What if healing starts not by fixing—but by feeling? In this candid episode of Vitality Conversations, Rana Smith sits down with guidance counselor and adjunct instructor Michele Hayden to talk about moving from numbness to meaningful recovery. Michele shares her journey through early loss, caring for a mother with cancer, and life as a first-responder family—plus why counseling, movement, journaling, and clear boundaries matter. Together they offer practical, faith-rooted steps to be an “ever learner” in grief: normalize getting help, process before you pour, care for your spiritual, emotional, and physical health, and build community support that actually helps. Encouragement and tools for anyone walking through hard seasons—and those who love them.