A Note Before We Start: Today’s episode is heavily focused on grief and loss with mentions of suicidal ideation. These are sensitive topics so please honor yourself as you move forward.
💜🎙️In this week’s episode, Naomi Bindman shares her essay, “A Change of Spirit” reflecting on the complexities of grief and the value of honoring three special women in her life through storytelling.
During our conversation, Naomi reflected on the influence of her mother and grandmother on her writing and teaching journeys, as well as how feedback has helped her refine her craft. Through storytelling and performing, she has found a way to give voice to her deceased daughter and honor the legacies of the three most important women who shaped her life: her mother, grandmother, and daughter.
After her daughter, Ellen passed away in a car accident at the age of seventeen, Naomi rediscovered the will to live by performing Ellen’s songs. Initially, she pursued this goal seeking enough closure to end her life. Instead, she found an unexpected joy she once thought was lost forever.
Together, we explored the challenges of grief and the cultural discomfort around pain, emphasizing the need to lean into grief and allow oneself to feel the pain before moving forward. Grief is not linear and looks different for everyone, including Naomi who shared how the experience of losing her daughter was the most incomprehensible loss of all. Wherever you are in your journey, she encouraged embracing the pain of grief, recognizing the value of therapy, connecting with others who have experienced similar losses, finding creative outlets for processing emotions, and embracing vulnerability as integral to the healing process.
Naomi Bindman is a writer, musician, and award-winning educator based in Vermont. Her articles, essays, and poetry have appeared in anthologies and journals including Mothering, So to Speak, Friends Journal, and Consilience, among others. She’s received grants from the Vermont Arts Council and serves as faculty for the Vermont State Colleges. Her memoir, You're the Words I Sing, tells the story of Naomi's journey back to life performing the songs of her daughter, Ellen.
Experience this Episode: Listeners can watch the full interview or read the essay.
Connect with Naomi:
- Website @ naomibindman.com
Follow Her Own Words:
- Instagram @ Herownwords.podcast
- LinkedIn @ Her Own Words
- Website: https://herownwords.club/
- Do you have a story? Share a personal essay here
- Sponsor the show: If you're enjoying the podcast, please consider supporting here.
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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
- Show Theme: https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/clear-sky // License code: IUN6XTDNDDJVLFCJ
- Essay Song: https://uppb
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