Summary and Guest Bios: Today's episode marks the last week of April's theme, Living in the Tension, and this conversation is all about finding hard-fought hope in the midst of the heaviest grief. In this episode, Britt holds space for some difficult yet encouraging conversations surrounding miscarriage, infant loss, and disrupted adoptions with guests, Christa Castro and Erica Pitchers, who share parallel journeys of loss. Christa Castro grew up in Springfield, MO, and now lives in Kansas City. She and her husband, Andy, have been married 13 years. She's a mom of 4 in her home (Josiah-10, Timothy-8, Audrey-3, and Judah- 9 months), 1 in heaven, and 4 whom her heart loves from a distance as they are with their biological or other adoptive families. Over the years she has stayed home with her children, homeschooled, nannied, and ran the children's ministry of a local church plant. After spending the past 3 years in real estate, she has transitioned back to my Early Childhood Education degree to teach Transitional Kindergarten at a Classical Christian School in Kansas City, while pursuing real estate for friends and family when she can! She loves talking about all things adoption, parenting and education.Erica Pitchers is a wife to Evan, and mother to Charlotte (7), Cora (5), Julian (1), as well as a three babies in heaven, Millie, Q, and Josiah. She’s lived all over the map: born and raised in Mexico, graduated high school in Kansas City, went to college in St. Louis, did a brief stint in Nashville with her professional drummer hubby, and is currently setting down roots back in STL. She has an education degree, but stays home with her kids, and enjoys coaching volleyball.In this episode, Britt talks with Christa and Erica about:Miscarriage, Infant Loss, and Failed AdoptionsThe comfort in knowing someone else is going through a similar season of lifeWhat to do when grief persists and life moves onHow to find hope in loss and keep moving forwardHow grief and joy intermingle “That's just amazing to see the redemption out of it, and it doesn't negate the losses. It doesn’t replace them. But it does, in a way, give you a new perspective and make you even more grateful and thankful for the gifts that you do have.” -Britt Smith“This is what life would have potentially looked like, and I see it as a gift and not as a curse. I think that it's a really hard place to get to for a lot of moms that go through loss.” - Erica Pitcher“You can have multiple emotions and thoughts and feelings all at one time. Just because one day you feel good and you have a great day doesn’t mean you are forgetting your loss. It doesn’t mean you aren’t honoring the child that was. I think sometimes people feel like they have to live in their grief–in the negative part of their grief– in order to honor their loss. There’s this balance of being able to live life and acknowledge the good while also taking those moments as they come. It’s giving yourself permission to have hope.” -Christa CastroResources Mentioned in this Episode

Brave Mama’s Facebook Group

Rachel Lewis’ Blog and book, Unexpecting

Find a therapist who will listen and help you walk through the grief