<description>&lt;p&gt;Navigating life after a devastating spinal injury can feel insurmountable, yet it is entirely possible to discover a profound new sense of purpose&lt;span style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);"&gt;. In this episode, Irene Weinberg welcomes &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://karenolsonauthor.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);"&gt;Karen Olson&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);"&gt;, founder and CEO emeritus of &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://familypromise.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);"&gt;Family Promise&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);"&gt;, to explore the beauty of resilience and the power of service. Karen shares her deeply personal journey of transforming the heartbreak of losing her mother at age twelve into a life dedicated to uplifting homeless families. She also discusses her inspiring new book, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://amzn.to/4uJb3zG" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Meant for More: Following Your Heart and Finding Your Purpose&lt;/em&gt;,&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);"&gt; and how her recent spinal cord injury has deepened her spiritual perspective on compassion. Join us for a heartfelt conversation about how rupture can lead to rebirth, and how each of us can act as a North Star for someone else.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"&gt;IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: transparent;"&gt;How childhood loss, specifically the suicide of her mother, created a "hole in the heart" that simultaneously heightened Karen’s sensitivity to the suffering of others.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: transparent;"&gt;The transformative power of a chance encounter with a homeless woman named Millie in Grand Central Station, which sparked the creation of Family Promise.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: transparent;"&gt;How Family Promise’s innovative "rotation model" mobilizes local congregations to provide housing and community support to families experiencing homelessness.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: transparent;"&gt;The profound shift in Karen’s healing journey that occurred when her father finally embraced her during a hospitalization, highlighting the power of connection over talk therapy.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: transparent;"&gt;How Karen’s recent spinal cord injury served as a second "rupture," forcing her to reinvent her life again and deepening her spiritual perspective on resilience and vulnerability.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;WATCH ON YOUTUBE: &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-aqXGzd-sA&amp;amp;list=PL7judgDzhkAWmfyB5r5WgFD6ahombBvoh" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-aqXGzd-sA&amp;amp;list=PL7judgDzhkAWmfyB5r5WgFD6ahombBvoh&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"&gt;📚&lt;/span&gt;&lt;em style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"&gt;Meant for More: Following Your Heart and Finding Your Purpose &lt;/em&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"&gt;-&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://amzn.to/4uJb3zG" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"&gt; &lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://amzn.to/4uJb3zG" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);"&gt;https://amzn.to/4uJb3zG&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);"&gt;---&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;✨ Grief &amp;amp; Rebirth: Healing Resources &amp;amp; Tools ✨&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;🎧 Irene's Books (Including a Free Audiobook!)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;They Serve Bagels in Heaven—Irene’s heartfelt story of love and life beyond.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Listen Free on Audible as a First Time User: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://amzn.to/4dG4l4w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://amzn.to/4dG4l4w&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Get the Paperback or Hard copy: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://amzn.to/3XrE995" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://amzn.to/3XrE995&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;📚 Embrace Life’s Third Chapter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Good to the Last Drop—A powerful anthology on aging with purpose: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://amzn.to/3VJgEa5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://amzn.to/3VJgEa5&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;🛍️&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;nbsp;Healing &amp;amp; Self-Care Picks&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Curated books and essentials from Irene:&lt;em&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.amazon.com/shop/irenesweinberg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;em&gt;https://www.amazon.com/shop/irenesweinberg&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;📚 Grief &amp;amp; Rebirth Bookshop&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Books by podcast guests for healing &amp;amp; wisdom: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/griefandrebirth" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://bookshop.org/shop/griefandrebirth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;🎙️ Podcast &amp;amp; Community&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Inspiring stories of transformation on the Grief and Rebirth website: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://griefandrebirth.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://griefandrebirth.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;📱 Stay Connected&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Subscribe to Grief and Rebirth on YouTube: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOSDru2EU1djRZaZxxFkMig?sub_confirmation=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOSDru2EU1djRZaZxxFkMig?sub_confirmation=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Instagram: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/irenesweinberg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.instagram.com/irenesweinberg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Facebook: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/IreneSWeinberg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.facebook.com/IreneSWeinberg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TikTok: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@irenesweinberg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.tiktok.com/@irenesweinberg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;🎥 Irene’s Spiritual Awakening Story&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Watch how the podcast began: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0mJWKfg5PM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0mJWKfg5PM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;🎙️ Be a Podcast Guest&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Have a story or healing work to share?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Apply Here: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://ireneweinberg.com/be-on-the-podcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://ireneweinberg.com/be-on-the-podcast/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;📰 Newsletter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Get updates, tips, and new episodes by signing up to the Grief and Rebirth Substack: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://substack.com/@griefandrebirth" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://substack.com/@griefandrebirth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;💖 Affiliate Disclaimer&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Some links may earn us a commission. We only share trusted, personally recommended resources.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Grief and Rebirth: Finding the Joy in Life

