75 million Americans currently experience it in some form, whether it's the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or something else entirely. But there is hope. Each episode of the podcast features a courageous individual who has gone through a similar situation and emerged stronger. For Jasmine, her journey through grief began with the loss of her aunt, who had been like a mother to her. During the pandemic, her aunt passed away from an infection in her body. Soon after, her grandmother, another influential woman in her life, also passed away suddenly.

“I grieved less for myself, more for them because I just feel like at their age, they shouldn't have to experience loss.”

Jasmine’s grief only intensified when she gave birth to her daughter in 2020, during the pandemic. Her daughter was born four weeks early and had to be taken to the NICU. Jasmine spent 7 days in the NICU, experiencing anticipatory grief and preparing herself for the worst. She put a boundary up on how much she would let herself love her daughter, in order to keep herself from being too hurt if her daughter didn’t make it.

“And that's when I began to realize I'm always the type to where I like to be, what I didn't have.”

Jasmine wallowed in a state of despair and loneliness for a period of time, but eventually, she mustered the strength to reach out for help. She opened up to her loved ones, connected with support groups, and revealed her story.

Furthermore, she proactively began to volunteer her time and energy to those who struggled with similar issues, becoming an active member of her community. Ultimately, with the assistance of those around her, she was able to start the healing process and move forward.

“We just talked about her son. Her son name was Ocean. I do remember that. And we would talk about him, and she would say how her family was tired of hearing about him. They think that she should move on, move forward. But she's still in the place”

After tragically losing her beloved son Ocean to gun violence, a grieving mother found solace and support on Circles. Every day, she would log on to connect with someone who could relate to her pain and allow her to talk about her son, no matter how often she did. This connection was invaluable to her as her family had grown tired of hearing about her son and wanted her to move on. For three to four hours at a time, this mother was able to open up and express her sorrow and process her grief with someone who would listen. This compassionate individual offered her the space and assurance she needed to keep honoring Ocean's memory and eventually find the strength to move forward. As we all know, experiencing loss can be an incredibly difficult and emotional time. However, it can be made easier by having a supportive network of people who understand and can help you through the grieving process.