This week marks what would’ve been my Great-Great Aunt Jerry’s 98th birthday, and it felt like the perfect time for Emma and me to reflect on what it means to honor those who came before us—and to celebrate those who are still here.
Inspired by the rededication of the Dr. Rita Smith-Wade-El Center for Intercultural Student Engagement at my alma mater, Millersville University, this conversation explores remembrance as an embodied joy practice—a way of holding gratitude, legacy, and enduring love all at once.
As we prepare to celebrate our Gram’s 80th birthday this weekend, Emma and I talk about giving flowers while our loved ones are yet alive, remembering those we’ve lost, and learning how joy and mourning can coexist, especially for children.
We also honor Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and Remembrance Day (October 15), remembering Emma’s twin and our cousin Harlem. And with the help of The Caring Place, we explore how children process grief differently and what it looks like to give them space to remember through love and ritual.
This episode is an offering for the ancestors we carry, the babies we carried, and the living loved ones we still get to celebrate.
Chapters
03:57 — Emma’s perspective on ancestors
07:46 — Reflecting on family traditions and memories
15:36 — Preparing for Gram’s 80th birthday
23:02 — Reflecting on family memories
24:45 — The influence of Rita
29:36 — Honoring ancestors and grief awareness
38:00 — Childhood memories and favorite candies
40:19 — Keeping ancestors’ memories alive
42:01 — Challenge for the week
Challenge for the Week
Find a photo of one of your relatives—or take a new one with someone you love. Then talk, write, or draw about one joyful memory you share. Honor them now, in love.
Resources Mentioned
- The Caring Place — highmarkcaringplace.com
- Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month & Remembrance Day (October 15)
Connect with Me:
Instagram: @natural_inclination
Youtube: @naturalinclination
TikTok: Amber Sessoms
LinkedIn: Dr. Amber M. Sessoms, NCSP
Bluesky: @ambersessoms.bsky.social
Facebook: Natural Inclination
Website: www.aninclination.com
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