Two Wives and A Spark

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 4 of Two Wives and A SPARK!  In this tender episode, we’re leaning into vulnerability, reflection, and the quiet power of the pause. As we prepare to wrap this season, we’re not closing a door—we’re tending to what’s in our survival kits. Because living our values means making space for rest, reflection, and presence.   Together, we explore: How micro joys are helping us navigate the overwhelm of these times  What’s in our personal survival kits when the world gets loud Why pausing is not quitting, but a practice of trust and alignment   Resources Referenced in this Episode: Micro-joys quote & post from Glo Atanmo Andrea Gibson video on vulnerability Audre Lorde quote - “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare” Rainer Maria Rilke quote - “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer” This conversation is meant to be a soft landing in the storm, a reminder to notice what’s sustaining you, and a gentle invitation to live into the questions.   We’re so grateful you’ve been part of this season with us. We’ll still be sharing updates and reflections on our creative projects on Instagram, so stay close and feel free to follow us at @rachelvrosen and @justshep25.   As always, thank you for listening and tuning in. We appreciate you. Take care of your heart. Trust the pause. And remember: even in the dark, there is always a spark.   We would love to hear from you! Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com.    And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.   

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 4 of Two Wives and A SPARK!  In this tender episode, we’re leaning into vulnerability, reflection, and the quiet power of the pause. As we prepare to wrap this season, we’re not closing a door—we’re tending to what’s in our survival kits. Because living our values means making space for rest, reflection, and presence.   Together, we explore: How micro joys are helping us navigate the overwhelm of these times  What’s in our personal survival kits when the world gets loud Why pausing is not quitting, but a practice of trust and alignment   Resources Referenced in this Episode: Micro-joys quote & post from Glo Atanmo Andrea Gibson video on vulnerability Audre Lorde quote - “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare” Rainer Maria Rilke quote - “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer” This conversation is meant to be a soft landing in the storm, a reminder to notice what’s sustaining you, and a gentle invitation to live into the questions.   We’re so grateful you’ve been part of this season with us. We’ll still be sharing updates and reflections on our creative projects on Instagram, so stay close and feel free to follow us at @rachelvrosen and @justshep25.   As always, thank you for listening and tuning in. We appreciate you. Take care of your heart. Trust the pause. And remember: even in the dark, there is always a spark.   We would love to hear from you! Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com.    And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.   

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 3 of Two Wives and A SPARK!  In this raw and reflective episode, we speak from the heart about the heaviness so many are carrying right now. From environmental disasters, to political unrest, to the dis-ease so many of us are holding–the grief is layered—and it’s not just personal, it’s collective. We talk about what it means to hold space for ourselves and each other in the midst of it all, and how we’ve been navigating (or not navigating) the overwhelm. This conversation felt like a mirror for us, and we hope it’s a companion for anyone feeling exhausted, tender, or stretched thin by the weight of the world right now. Together, we explore: The importance of naming what hurts—and honoring it How collective grief lives in the body and what helps us release it Boundaries as a radical act of self-love and community care Why joy and rest must be a part of the journey Resources Referenced in this Episode: IG Post on Collective Grief The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk Oprah’s interview with Sebastian Junger on trauma, healing, and belonging Dan Savage’s reminder to keep fighting, keep dancing (quote: “During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night. The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for. It didn’t look like we were going to win then and we did. It doesn’t feel like we’re going to win now but we could. Keep fighting, keep dancing.”) Prentis Hemphill quote: “Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.” We don’t have answers—but we’re learning to hold what’s hard without losing ourselves, to stay present without collapsing, and to return to connection as often as we can. As always, thank you for listening and tuning in. We appreciate you.  This time we have some questions for you! What did this spark for you? What do you want us to explore next week? What questions do you have for us? Would you be interested in gathering together—virtually or in person—with other pod listeners & Joy Warriors?   We would love to hear from you! Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 3 of Two Wives and A SPARK!  In this raw and reflective episode, we speak from the heart about the heaviness so many are carrying right now. From environmental disasters, to political unrest, to the dis-ease so many of us are holding–the grief is layered—and it’s not just personal, it’s collective. We talk about what it means to hold space for ourselves and each other in the midst of it all, and how we’ve been navigating (or not navigating) the overwhelm. This conversation felt like a mirror for us, and we hope it’s a companion for anyone feeling exhausted, tender, or stretched thin by the weight of the world right now. Together, we explore: The importance of naming what hurts—and honoring it How collective grief lives in the body and what helps us release it Boundaries as a radical act of self-love and community care Why joy and rest must be a part of the journey Resources Referenced in this Episode: IG Post on Collective Grief The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk Oprah’s interview with Sebastian Junger on trauma, healing, and belonging Dan Savage’s reminder to keep fighting, keep dancing (quote: “During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night. The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for. It didn’t look like we were going to win then and we did. It doesn’t feel like we’re going to win now but we could. Keep fighting, keep dancing.”) Prentis Hemphill quote: “Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.” We don’t have answers—but we’re learning to hold what’s hard without losing ourselves, to stay present without collapsing, and to return to connection as often as we can. As always, thank you for listening and tuning in. We appreciate you.  This time we have some questions for you! What did this spark for you? What do you want us to explore next week? What questions do you have for us? Would you be interested in gathering together—virtually or in person—with other pod listeners & Joy Warriors?   We would love to hear from you! Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 2 of Two Wives and A SPARK!    On today’s episode we share our most recent tender truths in addition to what it has truly meant for us to live our vows. Each day is filled with it all; the highs and lows, the laughter and the pain. And we will continue to be here for it all. To show up and to be real. And we invite you to join us.  As always, thank you for listening and tuning in. We appreciate you.  And we would love to hear from you! Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.    Resources referenced in this episode:  Wayne Dyer quote - “"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." Emily Dickenson quote - “I dwell in Possibility” Valarie Kaur quote “What if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb, but the darkness of the womb?” IG clip about the three rages of labor  

