There are some stories that sit in two places at once—where your heart aches and softens at the same time. This episode is one of those. It’s a chapter filled with endings and beginnings, with the kind of tenderness that only shows up when life asks you to hold joy in one hand and grief in the other.

Today, I’m sharing something that’s both sad and good, heavy and hopeful. It’s a reminder that we don’t get to choose the shape of our seasons, but we do get to choose how gently we move through them. And sometimes, even in the hardest moments, there’s a small light that finds its way in.

So take a breath with me. Settle in. This is a story about loss, love, and the quiet beauty that rises when we let ourselves feel all of it.

• (00:00:01) - A terminal brain cancer patient's story
• (00:09:34) - The end of life of a neurosurgeon
• (00:16:33) - One patient's end-of-life care

Some stories don’t start with sunshine — they start with rain clouds rolling in over Lake Michigan, muddy shoes, frizzy hair, and a husband with a stubborn streak of optimism. Today’s episode is one of those stories.

In this chapter of Milkweed & Monarchs, I’m taking you with Craig and me on a lighthouse adventure up the northern coast — the kind of day that begins as a simple escape from a long winter and slowly unravels into something much more memorable. You’ll hear about tiny lighthouses and towering ones, the history tucked inside their walls, and the way Michigan’s shoreline can surprise even a lifelong New Englander.

But the heart of this story isn’t the lighthouses. It’s what happens when you’re soaked to the bone, covered in sand, convinced you look like a disaster… and the person across the table sees Tina Turner instead.

This is a story about partnership — the push and pull, the steady and the wild, the moments when someone loves you not despite the mess, but because of it. It’s about finding beauty in the unexpected, humor in the uncomfortable, and grace in the places you least expect it.

So settle in. Let’s head north together.

• (00:00:01) - The Story of Craig and Michigan
• (00:03:07) - Camps and Lighthouses in Michigan
• (00:07:29) - Small Lighthouse Visits in Michigan & Maine
• (00:13:38) - The Night They Drag Me To Stella's Restaurant
• (00:19:18) - The Moment I Learned To Love My Hair
• (00:22:30) - Stella's Lighthouse Dining