156: Bus Life and a Father’s Grief With Justin
Today I brought my husband Justin on today, to talk about our life, and life after the death of our daughter Aria.
Here’s some things we talked about:
We’ve been living in our bus for almost 11 months now. How would you describe, to those who are listening that maybe don’t know what we are doing, or how we are currently living, what we have been doing for the last 11 months.
What has been the most surprising thing for you about the whole experience?
I think many people think we are living a dream of traveling, it’s easy to think that our life is just easy, no problems, everything is just pure bliss….what’s the reality of it?
What has been the most challenging part of it?
We’ve talked a lot about how Aria’s death changed the whole trajectory of our life, and that we are traveling and living in our bus because we’ve learned that life can end at any moment. So we want to enjoy it now. What’s been the thing you’ve enjoyed the most about our travels?
How do you keep Aria in our home, and remember her while we are traveling?
How has your grief changed and shifted over the 6 years that Aria has been gone?
What would you say to another father who is grieving the death of his child?
Are you ready to stop cycling in the pain and anguish of grief? What if you could get a moment of calm and respite? After your child dies, everything feels hopeless, dark, and it’s hard to even think straight. Staying in survival mode keeps the cycle going.
Register to watch this free video on how to stop the pain, and feel better again.
The more you allow yourself to sit in discomfort, the more you become okay with being uncomfortable. Actually, the more comfortable you become. The more you lean into uncomfortable feelings, sensations, and emotions, the more comfortable you become.
I think right now, I just have so much gratitude because when you're in a struggle, you have no idea why it's happening. And to be able to be like, Wow, I turned this into something that I'm so proud of because I see how it's helping other women. That just shows that, like, that is a plan that I would have never seen back then.
If you have kids, give them jobs and have them help! It helps when I have so many helpers now whom I can delegate the jobs to, and it helps get things done.
Dana highlights the importance of being patient with oneself, acknowledging the need to allow space for sadness or frustration. She welcomes questions about her daughter and encourages open dialogue, recognizing that understanding often comes through curiosity and conversation. Dana's openness and willingness to share her experiences reflect her commitment to fostering empathy and awareness.
I am on this medication (before). It helps manage it a little bit, but I'm still anxious. I'm still depressed. I'm still so glad the medication helps, but it's not the answer because it doesn't take away the issue.
Do it because you're angry or sad or don't feel like it. It is the hardest part of everyone's journey, whether that's regarding singing or eating vegetables. Whatever it might be, finding that inner drive and any motivation to do what you know is good for you. If you find that, that will give you all the power, because that’s when the ball starts rolling.
The first one is shifting your perspective, the second is rewiring your mind or the response to it, and the third is cultivating lasting relief. And in that first step, it's really one believing that change is possible.
Change is inevitable in our lives. It happens like the sun rises and sets. And yet, for some reason, we are shocked when there is change or things are different than we thought they could be.
It's like, go take a little break. Step back from it. Get fresh eyes and then come back again. Take a break in so many ways, not only for our kids. This is a beautiful gift to learn how to take breaks step back to refresh and then try again.
Things I've let go of and things I've shifted or changed. Hopefully, just one of them will be useful for you in your life, permitting you to just do your life. How you want to and what works for you and your family.