On This Side of the Rainbow

Send us Fan Mail The future is coming fast, but some of life's greatest treasures are still waiting by the shoreline. In today's episode, we take a journey back to a time when life moved a little slower and childhood wasn't measured by screen time or notifications. Through personal reflection and storytelling, we explore the importance of holding onto wonder, embracing simplicity, and remembering that it's okay not to rush through life.As technology continues to reshape the world around us, there is value in staying grounded and keeping close to the shoreline—the places, people, and memories that remind us who we are. Sometimes the greatest adventures aren't found in racing toward the future but in appreciating the quiet moments that helped shape us.This episode is an invitation to slow down, reconnect with your roots, and reflect on the parts of yourself that deserve to come along for the journey ahead.If this story speaks to you, consider sharing it with someone who could use a gentle reminder that growing older doesn't have to mean letting go of the simple things that make life meaningful.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailThis week's Transformation Tuesday is a conversation about the masks we wear and the people we become while trying to fit into a world that tells us we're not enough.For years, I believed I had to be thinner, richer, prettier, or numb enough to deserve acceptance. I changed my colors to match the room, hoping someone would finally see my worth. But real transformation didn't come from becoming someone else—it came from learning to come home to myself.In this episode, we explore people-pleasing, self-worth, healing, and the quiet courage it takes to stop abandoning who you are for the approval of others.If you've ever felt like you had to change to belong, this conversation is for you.Take a deep breath, settle in, and remember that the most meaningful transformations often happen in the moments no one else sees.🎵 Music Acknowledgement:Background music featured in this episode is "Cylinder Five" by Chris Zabriskie, used under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Heartfelt thanks to Chris Zabriskie for creating music that beautifully complements stories of healing, reflection, and personal growth.💛 Thank you for listening to Who Did You Become? If this episode speaks to you, consider sharing it with someone who may need the reminder that they never had to become someone else to be worthy of love.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Who Did You Become?, we explore what it feels like when life begins to loop—when grief, burnout, and emotional exhaustion make every day feel like a repetition of the last. Inspired by the feeling of being stuck in a personal “Groundhog Day,” this conversation moves through loss, love, responsibility, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going when everything inside you feels tired.This is a deeply personal reflection on emotional fatigue, compassion, and the invisible weight of continuing to show up for life while carrying so much behind the scenes.To support the tone of this episode, we use the royalty-free track “White River” by Aakash Gandhi, a soft piano and ambient piece that gently underscores the narrative without overpowering it. The music is intentionally chosen to hold space for reflection, allowing the words—and the emotions behind them—to breathe.If you are navigating burnout, grief, loneliness, or simply feeling emotionally stretched, this episode is a reminder that you are not alone in that experience. Sometimes survival looks like repetition. Sometimes healing begins by simply naming the cycle.Thank you for listening and being part of this community where honesty is allowed to exist without judgment.🎧 Music: “White River” – Aakash Gandhi (royalty-free via YouTube Audio Library)Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailAt fifteen years old, I thought I was choosing a future.What I didn't realize was that I was choosing a version of myself I hoped would finally earn approval.In this week's Transformation Tuesday episode, I reflect on growing up through divorce, chasing validation, becoming who I thought others wanted me to be, and the painful realization that external approval can never replace self-acceptance.Together, we'll explore the masks we wear to belong, the identities we build around other people's expectations, and the courage it takes to return to our authentic selves.If you've ever found yourself wondering who you are beneath the roles, responsibilities, and people-pleasing tendencies you've carried for years, this conversation is for you.Because sometimes the greatest transformation isn't becoming someone new.It's finding your way back to who you've always been.✨ Reflection Question:Who did you become for love, and who are you becoming now that you're learning to love yourself?Thank you for listening and for being part of this growing community. Your stories, reflections, and shared experiences continue to remind us that none of us are walking this journey alone.Music Credit:Background music: "Cylinder Five" by Chris ZabriskieLicensed under Creative Commons.Music by Chris Zabriskie:https://chriszabriskie.com/Follow along for new episodes every week featuring conversations on healing, personal growth, mental health, spirituality, grief, self-discovery, and finding meaning in life's most challenging moments.