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One small decision can become a lifelong memory. I sit down with Sandi Moran Brafford as she returns to the days surrounding the sudden death of her youngest son, Rich, and tells the story with a honesty that’s both tender and blunt. She shares what it felt like to cancel a simple lunch plan because she was new at work, then wake up to a family emergency that would change everything. If you’ve lived through sudden loss, child loss, or complicated bereavement, you’ll recognize the shock, the numbness, and the way time turns surreal.

We also talk about what happens after the phone calls and the gathering at the house when real life still demands you show up. Sandi describes grief at work in vivid, practical terms: crying on the drive in, slipping away to the bathroom, and returning to the schedule because bills don’t pause. Alongside the loss, she was finishing breast cancer radiation, adding physical exhaustion to emotional collapse, and she reflects on how compounded trauma can blur months into a haze.

Marriage and grief come up too. Sandi explains how her husband Jim struggled to talk about Rich, not because he didn’t care, but because his grief lived in quieter places and small acts. That difference could have split them, yet it ultimately pulled them closer, offering a real-life look at how couples navigate different grieving styles.

A turning point arrives with a “cheerbox” from Amanda the Panda, a grief support organization for children and families. That simple daily ritual opens a door to community, volunteering, and meaning-making through helping others carry their stories.

ATTEND MY SUMMER WORKSHOP ON "SOULFUL LISTENING" THROUGH THE MARKEY CENTER AT SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY VIA ZOOM.

https://events.scu.edu/markey-center/event/359741-soulful-listening-workshops-on-the-ministry-of

Art: https://www.etsy.com/shop/vasonaArts?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
and https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/candee-lucas

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2SFH4Z6

Music and sound effects today by: via Pixabay