"It is truly a great cosmic paradox that one of the best teachers in all of life turns out to be death. No person or situation could ever teach you as much as death has to teach you. While someone could tell you that you are not your body, death shows you. While someone could remind you of the insignificance of the things that you cling to, death takes them all away in a second. While people can teach you that men and women of all races are equal and that there is no difference between the rich and the poor, death instantly makes us all the same. Death changes everything in a flash. That’s the reality of the situation. If all these things can be changed in an instant, then maybe they aren’t so real after all"  - The Untethered Soul, Michael J. Singer // While we all wish to create our lives with joy and poetic romanticism - there are often harsh and cruel truths that we cannot blind ourselves from. Life is a series of ups and downs, highs and lows, deaths with rebirths, and deaths without them.  In my 23rd year, I've witnessed more death than ever before. And what it has done, above all of the grief and loss and trying to make sense of it, is made me feel immense gratitude for the preciousness of what I have, who I have, and what is real. In the throes of grief, we often find ourselves grappling with the unpredictability of life and the preciousness of each moment. In this episode, I share my experience with losing loved ones and watching those I love lose theirs. How do you make sense of any of it? What can it teach you? What does it show you? Attempting to give a voice to those disorienting moments is challenging in navigating the labyrinth of loss, but in as much honesty as I can - in this episode, I try. And we come to find, trying - to define the undefinable, to go on with honor and gratitude after those we love are no longer here - Trying is all we can ever do. ----- There may not be an episode next week!! But you can find updates & follow me here:   Spiritual & Self-Help Advice -> TikTok: butterflyfountain Podcast Instagram: @figuringshiiitout Personal Instagram: @222vgf Youtube:  @figuringshitout (Vanessa Fontana / Butterfly Fountain)  Support the show ~~Apologies for any background noise - was not recording in my usual place amid travel~~  See you soon  xx Support the show Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/figuring-sh-t-out/donations