In Part 5 of the Lessons My Mama Taught Me series, I reflect on a powerful truth my mother lived by: being hateful is incompatible with being whole.

The episode opens with a spoken-word poem about the distances we travel to understand one another and how the differences we see on the surface often dissolve when we look more closely. I then share the story of my mother, a white woman raised in a small, religious town, who chose love over prejudice when she married a Black man in the late 1950s and refused to hide her family to satisfy social expectations.

Looking back at her courage feels especially timely given the escalation of racial tensions and violence in the U.S. I also reflect on the words of Frederick Douglass (1845) about the long history of hateful beliefs that are justified under the veil of “Christianity.”

In this episode, we explore:

• how hate limits our ability to live fully,
• how our true values are revealed through the choices we make, and
• how acceptance and compassion create the foundation for a more meaningful life.

At its heart, this episode asks a simple but challenging question: What kind of life can we build if we refuse to let hate take root in our hearts?

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Songs in this episode: The Games We Play by Nu Alkemi$t; Some Kind of Wonderful by Nu Alkemi$t; Con Sazón by In This World

Poem: Vellumed Eyes

Related Episodes:

Giving Without Expectation – Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 4) - Episode #67

Take Notice of Little, Beautiful Things — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 3) - Episode #66

Recognize the Good in Others — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 2) – Episode #65

Let People Know You Love Them — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 1) - Episode 64

Journal Prompts:

1. Write about a prejudice that you overcame. What helped you understand it and let it go?

2. How are you accepting people as they are, and how do those feelings of acceptance impact your life in a positive way?

3. How do you define Christian values? Write about the role of accepting others in that definition.

Please subscribe & leave a review if today’s episode made you think about how love and acceptance make you whole. 💜💛

Follow Jill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillhodgevo/

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Let the Verse Flow is part of Jill Hodge’s voice actor and audiobook narration work. Learn more at jillhodgevo.com.

What happens when we give without thinking about what we’ll get back?

In this episode, I explore the quiet power of generosity and everyday kindness. How do our small, everyday giving acts shape our identity and strengthen human connection? A smile on a crowded street. Holding the door. Driving a friend home. Doing someone’s laundry when they’re overwhelmed.

These gestures may seem minor, but they ripple outward in powerful ways. In today's episode, we’ll reflect on:

• Giving without keeping score
• Why generosity strengthens self-respect
• How presence and attention are often the greatest gifts
• The surprising ways giving returns to us

Giving isn’t transactional. It’s transformational.

💜Give because someone needs it.
💛Give because connection helps define our humanity.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Songs in this episode: 10X by Ghost Beatz; Some Kind of Wonderful by Nu Alkemi$t; Con Sazón by In This World

Poem: Sweet & Fizzy

Related Episodes:

Take Notice of Little, Beautiful Things — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 3) - Episode #66

Recognize the Good in Others — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 2) – Episode #65

Let People Know You Love Them — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 1) - Episode 64

Mother Teresa on Doing Small Things with Great Love - Episode #48

Journal Prompts:

1. What’s something that another person has given you that had a big impact on your day or life? How did the giving change you?

2. What’s something you’ve given to someone else that had a big impact on their day or life? How did giving change you?

3. What things are easy for you to give, and what things feel difficult? Explore the differences in ways of giving.

Please subscribe & leave a review if today’s episode made you look at your giving in a new light. 💜💛

Follow Jill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillhodgevo/

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Let the Verse Flow is part of Jill Hodge’s voice actor and audiobook narration work. Learn more at jillhodgevo.com.

What if one of life’s quiet superpowers is noticing?

What if noticing those things brings you closer to knowing yourself, to connecting with yourself, to cherishing yourself?

Sounds like pretty powerful stuff for a no-cost, simple act, and yet we don’t do it nearly enough.

In this episode, I reflect on the third lesson my mother taught me: take notice of little, beautiful things, especially nature. Through spoken word poetry, memories of my mom, reflections on motherhood, and the wisdom of Mary Oliver, we explore how noticing beauty through our five senses can ground us, soften regret, and reconnect us to purpose.

From ocean water and wild geese to ginger flowers, scallops, and morning birdsong, this episode is an invitation to slow down, savor, and sit with the small moments that quietly save us.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

If you like the podcast, visit my website: lettheverseflow.com for more inspirational insights and resources, and sign up for Flow & Voice, a free monthly note with short, practical reflections on creativity and personal growth, plus occasional behind-the-scenes glimpses into my audio storytelling journey.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Songs in this episode: Midnight Memory by Chelsea McGough; Some Kind of Wonderful by Nu Alkemi$t; Con Sazón by In This World

Poem: A Day of Greening

Resources:

Mary Oliver reading of Wild Geese (On Being Podcast)

Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver (contains poem: When I am Among the Trees)

Related Episodes:

Recognize the Good in Others — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 2) – Episode #65

Let People Know You Love Them — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 1) - Episode 64

Journal Prompts:

1. Take your journal to your favorite park, beach, pasture or creek and write about beautiful, little things that you notice with your five senses.

