Deb Roberts: Mourning My Son With A Nation Artwork

Holding the Light

Child loss, universally, has been called the single, most devastating experience a family can face. It is a very personal journey, with no handbook for survival. Sharing our stories of love and loss offers validation, hope, and healing. Join Monica and Colby Charette in a very unique, mother-and-son podcast, as they share their personal grief journey, and those of others, with intimate interviews each episode that offer powerful experiences, candid advice for friends, retrospective lessons learned, insight and encouragement, and everything in-between. If you have experienced child loss, or care about someone who has, we invite you to hold the light with us, and keep coming back for inspiration and hope.

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Holding the Light

Deb Roberts: Mourning My Son With A Nation

December 15, 2022 • Monica and Colby Charette • Season 1 • Episode 15

Grieving the loss of your child is very personal—and private—until your loss becomes part of a national tragedy. Deb Roberts shared her grief with people around the country, as we held our collective breaths waiting to hear the fate of the 33 crew members aboard the SS Elfaro in 2015. Her son, Michael Holland, was among the heroes lost at sea. In this, our final podcast of 2022, Colby and I have a very moving conversation with Deb about her experiences with grief, knowing she can never bring her son home. She also shares where she is in her healing today, seven years later, as she works tirelessly to honor Michael’s legacy.

For information about the Holland Strong Community Foundation, we invite you to visit their website: hollandstrong.org.

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Holding the Light is an original, monthly podcast created and hosted by Monica and Colby Charette, edited and produced by Monica Charette, with support from Julia Vigue and Sophia Speeckaert. EMAIL US (shineoncass@gmail.com) with questions, comments, or a request to join us as a guest. We also welcome you to visit us at ShineOnCass (www.shineoncass.org) where our family continues to Shine the Light of Cassidy.

Our podcast’s theme music is As Long As You Love (Scarlet Wings) written and sung by Cindy Bullens, from the album Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth produced by Blue Lobster Records (1999). Available on CD or download at www.cidnybullens.com. Mention Holding the Light Podcast and receive a signed copy!

We want to hear from YOU. Leave us a voicemail! If there is something you’ve learned in your grief journey that might be helpful for others, we invite you to leave us a message. We will listen to every one. Some might even be used in a future episode. You can also let us know what you think of our podcast, suggest a topic, or request to be a guest. The number to call and leave us a voicemail is: 617-302-7373. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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