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Some relationships are built over decades—through shared struggles, deep understanding, and the kind of connection that only comes from walking a similar path.

In this episode of The Lost Love Stories, I sit down with my dear friend Margarete Cassalina. We met over 20 years ago through the cystic fibrosis community, both raising children with the same diagnosis. And like so many relationships formed in hard places, ours became something lasting and deeply meaningful.

Today, we talk about her daughter, Jena.

Margarete doesn’t say Jena “died.” She says Jena moved up. And as you listen, you begin to understand why.

Jena was vibrant, strong-willed, and wise far beyond her 13 years. What she left behind isn’t just memories—it’s a presence that Margarete still feels every day.

This conversation isn’t just about loss—it’s about what comes after.

You’ll hear the moment everything shifted for Margarete and how, from that point on, Jena became someone who is, not someone who was.

We talk about signs, connection, and what Margarete calls “love from above”—from pennies that appear at just the right moment to the quiet ways our people remind us they’re still with us.

But more than anything, this episode is about how we choose to live.

Jena once said:

“I’m not going to ruin today because I’m worried about tomorrow.”

And that wisdom becomes the heartbeat of this conversation.
If you’ve ever wondered how to keep going… how to honor the ones you love… or how to find meaning inside grief—this episode is for you.

Because love never ends.

It just changes form.

To learn more about Margarete and all that she does, please visit:

https://margaretecassalina.com/

https://margaretecassalinaauthor.com/

https://africanmissionhealthcare.org/

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Margarete-Cassalina/author/B0128JFWTE?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1774553578&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

https://fundraise.cff.org/CentralNYXtremehike2026/Cassalina

Watch the podcast video:

https://youtu.be/0N09JWZNoms

Email thelostlovestories@gmail.com with comments, questions or to be considered as a guest on show.

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This episode is a little different—but it felt too important not to share.

Before The Lost Love Stories, I recorded this conversation with my sister Kylee. And the more I listened back… the more I realized how much it still belongs here.

Because while this isn’t a story about losing a person—it is a story about losing and finding yourself.

Kylee shares her lifelong relationship with food—how it started young, how it evolved, and how it became both a comfort and a struggle she carried for years. From early habits to significant weight gain, to losing over 200 pounds, to gaining some of it back… this is not a straight line story.

It’s real.
It’s honest.
And it’s something so many people will see themselves in.

What stood out most to me wasn’t just the physical journey—it was the mental one.

The constant decisions.
The exhaustion of always having to choose.
And the realization that there is no “finish line” when it comes to healing your relationship with yourself.

We also talk about something that doesn’t get said enough:
How differently the world treats you based on how you look—and how that shapes your experience in ways most people don’t even realize.

But underneath all of it is a deeper message:

This isn’t about perfection.
It’s about awareness.
It’s about self-worth.
And it’s about learning how to live in your own life—without constantly fighting yourself.

If you’ve ever struggled with food, your body, or the voice in your head that tells you you’re not enough… this conversation is for you.

#food #addiction #weightloss #gastricsleevejourney #bodyimage #diet #selfimprovement #mentalhealth #health #bariatricsurgery #healthjourney journey #bodyacceptance #emotionaleating #selfworth #gastricsleeve

Watch this episode on Youtube:

https://youtu.be/SOrqT7a-aDc

Email thelostlovestories@gmail.com with comments, questions or to be considered as a guest on show.

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Some love stories don’t end the way we expect them to.

In this episode of The Lost Love Stories, I sit down with Monika to talk about her husband, Gabe—and the life they built together.

From the way they met (after months of her literally dodging his calls) to building a business side by side, raising children, and creating a life that was full, layered, and deeply connected… their story is one of partnership in every sense of the word.

But this conversation takes a turn none of us are ever prepared for.

On the morning of their anniversary, everything changed.

What follows is a story of sudden loss—but also of clarity, strength, and the moments that shape how we move forward.

Monika shares what it was like to:

• Make impossible decisions in real time
• Tell her young children that their father was gone
• Navigate grief while still needing to lead her family
• And carry out her husband’s final wish—to not let this define their lives

There’s one moment in particular that stays with me.

Just weeks before he passed, Gabe said to her:

At the time, it felt like a passing comment.

Now, it feels like something more.

This episode isn’t just about loss.
It’s about what strength actually looks like.

It’s about motherhood, leadership, and the quiet decisions we make every day to keep going—even when everything in us wants to stop.

And it’s about rewriting what it means to be a widow.

Because as Monika so powerfully shares…
strength isn’t found in falling apart.

Sometimes, it’s found in choosing to keep living.

Resources & Links:

Connect with Monika:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monikameacham/

Monika's Authentic Leadership Engine:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/monikameacham_most-leadership-conversations-focus-on-outcomes-activity-7414297251826515968-rDo_?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAADgN0TIB0JHXxHXkfOvlrFAnDilpPNd25Yc

Watch this episode on Youtube:

https://youtu.be/k7IxLcgFkls

#podcast #resilience #widow #widowhood #grief #loss #interview #leadership #leadershipdevelopment

Email thelostlovestories@gmail.com with comments, questions or to be considered as a guest on show.