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SOLACE: Soul + Grief

SOLACE: Soul + Grief

Written by: Candee Lucas
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About this listen

This podcast is sponsored by SOULPLUSGRACE serving the San José/Santa Cruz area, offering grief support and grief journeying with spirituality. I hope to help you travel through grief with God at your side.

"I am a trained Spiritual Director for those who seek to complete the 19th Annotation of St. Igantius’ spiritual exercises OR seek spiritual direction while grieving. I have also worked as a hospital/cemetery chaplain and grief doula. I believe all paths lead to God and that all traditions are due respect and honour. I take my sacred inspiration from all of my patients and companions–past, present and future; the Dalai Lama, James Tissot, St. John of the Cross, the Buddha, Saint Teresa of Ávila, and, of course, Íñigo who became known as St. Ignatius. I utilize art, poetry, music, aromatherapy, yoga, lectio divina, prayer and meditation in my self-work and work with others. I believe in creating a sacred space for listening; even in the most incongruous of surroundings."

BACKGROUND

  • Jesuit Retreat Center, Los Altos, CA -- Pierre Favre Program, 3 year training to give the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius
  • Centro de Espiritualidad de Loyola, Spain -- The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola -- 30 Day Silent Retreat
  • Center for Loss & Life Transition – Comprehensive Bereavement Skills Training (30 hrs) Ft. Collins, CO
  • California State University Institute for Palliative Care--Palliative Care Chaplaincy Specialty Cert. (90 hrs)
  • Sequoia Hospital, Redwood City, CA -- Clinical Pastoral Education
  • 19th Annotation with Fumiaki Tosu, San Jose, CA, Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
  • Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA M.A. – Pastoral Ministries

CONTACT ME: candeelucas@soulplusgrace.com with questions to be answered in future episodes.

































© 2026 SOLACE: Soul + Grief
Spirituality
Episodes
  • Ordinary Grief, Extraordinary Love
    Jan 23 2026

    Send us a text

    The bells are quiet, the colors turn to green, and the calendar says ordinary time—yet your heart still feels anything but ordinary. We lean into that tension and talk honestly about the everyday weight of grief: the way a scent can stop you in a doorway, how an empty chair can crowd a room, and why the ache itself can be a sign that love is alive and doing its work. With clear, gentle language, we name what so many feel but hesitate to say out loud.

    We explore how culture often rushes mourning, leaving people embarrassed by tears or unsure how to show up for each other. We reflect on Anderson Cooper’s evolving voice on loss and what changes when we finally give sorrow time and space. From there, we turn to faith and continuity—how Christians and people of other traditions find hope in the idea that love outlasts a heartbeat, and how that promise can steady us when anniversaries and sudden memories arrive uninvited. Along the way, we ask questions: How much does love weigh? What color is it? We can’t measure it, but we can feel how it binds us to the people we miss.

    This conversation offers small, practical ways to make grief part of life without letting it swallow the day. Think simple rituals, quiet prayers, and intentional moments that honor memory while making room for new breath. The goal isn’t to move on, but to move with—allowing sorrow to soften, love to broaden, and hope to return in everyday places like kitchens, pews, and sidewalks under bright blue skies.

    If you’re carrying a loss that feels heavy and unspoken, consider this a welcoming chair at a table set for honesty and care.


    We reflect on how grief becomes part of daily life, how faith and memory hold us, and why acknowledging sorrow is a sign of love, not weakness. From hard-won wisdom to simple rituals that help us carry on, we make space for healing with honesty and hope.

    SPIRITUAL DIRECTION WHILE GRIEVING IS AVAILABLE


    Art: https://www.etsy.com/shop/vasonaArts?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
    and
    https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/candee-lucas

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2SFH4Z6

    Music and sound effects today by: via Pixabay

    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
  • Grief Resolutions for the New Year
    Jan 16 2026

    Send us a text

    The calendar turns, but grief doesn’t follow dates. We open this new year by laying out seven honest, compassionate resolutions for anyone carrying loss—practices that respect your pace, honor your person, and rebuild daily life without pretending the hurt is gone. From the first minutes, we name a core truth: this is your grief and only you can know what helps.

    Together we explore personal ritual as a lifeline—cooking a favorite meal, choosing a song, carving a quiet corner, or adopting visible symbols that speak without explanation. Beyond formal support, we talk about the humble power of community—book clubs, faith gatherings, bowling nights—to remind your nervous system what ordinary life feels like.

    For those drawn to faith, we unpack spiritual direction as a gentle companion to therapy. You’ll hear how a director can help you notice where God feels near or far, how your spiritual life has shifted, and which practices might hold you now. We close with whole-self care you can actually keep: regular sleep, simple food, steady movement, and soothing hobbies that regulate the body and give sorrow room to move.

    If you’ve been told to “move on,” consider this your permission to move with—at your pace, with your rituals, and with community beside you. If this resonated, follow the show, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so others can find these gentle tools too.

    SPIRITUAL DIRECTION WHILE GRIEVING IS AVAILABLE

    UPCOMING WORKSHOP ON SOULFUL LISTENING: https://events.scu.edu/markey-center/event/359741-soulful-listening-workshops-on-the-ministry-of


    Art: https://www.etsy.com/shop/vasonaArts?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
    and
    https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/candee-lucas

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2SFH4Z6

    Music and sound effects today by: via Pixabay

    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • Mourning The One Who Saw You Best
    Jan 9 2026

    Send us a text

    Today, my daughter-in-law, Rachel takes us through the intimate, complicated journey of losing her father to COVID and finding unexpected grace in hospice care. Along the way, Rachel names the ache of anticipatory grief, the way traditions become flashpoints, and how a single sentence from a nurse can rearrange your world.

    What sets this story apart is the quiet courage in the details. Rachel’s father, a man who prized his intellect, drifts in and out of lucidity while she becomes his advocate and historian, translating his life for overworked staff. When a facility outbreak pushes him past the point of return, the decision to choose comfort over intervention becomes an act of love. A hospice worker asks for stories, hears about a grandmother’s gentle ear tug, and carries that ritual into the room so he doesn’t die as an anonymous patient—but as a father, a son, and a whole person. It’s a small gesture that turns a lonely goodbye into a sacred passage.

    We reflect on how grief compounds over time, why losing the person who sees you best reshapes identity, and the practical steps that help families navigate chaos: insist on clear updates, prepare for abrupt transfers, and use simple rituals to anchor meaning when you can’t be at the bedside. If you’ve ever carried a phone under your pillow, saved a plate at the table, or wondered how to say goodbye when you can’t hold a hand, this conversation offers honesty, tools, and tenderness.

    SPIRITUAL DIRECTION WHILE GRIEVING IS AVAILABLE

    UPCOMING WORKSHOP ON SOULFUL LISTENING: https://events.scu.edu/markey-center/event/359741-soulful-listening-workshops-on-the-ministry-of


    Art: https://www.etsy.com/shop/vasonaArts?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
    and
    https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/candee-lucas

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2SFH4Z6

    Music and sound effects today by: via Pixabay

    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
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