Claim OwnershipHolding the Light
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© 2024 Holding the Light
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Child loss, universally, has been called the single, most devastating experience a family can face. It is a very personal journey, with no handbook for survival. Sharing our stories of love and loss offers validation, hope, and healing. Join Monica and Colby Charette in a very unique, mother-and-son podcast, as they share their personal grief journey, and those of others, with intimate interviews each episode that offer powerful experiences, candid advice for friends, retrospective lessons learned, insight and encouragement, and everything in-between. If you have experienced child loss, or care about someone who has, we invite you to hold the light with us, and keep coming back for inspiration and hope.
29 Episodes
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Send us a Text Message.Navigating life after child loss is hard enough without the gender-based stereotype that men must somehow be strong and overcome their grief. After the devastating loss of his daughter Lila to stillbirth, Rob Reider has created a space to help nurture bereaved fathers, in a club just for men. It’s called the Sad Dads Club. A place to share loss among others who can truly understand their journey. A voice for all grieving fathers. SAD DADS CLUB helps fellow bereave...
Send us a Text Message.When your child dies, it’s so hard to accept that every part of their existence is no longer possible. Mary Alexandra felt this deeply after her daughter Celina died, as life, inevitably, moves forward. This kind of grief, never goes away. But Mary shares how it IS possible to balance grief with her greatest joys. Like the wedding of her younger daughter and becoming a grandmother, all while keeping Celina’s memory alive. A message for all who are grieving. It’s okay to...
Send us a Text Message.When faced with the possibility that her 34-year-old daughter Jessica might die from brain cancer, Julie Brown turned to her writing for solace, which, she says, has become part of her evolution. After Jessica’s passing, this caregiving and courageous mother is now inspired to write the next chapter of her life in hopes of helping others.Resources mentioned in our podcast conversation:Building A Life: A Mother's Healing Journey of Self-Discovery by Julie Brown available...
Send us a Text Message.When a horrific car accident suddenly claimed the lives of her teenage son Casey, and her husband Gus, Susan Cloutier had to dig deep to want to keep living. She shares her story of losing half of her family in an instant, parenting her angry, and deeply grieving 11-year-old son, finding love again, even contemplating ending her life. Yet through it all, she learned how to lean heavily into her faith to move forward with love and purpose. Holding the Light is an or...
Send us a Text Message.While Debbie Reynolds would not, and should not, ever say she is childless, she is now navigating a life without her only two children, Michelle and Matthew. How does a parent even begin to process the death of their young daughter, while helping an older son with sibling grief, and later, his own terminal illness? The path of healing has been difficult, but also enlightening, as Debbie candidly tells the story of her family's unimaginable journey, inc...
Send us a Text Message.Suicide without warning is more common than we might think. Which is why Annette McCoy will never stop asking herself, “how did I not know?” Sometimes, even after years of searching, the answers just aren’t there. Instead of focusing on how her only child died, she is coming to terms with it, by sharing her story and her endless love for Evan. Turning that grief, into so beautifully honoring her child. Noted in this podcast is the project ...
Send us a Text Message.Every day Dawn carries her heavy grief, alongside endless love for her son Krys, but she never carries the guilt or responsibility that often plague parents of child loss to suicide. In this podcast, this brave Mom candidly shares how the demons and drugs were bigger and stronger than her 30-year-old son. Her peace comes in knowing he is safe, in loving the son he left behind, and helping others through life’s greatest loss. Colby and I are honored to Hold t...
Send us a Text Message.In a very special interview, Colby and I had the complete joy and honor of talking with Cidny Bullens, a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, who is known for being a backup vocalist for Elton John, singing lead vocals on the Grease soundtrack, and has nine critically-acclaimed solo albums. Cid humbly shares how the deep grief of child loss transformed his life, in more ways than one—including influencing his decision to publicly come out as a transgender man, and the cr...
Send us a Text Message.When your child dies by suicide, it presents unique circumstances that can intensify and sometimes prolong and complicate the grieving process for parents. Tom Howard is slowly reassembling the pieces of his own shattered life after the loss of his son, Eli. He shares the mental health challenges his son faced, as well as his personal reflection on how men and women grieve differently, and yet how we all have to accept the unacceptable. You’ll also learn how...
