Strength, Spirituality & Survival After Loss | Lori’s Story
Finding Meaning After Unthinkable Loss
Some stories are not meant to be rushed. They ask for reverence, for pauses, for space to breathe.
In this episode of the FoundHer Podcast, I sat down with Lori Nagy, a contributor to The Embers We Carry, Lighthouse Book Series Volume 3, to talk about love, loss, and the kind of strength that is forged only through grief.
Her chapter, Strength, Spirituality, and Survival, explores the devastating loss of both her father and her daughter, Alicia, and the spiritual framework that helped Lori continue living while honoring those she loves.
This conversation is tender, expansive, and deeply human.
Love That Doesn’t End
At the heart of Lori’s story is love. The enduring, soul-deep kind that doesn’t disappear with death. Lori speaks about the profound bond she shared with her daughter, Alicia, and the immense grief that followed her passing. Losing a child is often described as unimaginable, and Lori doesn’t try to soften that truth. Instead, she speaks honestly about what it means to survive something that permanently changes you.
Grief, for Lori, is not something to “get over.” It’s something to learn how to live alongside.
Writing as a Way to Breathe Again
Although Lori never considered herself a writer, she felt called to share her story. Part of that calling came through a spiritual nudge, a message that encouraged her to tell her experiences, even if they felt heavy. Writing her chapter became a way to process grief, to make meaning, and to honour both her father and her daughter. It wasn’t about crafting the perfect words. It was about truth.
Spirituality as a Source of Comfort
A central theme in Lori’s journey is spirituality. She shares experiences of receiving messages from her father after his passing, moments she believes helped guide and comfort her through grief. These experiences didn’t erase the pain, but they offered reassurance that connection doesn’t end with physical death.
Lori also speaks about the concept of soul contracts, the belief that our souls agree to certain experiences before this lifetime, including profound love and profound loss. While not easy to accept, this perspective has helped Lori find peace. It reframes death not as a cruel interruption, but as part of a larger cycle, one that holds meaning even when it hurts.
Honouring Without Stopping Life
One of the most moving parts of Lori’s story is how she continues to honour her daughter’s memory while still choosing to live. She shares how she celebrates Alicia through annual traditions, creating rituals that keep her daughter’s presence woven into everyday life. Grief, she reminds us, doesn’t mean forgetting. It means remembering in ways that sustain us. There is no single “right” way to grieve. Lori’s story gives permission for each person to find their own path.
Why This Story Matters
Loss is universal, even though it feels deeply personal. Lori hopes that by sharing her story, someone navigating their own grief might feel less alone. That they might find comfort, language, or simply the reassurance that survival is possible, even after unimaginable pain.
Volume 3 of The Embers We Carry launches April 11, and Lori’s chapter will be part of a collection of stories that remind us of our shared humanity, our resilience, and our capacity to keep loving.
Learn more about the FoundHer Summit here!
“Grief doesn’t end, but love doesn’t either.”
About Lori
Contributor to The Embers We Carry, Volume 3
Writes about grief, loss, and resilience after the passing of her father and daughter
Explores spirituality, soul contracts, and ongoing connection beyond death and believes in the healing power of storytelling and shared experiences
Hopes her story offers comfort and permission to those navigating loss in their own way
