What does grief teach us about how to live, lead, and love? What happens when the work we do in the world meets what we’re carrying inside?

In this episode, host Nina Rodriguez sits down with development practitioner, global thought leader, and poet Carl Manlan, author of i can breathe, for a moving conversation on grief, legacy, resilience, and meaning.

Carl reflects on how loss reshaped his understanding of resilience, leadership, and what it means to honor those who came before us, and the grief that arises from life changes, transitions, and the unexpected losses that quietly reshape our lives. His poetry became a necessary language for grief, a way to express what policy, strategy, and everyday conversation often cannot.

Nina and Carl explore grief as an experience rooted in love, memory, and connection. They discuss how creativity and poetry can support healing, how personal loss deepens our capacity for service and leadership, and how parental and intergenerational influence continues to shape the way we show up for ourselves and our children.

This episode is a gentle reminder that grief is not just sorrow. It's also about legacy, memory, and the courage to keep breathing. Carl’s poems chart the path between losing and learning to live with loss, offering honesty, tenderness, and the wisdom of someone who has walked this path.

This conversation explores:

Why “you only grieve what you love”
Poetry and creativity as vessels for grief
The connection between loss and leadership
How upbringing and parental influence shape resilience and service
Finding joy, gratitude, and meaning alongside grief
Parenting and legacy: what we pass on to our children emotionally
Creativity as a survival tool
The symbolism behind Carl’s poetry and imagery
Creating space for future generations to express emotion

Key Takeaways:

Grief is the echo of love; we grieve because we have loved deeply
Grief is sensory and embodied, living in memory, feeling, and the body
Poetry and creative expression can hold what logic and language cannot
Loss can clarify purpose and inspire deeper service
Honoring loved ones keeps their presence alive; legacy is lived, not just remembered
Children learn how to carry grief by observing how we do it
Beauty and sorrow can coexist
Grief deepens our appreciation for life and what truly matters

Connect with guest, Carl Manlan:

carlmanlan.com
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Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time.

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