A conversation about children, grief, and healing with Rachel Long

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Rachel Long is the reason I dipped my toes into podcasting.

OK, that might be a little bit of hyperbole. Hosting a podcast is #57 on my Bucket List 100 (ish) Things I Want to Do list that I started in around 2010. But she helped nurture the thought – in a roundabout way.

I’ve known Rachel for more than a decade. We have a lot of shared stories and experiences. One evening after our church’s small group meeting, we were all just kind of hanging out. Out of the blue, Rachel said to me something to the effect of, “You should consider voiceover work,” and complimented my voice. Fast forward a few years and now here we are.

So this whole podcast experiment is all Rachel’s fault.

OK. It’s not entirely her fault. But it’s amazing how one offhanded comment can nurture a seed to grow in someone’s heart, isn’t it? That’s a pretty good reminder to be kind and speak life into people around you. You never know what kind of impact your words will have on someone.

But I digress…

Surprised by grief

Grief is hard. You can think you’re doing alright and then – BAM! Out of the blue, you hear a song that stirs up a memory and you suddenly find yourself silently wiping away tears as you sit in your office. Or a game of cards with your kids reminds you of a friend long-gone. Sometimes it sits with you for a while. Other times it jumps out at you from around the corner. It’s unpredictable at times.

No one’s grief journey is the same, but many times it feels like this…

My Grief Journey graphic from Grief Diaries Facebook page.
Image via Grief Diaries.

It does for me, anyway. I’m sure yours is different. But I’m sure it’s just as unpredictable and surprising at times.

Grief as an adult can be rough. Experiencing grief as a child? It can be unbearable. And many children are living with this very real pain of losing someone close to them. But kids don’t have to try to figure out how to navigate this on their own.

Podcast guest Rachel Long and childhood grief

Rachel has been helping people navigate grief for a long time. She has a great podcast called HIL: Heard. Important. Loved. You should check it out – after you listen to THE MattDanToddcast, of course.

I asked Rachel to join me on THE MattDanToddcast Podcast to talk about the important work that is happening through the Joshua Center – an organization born out of her own family’s grief journey. And I’m honored to have her on my tiny little podcast that she unintentionally helped launch.

You should be able to find THE MattDanToddcast Podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts. If you can’t find it, please let me know! Don’t forget to subscribe – it’s incredibly important in the world of podcasting. Who knew?

Links referenced in the episode:

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Matt Todd

Howdy. I'm Matt. My wife, Christy, and I have four kids and two dogs, I'm passionate about orphan care. I'm a die-hard fan of the Evansville Aces, the Indiana Hoosiers, and Star Wars. I'm trying to live life by the Todd family motto: "It behooves us to live!"
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