All Episodes

August 15, 2025 34 mins

When grief takes you to the edge, how do you find your way back?


Author, Diandra Ford-Wing, transformed personal loss into a powerful memoir, "Red Bird," and discovered strength she never knew she had.


In this heartfelt episode of Real Things Living, Brigitte Cutshall talks with Diandra Ford-Wing about navigating the loss of her mother and aunt within 14 months, and how writing became a path to healing.


From their shared military brat upbringing to the symbolic red bird that now connects her to loved ones, Diandra shares her journey of resilience, family bonds, and the courage it takes to tell your story—truthfully and unapologetically.


📌 3 Takeaways:

(1) Resilience is discovered in the process. Loss can strip you bare, but it can also give you wings to live more freely.

(2) Symbols can help you heal. Finding personal meaning in signs (like the red bird) can be a powerful comfort through grief.

(3) Your story matters. Writing, whether memoir or fiction, requires vulnerability, but it can also preserve your legacy and inspire others.


Learn about Diandra and her book, "Red Bird", at https://booksbydiandra.com.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Cardiac Cowboys

Cardiac Cowboys

The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.

The Joe Rogan Experience

The Joe Rogan Experience

The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.