I Just Want My Life Back

I Just Want My Life Back

By: Patricia J. Rullo

Language: en

Categories: Society, Culture, Personal, Journals, Health, Fitness, Mental

Raw thoughts from someone grieving. Grief is messy, confusing, and deeply personal. In this short-form audio journal podcast, I share thoughts, memories, and moments from my own journey after losing my spouse. No advice, no answers — just honest reflections for anyone trying to navigate life when it feels like it has slipped away.

Episodes

When Your Co-Regulator is Gone Episode 10
Dec 13, 2025

Grief isn’t just emotional — it’s physical. Losing a spouse disrupts the balance your nervous system relied on. In this episode, I discover co-regulation and how I’m learning to live with his absence.

I Just Want My Life Back is my personal audio journal — small, quiet reflections from a life reshaped by loss. It’s separate from my professional work with the International Firebird Book Awards, yet deeply connected in spirit: both are about truth-telling, expression, and finding meaning through words. These are qualities I also value deeply in the books and authors we honor.

Duration: 00:08:24
The Wishbone Episode 9
Dec 02, 2025

Thanksgiving alone - Grief isn’t something I want to decorate over. In some twisted way, I want to allow myself to feel the sting of the empty chair, the silence in the room, the absence of a familiar laugh.

I Just Want My Life Back is my personal audio journal — small, quiet reflections from a life reshaped by loss. It’s separate from my professional work with the International Firebird Book Awards, yet deeply connected in spirit: both are about truth-telling, expression, and finding meaning through words. These are qualities I also value deeply in the books and aut...

Duration: 00:06:26
My Beef with Grief Episode 8
Nov 20, 2025

Maybe grief comes back because healing happens in layers, not moments.
Because the heart can only process so much at a time?
Because certain truths take longer to absorb?
Because some bonds leave echoes that don’t fade on command?

I Just Want My Life Back is my personal audio journal — small, quiet reflections from a life reshaped by loss. It’s separate from my professional work with the International Firebird Book Awards, yet deeply connected in spirit: both are about truth-telling, expression, and finding meaning through words. These are qualities I also value deeply in the...

Duration: 00:05:06
The First Fire Episode 7
Nov 14, 2025

The scent of smoke, the crackle of wood, the warmth of a first woodstove fire—moments that were once shared now feel heavy with memory. Today I reflect on loss, love, and keeping the hearth alive alone.

I Just Want My Life Back is my personal audio journal — small, quiet reflections from a life reshaped by loss. It’s separate from my professional work with the International Firebird Book Awards, yet deeply connected in spirit: both are about truth-telling, expression, and finding meaning through words. These are qualities I also value deeply in the books and authors we honor.

Duration: 00:04:04
The Garage: A Museum of Memories Episode 6
Nov 09, 2025

His garage was not just a storage space; it was a museum of memories, each item telling a story, just waiting to be unearthed.

I Just Want My Life Back is my personal audio journal — small, quiet reflections from a life reshaped by loss. It’s separate from my professional work with the International Firebird Book Awards, yet deeply connected in spirit: both are about truth-telling, expression, and finding meaning through words. These are qualities I also value deeply in the books and authors we honor.

Duration: 00:04:47
Welcome to Paradise Episode 5
Nov 05, 2025

Phantom smells are strange. They feel real, vivid, almost tangible. And yet, they come entirely from memory, from emotion, from the part of your brain that holds people and moments you can’t let go of.

I Just Want My Life Back is my personal audio journal — small, quiet reflections from a life reshaped by loss. It’s separate from my professional work with the International Firebird Book Awards, yet deeply connected in spirit: both are about truth-telling, expression, and finding meaning through words. These are qualities I also value deeply in the books and authors we honor.

Duration: 00:03:12
Grief Doesn't Knock Episode 4
Nov 03, 2025

I’ve come to see grief as an uninvited guest—an unpredictable intruder who bursts into your life without warning. It fills your space with its heavy presence, only to vanish just as suddenly as it arrived.

I Just Want My Life Back is my personal audio journal — small, quiet reflections from a life reshaped by loss. It’s separate from my professional work with the International Firebird Book Awards, yet deeply connected in spirit: both are about truth-telling, expression, and finding meaning through words. These are qualities I also value deeply in the books and authors we honor.

Duration: 00:04:12
Fall Back Episode 3
Nov 02, 2025

The time change can carry a lot of emotional weight for someone grieving, especially when everything else already feels off balance.

I Just Want My Life Back is my personal audio journal — small, quiet reflections from a life reshaped by loss. It’s separate from my professional work with the International Firebird Book Awards, yet deeply connected in spirit: both are about truth-telling, expression, and finding meaning through words. These are qualities I also value deeply in the books and authors we honor.

Duration: 00:02:47
Forecast: Rain Episode 2
Nov 02, 2025

One of the striking things about grief is that you often feel more empathy for the discomfort of others than you do for your own needs, especially when people say things that miss the mark. Empathy is complex and rough for everyone.

I Just Want My Life Back is my personal audio journal — small, quiet reflections from a life reshaped by loss. It’s separate from my professional work with the International Firebird Book Awards, yet deeply connected in spirit: both are about truth-telling, expression, and finding meaning through words. These are qualities I also value deeply in the b...

Duration: 00:03:39
Raw Thoughts From Someone Grieving Inaugural Episode
Nov 02, 2025

Podcast debut. Through uninvited tears, I candidly share the profound and intimate thoughts that have emerged from my journey following the heartbreaking loss of my spouse. I feel an urge to open up and connect with others through this podcast format, as I believe that sharing my experiences can foster understanding, empathy, and perhaps even healing for those walking a similar path.

I Just Want My Life Back is my personal audio journal — small, quiet reflections from a life reshaped by loss. It’s separate from my professional work with the International Firebird Book Awards, yet deeply connected in s...

Duration: 00:06:12