2. Write a one-page story about the life of a beautiful object, animal or nature scene.

3. Answer this question: What beautiful, little thing do you keep around for comfort? Why?

Please subscribe & leave a review if today’s episode helped you notice little, beautiful things in the natural world. 💜💛

Follow Jill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillhodgevo/

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Let the Verse Flow is part of Jill Hodge’s voice actor and audiobook narration work. Learn more at jillhodgevo.com.

This episode continues my 10-part series What My Mama Taught Me, reflecting on the wisdom, values, and way of being my mother embodied. Telling her stories and sharing her kindness and unique perspective help me honor her memory as I continue to grieve. It also encourages us to lean into loving, kind values during these troubling times.

In Lesson #2 — Recognize the Good in Others, I discuss how quickly we categorize people based on outward appearance, and how much we miss when we do. Through poetry, personal storytelling, and memories of my mother’s open-hearted approach to life, this episode invites us to move beyond labels and into real human connection.

As a biracial woman, I reflect on the experience of being misread and classified, and why first impressions rarely tell us anything meaningful about who someone truly is. My mother met people with curiosity, kindness, and respect, recognizing the good in others without assumptions.

Let's explore how compassion, nonjudgment, identity, and acceptance can deepen relationships with others and ourselves.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

If you like the podcast, visit my website: lettheverseflow.com for more inspirational insights and resources, and sign up for Flow & Voice, a free monthly note with short, practical reflections on creativity and personal growth, plus occasional behind-the-scenes glimpses into my audio storytelling journey.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Songs in this episode: Cream Soda by BRASKO; Some Kind of Wonderful by Nu Alkemi$t; Con Sazón by In This World

Poem: We Made It Out

Related Episodes:

Let People Know You Love Them — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 1) - Episode 64

Journal Prompts:

1. How are you recognizing the good in others? What does that look like for you?

2. Do you judge other people as an extension of self-judgment? Explore that dichotomy.

3. Write about a friendship of acceptance. Who do you accept unconditionally, and how does that enrich your life?

Please subscribe & leave a review if today’s episode helped you recognize the good in others. 💜💛

Follow Jill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillhodgevo/

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Let the Verse Flow is part of Jill Hodge’s voice actor and audiobook narration work. Learn more at jillhodgevo.com.

This episode begins a 10-part series, What My Mama Taught Me: 10 Life Lessons on Compassion, Creativity, and Courage, inspired by the wisdom, love, and example of my mother. Today's lesson (#1): Let people know you love them.

Over the next 10 episodes, I’ll discuss one piece of wisdom she taught me, weaving together personal stories, reflections on grief, caregiving, creativity, and compassion, along with thoughts on how these lessons can help us live more meaningful, connected lives.

Today’s episode explores the practice of saying “I love you”—a simple act that can feel complicated, especially in the context of loss, caregiving, and end-of-life transitions. I hope it offers comfort to listeners navigating grief, caregiving for aging parents, mother–daughter relationships, or the emotional complexity of loving deeply.

As I reflect on my mother’s passing after years of caring for her through Alzheimer’s, I share how expressing love openly became a source of comfort, healing, and open-heartedness—for both of us.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

If you like the podcast, visit my website: lettheverseflow.com for more inspirational insights and resources, and sign up for Flow & Voice, a free monthly note with short, practical reflections on creativity and personal growth, plus occasional behind-the-scenes glimpses into my audio storytelling journey.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Songs in this episode: La Fin Du Blonde by Tony Sopiano; Some Kind of Wonderful by Nu Alkemi$t; Con Sazón by In This World

Poem: "I Love You" Was Said

Resources:

When caregiving feels like prayer (NPR interview with writer Jason Reynolds): https://tinyurl.com/54p6repx

Journal Prompts:

1. Write a love letter to a friend, parent, family member, or partner that conveys why you love them so much. What qualities are most lovable about them?

2. Write about a difficult relationship and ask yourself if there is any way to release anger or bad feelings by leaning into compassion for them? How does that make you feel?

3. What lovable qualities are present in your relationships, and which ones are you still seeking?

Please subscribe & leave a review if today’s episode helped you express love for someone else. 💜💛

Follow Jill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillhodgevo

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Let the Verse Flow is part of Jill Hodge’s voice actor and audiobook narration work. Learn more at jillhodgevo.com.

What does it mean to be true to yourself? It’s often a question that we ponder at pivotal points in our lives, especially during midlife. In this episode, I explore what it means to be yourself creatively, authentically, and with greater self-awareness.

For inspiration, there’s poetry and a discussion of the role of mindfulness in living authentically. I also discuss an inspirational quote by Allen Ginsberg. It’s his iconic advice to writers (but it applies to all creative beings – which is all of us in one way or another). “Follow your inner moonlight, don’t hide the madness.”