Send us a Text Message.It’s so hard to move forward after the loss of a child. Hard for grieving parents to find their place in the world; to maintain their role as a parent, a daughter, son, or friend. Remembering who they are, and what makes them happy. Taryn Murray takes us back to the heart- wrenching moment when she was told her 21-year-old son Jakob had died in a motorcycle accident. She shares the challenges of balancing grief with parenting her daughter, and how she is fin...
Send us a Text Message.When you are suffering with the most difficult grief of child loss, in your deepest despair, you sometimes question your mental well-being. But how do you know when grief becomes a mental health crisis? Kirstie Martin knew the difference one day, and sought help that saved her life. We are humbled to share her brave story, and celebrate the love and legacy of her son, Brady. Kirstie is the founder of Maine Angel Moms, a private Facebook page for grieving Main...
Send us a Text Message.Is grief different for parents of only children? Charlie Hartman’s answer surprised us. But what didn’t, is the lifetime of grief she now bears after the death of her 30-year-old son, Alec. Her voice lights up when she says his name, as it brings her great joy to share his life and legacy. Charlie is very candid about Alec’s challenges with Aspberger’s Syndrome, and the struggles he faced with crippling anxiety and depression. But what you will remembe...
Send us a Text Message.When Lisa Reilich suddenly lost her 18-year-old daughter Maiah in a tragic accident in 2020, she dug deeper into the meaning of “transitioning” and discovered new ways to know her daughter, and, continue their relationship. Lisa shares the personal revelation of surrendering to her grief, and, how she holds her grief now, so that she might help others walking the same path. Her words, both in conversation, and in poetry, are thoughtful and inspiring. To learn more about...
Send us a Text Message.Grieving the loss of your child is very personal—and private—until your loss becomes part of a national tragedy. Deb Roberts shared her grief with people around the country, as we held our collective breaths waiting to hear the fate of the 33 crew members aboard the SS Elfaro in 2015. Her son, Michael Holland, was among the heroes lost at sea. In this, our final podcast of 2022, Colby and I have a very moving conversation with Deb about her experiences with grief, knowi...
Send us a Text Message.Four words a parent never wants to hear: your child has cancer. How would you talk with your 11-year old child about his own mortality? We wondered, when you anticipate your child's death, when does the grief journey actually begin? Amber Poulin answers these questions and more, as she bravely shares her story, and the lifetime of love she will continue to have for her son, Jayden, since his passing from brain cancer two years ago. It’s an inspiring story of one mother’...
Send us a Text Message.The holidays are especially challenging for grieving families. Colby and I were honored to talk with Mark Jose, a professional grief counselor, longtime Hospice volunteer, and grief support group facilitator. In this episode, Mark helps shatter the myths of holiday grief, shares suggestions for surviving, as well as the greatest lesson he has learned about just how strong and powerful grief really is. We hope something you hear helps you, or the grievi...
Send us a Text Message.If you tuned into our most recent podcast, you had the opportunity to meet Amanda Garay, who bravely shared the loss of her younger brother Chris, to suicide. This week, we are joined by Amanda’s and Chris's Mom, Cathy Langlais, who says, the only thing that comes close to the pain of hearing about the loss of her only son, was having to tell her only daughter. In this very personal interview, Cathy reflects upon the last seven years since Christopher’s passing, the cha...
Send us a Text Message.Siblings are your first friends, the keeper of your earliest childhood memories, the people you expect and plan to be part of your future. In this week’s podcast, Amanda Garay shares her deep love, and the lifelong grief she now bears after her younger brother Christopher died by suicide 7 years ago. Chris, she says, was the perfect example of how "everything seemed perfect”-- all part of an important message she wants to share with others. You will be captivated by Ama...
Send us a Text Message.What is the grief season? For parents of child loss, it is often the days, weeks and months that surround the date their child died There is a distinct, time leading up to the moments of before, and the painful realization following the after. We walk beside grief every single day, but there is something so palpably different when your body and mind pass through that sacred space of time every year. As we near October 11th, on the eighth year marking the passing of Cass...
Send us a Text Message.Imagine, for a moment, rushing to a hospital after learning your child has been in an accident, only to discover that there is no chance of survival. Helen Beesley has lived this nightmare, and shares the decision her family made to allow her 22-year-old daughter Candace to become an organ donor. Seventeen years later, Helen now shares her grief journey with us, which includes honoring her daughter's legacy of giving, as it continues eternally through her final gi...
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