Irene Weinberg

I Survived the Loss of My Mom and a Spinal Injury

JUL 1, 202641 MIN
Grief and Rebirth: Finding the Joy in Life

I Survived the Loss of My Mom and a Spinal Injury

JUL 1, 202641 MIN

Description

<p>Navigating life after a devastating spinal injury can feel insurmountable, yet it is entirely possible to discover a profound new sense of purpose<span style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);">. In this episode, Irene Weinberg welcomes </span><a href="http://karenolsonauthor.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Karen Olson</a><span style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);">, founder and CEO emeritus of </span><a href="https://familypromise.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Family Promise</a><span style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);">, to explore the beauty of resilience and the power of service. Karen shares her deeply personal journey of transforming the heartbreak of losing her mother at age twelve into a life dedicated to uplifting homeless families. She also discusses her inspiring new book, </span><a href="https://amzn.to/4uJb3zG" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);"><em>Meant for More: Following Your Heart and Finding Your Purpose</em>,</a><span style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);"> and how her recent spinal cord injury has deepened her spiritual perspective on compassion. Join us for a heartfelt conversation about how rupture can lead to rebirth, and how each of us can act as a North Star for someone else.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE:</span></p><p><br></p><ul><li><span style="background-color: transparent;">How childhood loss, specifically the suicide of her mother, created a "hole in the heart" that simultaneously heightened Karen’s sensitivity to the suffering of others.</span></li><li><span style="background-color: transparent;">The transformative power of a chance encounter with a homeless woman named Millie in Grand Central Station, which sparked the creation of Family Promise.</span></li><li><span style="background-color: transparent;">How Family Promise’s innovative "rotation model" mobilizes local congregations to provide housing and community support to families experiencing homelessness.</span></li><li><span style="background-color: transparent;">The profound shift in Karen’s healing journey that occurred when her father finally embraced her during a hospitalization, highlighting the power of connection over talk therapy.</span></li><li><span style="background-color: transparent;">How Karen’s recent spinal cord injury served as a second "rupture," forcing her to reinvent her life again and deepening her spiritual perspective on resilience and vulnerability.</span></li></ul><p><br></p><p>WATCH ON YOUTUBE: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-aqXGzd-sA&amp;list=PL7judgDzhkAWmfyB5r5WgFD6ahombBvoh" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-aqXGzd-sA&amp;list=PL7judgDzhkAWmfyB5r5WgFD6ahombBvoh</a></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">📚</span><em style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Meant for More: Following Your Heart and Finding Your Purpose </em><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">-</span><a href="https://amzn.to/4uJb3zG" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </a><a href="https://amzn.to/4uJb3zG" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">https://amzn.to/4uJb3zG</a></p><p><span style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);">---</span></p><p><br></p><p><strong>✨ Grief &amp; Rebirth: Healing Resources &amp; Tools ✨</strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>🎧 Irene's Books (Including a Free Audiobook!)</strong></p><p><strong>They Serve Bagels in Heaven—Irene’s heartfelt story of love and life beyond.</strong></p><p><strong>Listen Free on Audible as a First Time User: </strong><a href="https://amzn.to/4dG4l4w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/4dG4l4w</a></p><p><strong>Get the Paperback or Hard copy: </strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3XrE995" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3XrE995</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>📚 Embrace Life’s Third Chapter</strong></p><p><strong>Good to the Last Drop—A powerful anthology on aging with purpose: </strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3VJgEa5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3VJgEa5</a></p><p><br></p><p>🛍️<strong><em>&nbsp;Healing &amp; Self-Care Picks</em></strong></p><p><strong>Curated books and essentials from Irene:<em>&nbsp;</em></strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/shop/irenesweinberg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>https://www.amazon.com/shop/irenesweinberg</em></a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>📚 Grief &amp; Rebirth Bookshop</strong></p><p><strong>Books by podcast guests for healing &amp; wisdom: </strong><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/griefandrebirth" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bookshop.org/shop/griefandrebirth</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>🎙️ Podcast &amp; Community</strong></p><p><strong>Inspiring stories of transformation on the Grief and Rebirth website: </strong><a href="https://griefandrebirth.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://griefandrebirth.com</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>📱 Stay Connected</strong></p><p><strong>Subscribe to Grief and Rebirth on YouTube: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOSDru2EU1djRZaZxxFkMig?sub_confirmation=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOSDru2EU1djRZaZxxFkMig?sub_confirmation=1</a></p><p><strong>Instagram: </strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/irenesweinberg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/irenesweinberg</a></p><p><strong>Facebook: </strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/IreneSWeinberg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/IreneSWeinberg</a></p><p><strong>TikTok: </strong><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@irenesweinberg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@irenesweinberg</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>🎥 Irene’s Spiritual Awakening Story</strong></p><p><strong>Watch how the podcast began: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0mJWKfg5PM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0mJWKfg5PM</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>🎙️ Be a Podcast Guest</strong></p><p><strong>Have a story or healing work to share?</strong></p><p><strong>Apply Here: </strong><a href="https://ireneweinberg.com/be-on-the-podcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://ireneweinberg.com/be-on-the-podcast/</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>📰 Newsletter</strong></p><p><strong>Get updates, tips, and new episodes by signing up to the Grief and Rebirth Substack: </strong><a href="https://substack.com/@griefandrebirth" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://substack.com/@griefandrebirth</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>💖 Affiliate Disclaimer</strong></p><p><em>Some links may earn us a commission. We only share trusted, personally recommended resources.</em></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>