What happens when the life you’ve carefully built disappears in just three months?
In this deeply moving episode of the Ignite & Write Podcast, award-winning ghostwriter Roxanne McCarty-O’Kane sits down with author, pharmacist, PhD microbiologist and health advocate Dr Berni Morris-Smith to discuss her powerful memoir, The Griefcase: Love, Loss, and Ridiculous Restoration.
When Bernie’s husband Tim was diagnosed with a terminal illness and passed away just three months later, her world was turned upside down. What followed was a journey through profound grief, loneliness, unexpected healing and ultimately a remarkable restoration of hope.
In this honest and inspiring conversation, Berni shares the story behind The Griefcase, the meaning of its powerful title and how writing became an essential part of processing loss. Together, Berni and Roxanne explore grief, resilience, faith, healing, storytelling and the courage required to share life’s most vulnerable moments on the page.
Whether you’re navigating grief, supporting someone through loss, writing a memoir, or simply searching for inspiration, this episode offers practical wisdom and heartfelt encouragement.
In this episode, we discuss:
✔️ Coping with the loss of a spouse
✔️ Grief, healing and personal transformation
✔️ The story behind The Grief Case
✔️ Writing a memoir from lived experience
✔️ Love, loss and finding hope again
✔️ Faith during life’s most difficult seasons
✔️ The healing power of storytelling
✔️ Adventures that helped rebuild a life
✔️ Lessons learned from Indigenous communities
✔️ Rural and remote healthcare advocacy
✔️ How grief impacts families and relationships
✔️ Practical writing tips for aspiring authors
✔️ Building resilience after devastating loss
✔️ Why restoration can come in unexpected ways
ABOUT BERNI:
Berni Morris-Smith is a pharmacist, PhD microbiologist, grief coach, healthcare advocate and author of The Grief Case: Love, Loss, and Ridiculous Restoration. Through her writing, speaking and advocacy work, she helps others navigate grief, resilience and life’s unexpected transitions.
Website: www.bernimorrissmith.com
Book: The Griefcase: Love, Loss and Ridiculous Restoration, available in print and eBook formats from the author’s website (above) and all trusted online book retailers.
ABOUT IGNITE & WRITE:
The Ignite & Write podcast, hosted by Roxanne McCarty-O’Kane, showcases powerful conversations with authors from all walks of life — exploring the stories behind the stories, the writing journey, and the transformative power of authentic storytelling.
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