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, “Sorry for Bothering You,” we explore the quiet habit of shrinking ourselves through constant apology—the words we use when we feel like we’re taking up too much space, too much time, or too much of someone’s attention.This is a reflective conversation about people-pleasing, emotional exhaustion, and the belief that our needs are an inconvenience. Through honest storytelling, we look at where this pattern begins, what it costs us, and what it might look like to slowly unlearn it.Background music: “Raining Sad Piano” by Music_For_Videos (Pixabay), used to create a soft, reflective atmosphere for this episode.If you’ve ever said “sorry for bothering you” when you didn’t need to, this space is for you.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailIn this deeply personal episode, I share the heartbreaking experience of losing the one friend who helped me survive some of the darkest years of my life. While struggling inside a narcissistic abusive relationship, he was the person who always reminded me of my worth when I could no longer see it myself. From the days I was homeless and emotionally broken to the moments I felt completely lost, he was my safe place — the one person who never stopped believing in me.Only after his passing did I fully realize how much of my strength came from his presence. And now I am left carrying the weight of one painful question: did he ever read my final message before he died?This episode explores grief, emotional abuse, trauma bonds, self-worth, and the painful clarity that often arrives after loss. It is a reflection on survival, healing, and learning to finally choose yourself after spending years abandoning your own needs for people incapable of loving you properly.If you have ever lost someone who carried you through your darkest moments, this episode is for you.Music Credit:“Emotional Ambient Piano” by UniqueMusicProvided by Pixabay Musichttps://pixabay.com/music/ambient-emotional-ambient-cinematic-piano-115913/Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailWhat if grief is not just about losing someone… but about realizing too late how deeply you were loved?In this deeply personal episode, we explore how trauma shapes the way we love, why we often chase emotionally unavailable people, and how unresolved pain can push us toward self-destruction. Through heartbreak, addiction, regret, and reflection, this episode examines the painful truth that sometimes the people quietly loving us in the background were the very people we struggled most to see clearly.This is a story about grief, emotional survival, authenticity, and the devastating realization that waiting for the “perfect moment” often means missing the moments that mattered most.If you have ever struggled with loss, regret, trauma, or feeling unworthy of love, this conversation will resonate deeply.Music Credit:“Emotional Ambient Piano” by ComaStudioSource: Pixabay MusicSupport the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailSome losses never fully settle into the past. They stay with us in quiet moments, unfinished conversations, late-night memories, and the ache of loving someone who is no longer here.In this deeply personal episode, we explore the kind of grief that does not simply disappear with time. The kind that becomes part of who we are. This podcast is about love, regret, memory, and the painful realization that some people leave fingerprints on our souls forever.If you have ever missed someone long after the world expected you to move on, this episode is for you.Music Credit:“Emotional Ambient Cinematic Piano” by UniversfieldSource: Pixabay MusicRoyalty Free Music licensed through Pixabay.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailIn a world obsessed with shortcuts, overnight success, and filtered realities, it becomes easy to lose yourself chasing illusions.This episode dives into the emotional cost of instant gratification culture, the pressure social media places on people to constantly perform, and the painful truth that real transformation is often born through heartbreak, grief, isolation, and faith.Through deeply personal reflections on loss, authenticity, and survival, this podcast explores what it means to continue living honestly in a world that rewards masks more than truth.If you’ve ever felt exhausted by fake promises, disconnected from the world around you, or forced to rebuild yourself in silence, this conversation is for you.Because maybe the rarest thing a person can be today… is real.Music Credit:“Emotional Ambient Cinematic Piano” by SoundGalleryByLicensed under the Pixabay Content License.Listen/download here:The track is listed as free to use under the Pixabay Content License. Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailThere is a kind of exhaustion that doesn’t come from being busy—it comes from trying to survive inside a life that no longer feels emotionally safe.In this episode, we explore what it feels like to slowly lose your sense of stability inside a relationship that begins to erode your confidence, your reality, and your peace. It’s about the invisible weight of emotional survival, the quiet normalization of fear, and the ways people begin to question themselves when their experiences are repeatedly dismissed or rewritten.This is not a story about sudden breakdowns. It is about gradual erosion. The kind that happens quietly over time, behind closed doors, while the outside world sees nothing at all.We also talk about the impact this kind of environment has on children, the emotional conflict of staying versus leaving, and the complicated reality of rebuilding a life when your sense of self has been deeply shaken.At its core, this episode is about awareness, truth, and the moment you begin to ask yourself a life-changing question: Why was this ever acceptable?If you’ve ever felt like you were carrying too much for too long, or questioning your own reality just to keep the peace, this conversation may resonate deeply.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailSome wounds do not come from what happened to us.Some come from everything we were forced to keep inside.In this episode, I talk about the emotional exhaustion that comes from carrying heavy thoughts, fears, grief, and anxiety in silence after learning how easily vulnerability can be misunderstood, weaponized, or taken out of context.This is a conversation about emotional isolation, overthinking, survival mode, and what happens when silence starts feeling safer than honesty.For anyone who has ever swallowed their emotions to avoid conflict, judgment, or misunderstanding… this episode is for you.Music Credit:“Emotional Ambient Cinematic Piano”Provided by Pixabay Musichttps://pixabay.com/music/ambient-emotional-ambient-cinematic-piano-115913/Thank you for listening.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailThere comes a point where you stop explaining yourself.Not because you don’t care… but because you finally realize that peace is more valuable than constantly trying to be understood.In this episode, we explore the emotional exhaustion that comes from over-explaining, defending your intentions, and trying to convince people to see your heart clearly. We talk about the quiet strength that comes from letting go of the need for validation and learning to protect your peace instead.This is a conversation about self-worth, emotional boundaries, healing, and the freedom that comes when you stop shrinking yourself for people committed to misunderstanding you.If you’ve ever felt tired of proving who you are, this episode is for you.Take a deep breath.You do not owe everyone an explanation.#MentalHealth #SelfWorth #HealingJourney #PersonalGrowth #EmotionalHealing #Boundaries #InnerPeace #AuthenticLivingSupport the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailSometimes the silence after you stop trying says everything they never did.We spend so much time holding relationships together without even realizing it—reaching out first, making the plans, checking in, giving the benefit of the doubt, carrying the emotional weight for both people.And then one day… we stop.Not to play games.Not to punish anyone.But because we’re exhausted from being the only one trying.In this episode, we explore the quiet heartbreak that comes after letting go. The silence that follows. The painful clarity that settles in when no one notices you’ve stopped reaching out.This isn’t about dramatic endings or explosive fights.It’s about the slow realization that some connections only survived because you kept carrying them.About the grief of losing not just a person—but the story you told yourself about what that connection meant.And about learning that real relationships aren’t supposed to feel one-sided, confusing, or emotionally exhausting to maintain.If you’ve ever wondered:“What would happen if I stopped trying?”This episode may answer that question in a way you weren’t expecting.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailThere’s a kind of loneliness that doesn’t come from being alone—but from opening your heart and realizing no one is really there to hold it.In this episode, we explore the pain of craving deep, meaningful connection in a world that often feels surface-level. If you’ve ever felt like people pull away when you finally show up as your real self, this conversation is for you.You are not “too much.”You’re just offering depth in places that don’t know how to receive it.