Losing Someone Who’s Still Alive — The Reality of Caregiving & Grief | Dami Roelse

What happens when the person you love slowly disappears—and you’re still asked to keep living? Dami Roelse shares what it’s like to lose a partner long before they’re gone. In this episode, Dami Roelse opens up about caring for her husband through Parkinson’s and dementia, and the quiet reality of becoming a caretaker instead of a partner. There’s a kind of grief that doesn’t have space to land while it’s happening—and what follows can feel just as disorienting. What began as a walk into nature at sixty-five became a ten-year journey hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, where grief, freedom, and something deeper began to meet. Dami is the author of Fly Free: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Walking the Path and her most recent book, Body and Grace, which follows her ten-year journey hiking the Pacific Crest Trail after the loss of her husband. Moving through snowfields, deserts, fire, and long stretches alone, the outer journey becomes a reflection of something deeper—finding wholeness again in the wake of loss. Topics In This Episode: -Grief and healing through nature -The spiritual benefits of hiking and wilderness -The impact of altitude and environment on consciousness -Losing a partner while they’re still alive -The reality of caregiving and identity shift -Grief without space to process -Life after loss and depression -Walking the Pacific Crest Trail in sections -Nature as a path to healing and clarity -Discovering resilience, intuition, and trust _____ Disclaimer: The views and opinions shared in this episode are solely those of the Guest and do not necessarily represent the views, beliefs, or positions of the Awakening Soul Divinity Podcast. The content is intended for inspiration, reflection, and personal growth, and should not be taken as professional or medical advice. _____ Dami Roelse is a certified life coach and author. Born and raised in Holland, Dami has traveled the world extensively, lived on different continents and studied with different spiritual teachers. Dami has learned to use her travel as an inspiration for living. Her memoir "Fly Free, a memoir about love, loss and walking the path" takes the reader to a remote destination in Ladakh on the border with China and is sprinkled with flashbacks of her travels in Afghanistan, India and Nepal, where she met Goenka, Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass. Dami has used her passion for long distance hiking and backpacking as a means to deepen her connection with nature and the universe. Her inner spiritual journey has evolved right along with her outer journey. Dami’s first book, “Walking Gone Wild, How to Lose your Age on the trail”, is a call to women in the third phase of life to find freedom and inner peace as they walk in nature. Dami's third book, "Body and Grace, a woman's walk to wholeness on the Pacific Crest Trail" is forthcoming in April 2026 with Mantra Press. It is a collection of nature infused stories and poems that takes the reader on the trail with its ups and downs, both literally and psychologically. Dami makes her home in Taos, New Mexico. For links to connect with today's guest - see below: ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ⁠Book⁠ Awakening Soul Divinity: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE E-BOOK on Anxiety⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Awakening Soul Divinity Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Community on Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Join me on Substack⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices