Live Well • Love Strong

04/21/2026

Facing the heart-wrenching emotions of grief and guilt as a sibling is a journey many people quietly carry.

How do you support the people you love while also making space for your own feelings?

In this moment from the Live Well. Love Strong. Podcast, Amanda Owen shares the emotional reality many siblings experience growing up in disability families. Pieces of Me Sarah Washington

Full episode available now.
https://youtu.be/QuuwEa_Dqi0?si=NIK5WNIhkXbxE9i8

04/17/2026

Happy Friday everyone!

04/13/2026

A new episode of the Live Well. Love Strong. Podcast is out now.
In this conversation, Sarah sits down with author, advocate, and nonprofit director Amanda Owen to talk about something families in the disability community rarely hear about: the sibling perspective.

Amanda shares what it was like growing up with her brother Nick, who has a rare chromosomal disability, and the quiet reality many siblings carry as they grow older and begin thinking about the future. From childhood memories to the emotional weight of becoming a future caregiver, this episode explores the parts of disability family life that often go unspoken.

If you are a parent raising a child with disabilities, a sibling, or part of the caregiving community, this conversation will resonate deeply.

Watch the episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/QuuwEa_Dqi0

Learn more about Amanda and her work:
https://piecesofme.org

You can also listen to the Live Well. Love Strong. Podcast on all major podcast platforms.

Join our Caregiver Connection community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/caregiverconnectionlwls/

Pieces of Me

04/11/2026

Happy Friday y’all

04/03/2026

04/01/2026

There are moments in this life that feel impossibly heavy… the kind that test every ounce of strength you didn’t even know you had.
The last few weeks have been hard. The kind of hard that lingers in your chest and follows you from room to room.
But even here… especially here… I find gratitude.
Grateful for doctors and therapists who show up with wisdom and heart.
Grateful for family and friends who step in, lean in, and love us through it.
Grateful that we’ve created a little “hospital” at home—where healing can happen in the comfort of her safe place.
Right now, healing looks like this:
My girl resting on the couch, her frequency mat humming beneath her, pulse ox glowing softly on her finger… and her sweet cat curled up on her lap, purring like it knows exactly what she needs.
It’s not the picture most people imagine when they think of gratitude.
But it’s real. It’s raw. And it’s ours.
And I know we’re not alone in this…
Caregiver friends—what does your “at-home setup” look like?
What equipment or little hacks have become part of your daily life?
What helps your person feel safe, comfortable, or cared for at home?
Let’s share… because sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference. 💛

03/30/2026

Caregiver grief is something many of us experience, but almost no one talks about it.

In this episode of the Live Well. Love Strong. Podcast, therapist and caregiver Amanda Griffith-Atkins joins us to talk about something called ambiguous grief. It’s the kind of grief that can show up when someone you love is still here, but life looks very different than you imagined.

Watch the episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/88Vhblyl85E

If you’ve ever felt sadness, guilt, anger, or grief while loving your child deeply, you are not alone. This conversation is honest, validating, and full of compassion for caregivers walking this journey.

In this episode we discuss:
• What ambiguous grief really means
• Why caregivers often feel guilt about their feelings
• How joy and grief can exist at the same time
• What healthy grieving can look like for parents and caregivers

Learn more about Amanda Griffith-Atkins:
https://amandagriffithatkins.com

Learn more about Live Well. Love Strong.:
https://www.livewelllovestrong.com

Join our Caregiver Connection community:
https://www.livewelllovestrong.com/caregiverconnection

Join our Caregiver Connection Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/caregiverconnectionlwls/

If this episode resonates with you, consider sharing it with another caregiver who might need to hear it today.

03/26/2026

Week after week.�Appointment after appointment.�Rep after rep.
Kids with physical disabilities are out here doing the kind of work most people will never see… and rarely understand.
There are no shortcuts. No overnight transformations.�Just grit. Determination. And a quiet kind of courage that shows up again and again.
While other kids are at practice or playdates, these warriors are stretching tight muscles, relearning movements, pushing through discomfort… celebrating the smallest victories that are actually the biggest wins.
Holding a position a few seconds longer.�Taking one more assisted step.�Lifting their head with a little more control.
This is what strength looks like.�This is what resilience looks like.
And to the parents and caregivers standing right beside them every single time — cheering, advocating, carrying, loving… you are part of that strength too.
We see you. We honor you. We celebrate you. ❤️

03/23/2026

Caregiver life is… balancing constipation protocols and poo parties 😅💛
Today was one of those beautifully real days. We worked through some not-so-glamorous health stuff this morning (because life), and by this afternoon… we were celebrating BIG 🎉
Mary Elizabeth was relaxed, comfortable, and so proud of herself. If you know, you know—these wins matter in a big way.
And of course, it wouldn’t be our kind of party without the whole crew—yes, the cat AND the dog made an appearance 🐾😂
Was it glamorous? Not even a little.
Was it real, messy, joyful, and a total win? Absolutely.
These are the moments I hold onto—the ones where perseverance meets joy, and we choose to celebrate anyway.
This is what living well and loving strong really looks like 💫

03/21/2026

Cinnamon sugar toast + cozy vibes + my girl = the sweetest little morning 🥰
Mary Elizabeth and I kept it simple today with warm homemade sourdough, lots of sugar and butter, and lots of smiles. It felt like one of those childhood mornings you wish you could bottle up forever.
10/10 recommend slowing down and making the toast 💛

03/19/2026

Our girl had a great ride this morning! I am so grateful for the sunshine ☀️