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailSometimes the silence after you stop trying says everything they never did.We spend so much time holding relationships together without even realizing it—reaching out first, making the plans, checking in, giving the benefit of the doubt, carrying the emotional weight for both people.And then one day… we stop.Not to play games.Not to punish anyone.But because we’re exhausted from being the only one trying.In this episode, we explore the quiet heartbreak that comes after letting go. The silence that follows. The painful clarity that settles in when no one notices you’ve stopped reaching out.This isn’t about dramatic endings or explosive fights.It’s about the slow realization that some connections only survived because you kept carrying them.About the grief of losing not just a person—but the story you told yourself about what that connection meant.And about learning that real relationships aren’t supposed to feel one-sided, confusing, or emotionally exhausting to maintain.If you’ve ever wondered:“What would happen if I stopped trying?”This episode may answer that question in a way you weren’t expecting.Music Credit:Background music: “Cylinder Five” by Chris ZabriskieLicensed under Creative Commons.Available via Free Music ArchiveSupport the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailThere’s a part of grief that no one really talks about—the clarity that comes after everything falls apart.In this episode, I share my personal experience of loss and the unexpected way it changed how I see my life, my relationships, and myself. After losing someone I loved deeply, I found myself searching for answers anywhere I could—even turning to a psychic in hopes of understanding something that felt impossible to make sense of.What I found wasn’t certainty.But it gave me something just as important—space.And in that space, everything started to shift.This episode explores how grief doesn’t just leave a void—it strips away the noise, revealing what was never truly aligned. The relationships, the patterns, the versions of ourselves we held onto… all become clearer when we’re no longer able to ignore what’s real.This isn’t just a story about loss.It’s a story about clarity.About letting go—not only of the person you lost, but of everything that no longer fits who you’re becoming.If you’ve ever felt like grief changed you in ways you didn’t expect… you’re not alone.Music Credit:“Sad Calm Ambient Music – Emotional Background Atmosphere” by Clavier-MusicProvided via PixabayFree to use under the Pixabay Content License👉 Download track on PixabaySupport the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailWe talk a lot about letting go—like it’s supposed to feel like peace.Like closure.Like relief.Like something that gently sets you free.But no one really talks about what happens after you stop trying.After you stop reaching out…stop making the plans…stop being the one holding everything together.And nothing happens.No message.No check-in.No moment where they realize you’ve gone quiet.Just silence.In this episode, we explore the kind of silence that doesn’t just hurt—it answers you. The kind that slowly reveals the truth about one-sided connections, unbalanced effort, and what it really means to let go of something you were holding on to alone.This isn’t about dramatic endings or closure conversations.It’s about the quiet realization that some connections don’t end with a fight…they end when one person finally stops carrying both sides.If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you stopped trying—this episode is for you.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailNot everyone who stands beside you is meant to stay.In this deeply emotional episode, we explore the quiet realization that comes after life falls apart—the moment you begin to see who truly showed up for you.This is a story about loyalty, one-sided friendships, emotional healing, and the strength it takes to walk away from those who only take.It’s about recognizing the people who stayed…and learning to let go of the ones who didn’t.If you’ve ever felt like you were the only one trying—this episode is for you.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailThere’s a quiet kind of hurt that comes from being told you’re “too much.”Not all at once—but over time.In small comments. In subtle reactions. In the way people pull back when you show up fully.This episode is a gentle reflection on what it means to carry depth in a world that doesn’t always know how to hold it.It’s about unlearning the idea that you need to be less…and remembering that your sensitivity, your intensity, your honesty—are not flaws.They’re who you are.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailI shared something deeply personal… and someone told me it made them sick.In this episode, we’re talking about what happens when real, raw grief collides with a world that doesn’t always respond with compassion. About the growing disconnect between vulnerability and empathy—and why honesty makes people uncomfortable in ways they don’t always know how to handle.This isn’t just about one comment.It’s about the culture we’re living in.Where discomfort is mistaken for harm… and pain is too often dismissed instead of understood.If you’ve ever felt like your grief was “too much,”if you’ve ever questioned whether you should stay quiet just to make others comfortable—this episode is for you.Because your discomfort… is not someone else’s pain.💔 Listen in, and if it resonates, share it with someone who needs to feel a little less alone.