuardianAngels #LifePurpose #FindingPurpose #Gratitude #Healing #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #TraumaHealing #PersonalGrowth #SelfDiscovery #MindBodySpirit #Faith #Hope #Podcast #MentalHealthPodcast  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices