Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Juarez.
Maria, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
On August 12th of 2023, I lost my life partner of 13 years, my beloved husband, David. David died unexpectedly in a motorcycle accident, and in an instant, my reality and the reality of my daughters and my family were forever altered in a way that we could have never imagined. Life stops for no one, and that includes for us. Before I knew it, I had laid my husband to rest, was back to work, had taken our daughter back to college on the West Coast, the holidays were looming, and I was utterly alone without the love of my life. My empty evening/night hours were difficult to bear, so I looked for a hobby or something to occupy me, but I wanted it to honor David and be something that he would be proud of. He had always encouraged me to start a podcast, and even though he already had most of the equipment necessary in the house, I always excused myself as too busy and didn’t prioritize it. So, I decided to create “In This Casa Podcast” for him. ITC was launched on the first Saturday of 2024 to honor the day of the week my husband died and the day I laid him to rest. We talk about life, my grief journey, realities not commonly talked about openly when losing a loved one, and what it’s like in my casa and in other people’s homes, as well.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“In This Casa Podcast” is only five months old, and we have more than a dozen episodes published on all podcast players and YouTube. We publish (mostly) every Saturday, but ITC is a “one-woman show,” so there is difficulty in keeping up with the episode schedule. I create the episode content independently and edit and publish on my own while also working, parenting, grieving, and learning how to navigate my new life without David. We were true partners in life and best friends, and I desperately miss him, so the obstacle has been to motivate myself to face every new day without him. Right now, I’m trusting God in all things and moving forward every day for my daughters and my family, and In This Casa helps me to still feel connected to my husband.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
“In This Casa Podcast” aims to memorialize and honor my husband David’s memory by exploring conversations about life and what it’s like in my casa and in others’ homes, as well. Every Saturday, we publish an episode discussing my husband and my life, how I lost him, what has transpired, my grief, and my journey after. ITC is an open conversation and sort of audio journal where I share emotions, events, and insights into my experiences since David died and having to “close out” a loved one’s life and estate and navigate continuing on in life without them.
What I am most proud of about ITC has been my personal commitment to the podcast. At this time, we only have a small amount of followers and listeners, but I’m not putting too much weight on my analytics. The purpose of In This Casa is to honor my husband, which is personally validated, so I will continue to create episodes as long as I feel I have a perspective to share or bring light to and my hope is that it will help someone who is listening through their own journey and, maybe, it will be therapeutic for myself, one day.
What sets “In This Casa Podcast” apart from other content is that we are exploring ALL aspects of loss and the grief journey and sharing insight, not only from an emotional perspective but also about life situations that are a result of that loss and providing direction into how to maneuver through the uncharted realities of loss.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I am an extroverted introvert, and I believe in therapy and in putting myself in rooms/situations where there are people smarter than me. Everyone who is an expert in any subject matter gains that knowledge through one thought, one lesson, one topic, one question, or one experience at a time. We all start out not knowing something but can choose to educate ourselves and work towards familiarity, knowledge, or expertise. Always asking questions and keeping your mind open to learning new things and ideas is key to positive growth, and we live in an era where knowledge and connections are at our fingertips. Having a consistent mental health practitioner to support me has been invaluable to my development as an adult individual. I would highly recommend prioritizing your mental health and finding avenues of support, whether it be an individual provider, a support group, or tangible resources. I would also suggest that familiarity with any subject that interests you is easily accessible now. You can read a book, watch a YouTube video, follow an expert’s shared content (although you must be discerning about what you consume), find like-minded groups and conferences, etc. Once you have equipped yourself with familiarity, you will have the confidence and the foundation for identifying a would-be mentor and being a befitting mentee.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/inthiscasa/ - Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/@inthiscasa - Other: https://open.spotify.
com/show/ 5DZZvfSaJqcx9PQl0SNqrF?si= 4d723ef6213e46f7 , https:// podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ in-this-casa/id1723375042 , @inthiscasa (TikTok)