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailIn this deeply personal and emotional episode, I share the story of the day I brought my cat into the emergency vet—believing I was doing the right thing—and left carrying something I wasn’t prepared for: hope.Not the comforting kind.The kind that lingers. The kind that complicates everything.When you hear the words “there’s a chance,” you expect relief. But what happens when that hope comes with impossible decisions? When it leaves you questioning what’s right, what’s fair, and what it really means to let go?This episode explores the emotional reality of pet loss, anticipatory grief, and the weight of making end-of-life decisions for an animal you love like family. It’s about guilt, love, uncertainty, and the moments that stay with you long after they’ve passed.If you’ve ever had to choose between holding on and letting go, if you’ve ever sat in a vet’s office hoping for clarity and left with more questions—this story will resonate in a way that’s hard to put into words.This isn’t just about loss.It’s about the kind of hope that hurts.Music: “Cylinder Five” by Chris ZabriskieLicensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0Source: https://chriszabriskie.com/cylinders/Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailSome days feel okay.And that’s what makes this so hard.In this episode, we sit in the quiet, confusing space between holding on and letting go—when love is still there, but something deeper is shifting. When nothing feels urgent… but everything feels heavy.If you’ve ever questioned your instincts because “it’s not that bad yet”… this conversation is for you.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailWe don’t have a grief problem.We have an empathy problem.This podcast lives in the moments no one prepares you for—the quiet, devastating spaces where love and loss exist at the same time.Especially when it comes to the animals who become part of our everyday lives.Here, we talk about grief honestly.Without rushing it. Without softening it. Without telling you to “harden up.”Because too many people are left feeling like their grief is too much…when really, they were just never given the space to feel it.If you’ve ever been told “it’s just a pet”…If you’ve ever questioned your own emotions…If you’ve ever had to say goodbye and felt completely alone in it—you’re not the problem.This is a space where grief isn’t minimized.It’s witnessed. Held. Understood.You don’t need to be stronger.You need to be supported.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailThis episode isn’t about death as an idea—it’s about the moment it becomes real.What started as a quiet celebration of growth quickly turned into an experience that stripped everything back to truth. No preparation. No control. Just the raw reality of loss, instinct, and the fragile space between life and death.This is a story about showing up when you’re unprepared, holding both grief and responsibility at the same time, and learning that some moments aren’t meant to be mastered—they’re meant to humble you.If you’ve ever faced a moment that changed you without warning… this one will stay with you.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailMost people think they miss someone.But what they really miss… is who they were when that person was in their life.This episode dives into the emotional reality of outgrowing people, identity shifts, and why moving forward can feel so uncomfortable—even when it’s exactly what you need.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailThis isn’t about “growing apart.”It’s about what happens when you stop being the version of yourself that made other people comfortable.When you stop staying quiet.Stop overgiving.Stop shrinking to maintain connection.Because the truth is—some people don’t miss you.They miss the version of you they could control.And the moment you outgrow that version… everything changes.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailThis isn’t a podcast about having it all figured out.It’s about the in-between moments—the ones we don’t talk about enough.The quiet shifts. The emotional weight. The parts of growth that don’t look like progress, but change you anyway.If you’ve ever felt like you’ve outgrown your life, your relationships, or even parts of yourself… you’re not alone.These are real conversations about healing, identity, loss, and becoming someone new—without pretending it’s easy.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan MailWhat if the people we love never really leave us?In this deeply personal episode, I share the story of my grandmother, the lessons hidden in her storytelling, and the unexpected signs that continue to guide me—sometimes in the form of something as simple as a peanut.From growing up as a quiet farm girl to stepping into the role of a pet death doula, this episode explores grief, connection, and the idea that love doesn’t end—it simply changes form.If you’ve ever searched for meaning after loss, or wondered if the signs you notice are more than coincidence… this episode is for you.Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com 

Send us Fan Mail There are moments in life that change everything—moments where the line between staying and leaving feels impossibly thin. It Wasn’t My Time is a deeply personal journey through fear, surrender, and the quiet realization that something greater had other plans. This episode explores what it means to survive, to return, and to carry the weight—and the gift—of a second chance. Support the showRead More Here at www.rubyohsosweet.com