This episode is an invitation to reconnect with your creative voice, listen to your inner wisdom and make time and space for the parts of yourself that you value most and want to be seen. Check out the journal prompts to help you reflect on Ginsberg’s quote in more depth and reconnect with your creative voice and what it’s trying to tell you about how to live.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

If you like the podcast, visit my website: lettheverseflow.com for more inspirational insights and resources, and sign up for Flow & Voice, a free monthly note with short, practical reflections on creativity and personal growth, plus occasional behind-the-scenes glimpses into my audio storytelling journey.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Songs in this episode: Glide by JMPSCR; Some Kind of Wonderful by Nu Alkemi$t; Con Sazón by In This World

Poem: Well, who am I?

Quote: “Follow your inner moonlight, don’t hide the madness.” (Allen Ginsberg)

Related Episodes:

Creative Flow: Self-Care That Matters (Episode #21)

Affirmation Meditation: Cultivate Creative Flow (Episode #22)

Journal Prompts:

1. What creative activities speak to you, open you up, and help you release and follow your “inner moonlight?”

2. Have you been hiding your creativity? How and why?

3. How does your creativity help define who you are?

Please subscribe & leave a review if today’s episode helped you tap into opportunities for living more creatively (and authentically). 💜💛

Follow Jill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillhodgevo/

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Grief comes in waves – successive, unpredictable, fierce or tumbling – and with each wave, we get swept up and taken to another place. It's often a mixed bag of emotions and thoughts, a place of anger, shame, nostalgia and memory, great sorrow, or even laughter and gratitude.

How can we steady ourselves when faced with all these conflicting feelings? With self-compassion. 💝

In today's episode, I talk about:

• the three elements of self-compassion: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness
• the non-linear quality of grief and how to cope with its unpredictable nature
• how leaning into, and extending, the compassion that friends and family display can help you let go of negative emotions (shame, anger, regret)
• how an odd combination of sleep, retro TV detective shows, walks in Central Park, and mindfulness (led by my favorite “tell-it-like-it-is” Dharma teacher Vinny Ferraro) is helping me cope.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

If you like the podcast, head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com for more inspirational insights and resources, and sign up for Flow & Voice, a free monthly note with short, practical reflections on creativity and personal growth, plus occasional behind-the-scenes glimpses into my audio storytelling journey.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Songs in this episode: Sunshine On My Soul by Moments; Some Kind of Wonderful by Nu Alkemi$t; Con Sazón by In This World

Poem: The Luckiest Child

Resources:

What is self-compassion? (positive psychology article): https://positivepsychology.com/self-compassion-self-love/#self-compassion-and-positive-psychology

Vinny Ferraro’s website: https://vinnyferraro.org/; see the recordings tab for his Dharma talks and guided meditations

Related Episodes:

Making Peace with Grief (the Shapeshifter) - Episode #54

Grief & Gratitude (It's Bittersweet) - Episode #15

Journal Prompts:

1. List three activities that could engage you in a compassionate way during a difficult time.

2. In what ways has a friend or family member treated you with compassion as you grieve or struggle with a life transition?

3. What mindful act can help you lean into self-compassion? Write about what that could look like and how it would help.

Please subscribe & leave a review if today’s episode helped you handle grief with greater self-compassion. 💜💛

Follow Jill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillhodgevo/

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

This episode begins with an ode to an overwrought caregiver. I'm reaching out to my fellow caregiver tribe to remind you that what you do matters. When we care for an aging parent, child, partner, or neighbor, we impact our small piece of the world with our hearts and hands and unseen strength.

We can get so wrapped up in our caregiving tasks that we lose sight of what our caring means. There often isn't much time to reflect on how we are showing up for our loved one or friend. We just do it, but there are times when we may come very close to burnout. That's a painful place to be because we still want to take care of our loved one, but we may not have the internal resources (emotionally, physically, or spiritually).

I hope this episode helps restore your resilience and reminds you that you are seen and appreciated for your caring.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

If you like the podcast, head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com for more inspirational insights and resources, and sign up for Flow & Voice, a free monthly note with short, practical reflections on creativity and personal growth, plus occasional behind-the-scenes glimpses into my audio storytelling journey.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Songs in this episode: Some Kind of Wonderful by Nu Alkemi$t; Con Sazón by In This World

Related Episodes:

Caregiver Burnout & Crisis: Care for the Carer (Episode #49)

Finding Balance in Struggle: Exploring Yin and Yang in Daily Life (Episode #41)

Embracing Uncertainty: Feeling Faithful & Taking Action (Episode #30)

Finding Balance: Caregiver Self-Care (Episode #27)

Dealing with Dementia (Caregiver Tips & Journal Prompts) (Episode #13)

Journal Prompts:

1. What is the most important thing you get out of your caregiving?

2. Are you giving yourself enough praise and appreciation for your caregiving? If not, why?

3. What positive impact does your caregiving have on your family, community or the world?

Please subscribe & leave a review if today’s episode helped you reflect on the positive benefits of caregiving. 💜💛

Follow Jill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lettheverseflow/

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com