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 2 of Two Wives and A SPARK!    On today’s episode we share our most recent tender truths in addition to what it has truly meant for us to live our vows. Each day is filled with it all; the highs and lows, the laughter and the pain. And we will continue to be here for it all. To show up and to be real. And we invite you to join us.  As always, thank you for listening and tuning in. We appreciate you.  And we would love to hear from you! Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.    Resources referenced in this episode:  Wayne Dyer quote - “"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." Emily Dickenson quote - “I dwell in Possibility” Valarie Kaur quote “What if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb, but the darkness of the womb?” IG clip about the three rages of labor  

In this first episode of Season 5, we share the moment we got some life-changing news, how it cracked open our lives, and what it means to begin again when we weren’t planning to. This season is raw, real, and rooted in love. We’re learning out loud, making meaning in real time, and offering this as a companion to anyone navigating their own season of unknowns. 🎧 Listen in, share with someone who needs it, and no matter what, know: you’re not alone. And here are the links of things we mentioned:  Joy Warrior shirt  Valarie Kuer video referenced Living Proof movie 

In this first episode of Season 5, we share the moment we got some life-changing news, how it cracked open our lives, and what it means to begin again when we weren’t planning to. This season is raw, real, and rooted in love. We’re learning out loud, making meaning in real time, and offering this as a companion to anyone navigating their own season of unknowns. 🎧 Listen in, share with someone who needs it, and no matter what, know: you’re not alone. And here are the links of things we mentioned:  Joy Warrior shirt  Valarie Kuer video referenced Living Proof movie 

Season 5 Coming Soon!

Season 5 Coming Soon!

Welcome to Episode 8, our final episode of Two Wives and A SPARK Season 4!    Today we offer some thoughts and reflections on going inward as we navigate these complex times and prepare ourselves for this holiday season.    We invite you to listen in as we share: Our thoughts on this question from one of our wonderful listeners: “Two Wives and a Spark! Do you have Thanksgiving advice for everyone, I guess, but me specifically? I’m super down post-election and am not super excited about hosting people who voted for the felon…I am stressed about it.” Some food for thought on boundaries  And more    As we close out this season, we would truly love to hear from you. What would you like us to grapple with and explore in season 5? What questions are you sitting with? Anything else you wanna share?   Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.   Resources referenced:  Brene Brown post hope despair  Andrea Gibson post/letter  Prentis Hemphill quote on embodiment   Dr. Maya Angelou quotes “Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.” “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” “Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.” Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Welcome to Episode 8, our final episode of Two Wives and A SPARK Season 4!    Today we offer some thoughts and reflections on going inward as we navigate these complex times and prepare ourselves for this holiday season.    We invite you to listen in as we share: Our thoughts on this question from one of our wonderful listeners: “Two Wives and a Spark! Do you have Thanksgiving advice for everyone, I guess, but me specifically? I’m super down post-election and am not super excited about hosting people who voted for the felon…I am stressed about it.” Some food for thought on boundaries  And more    As we close out this season, we would truly love to hear from you. What would you like us to grapple with and explore in season 5? What questions are you sitting with? Anything else you wanna share?   Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.   Resources referenced:  Brene Brown post hope despair  Andrea Gibson post/letter  Prentis Hemphill quote on embodiment   Dr. Maya Angelou quotes “Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.” “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” “Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.” Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Welcome to Episode 7 of Two Wives and A SPARK Season 4!    Today's episode is being released one week after the 2024 Presidential Election. There is a lot on our hearts so we invite you to listen in as we share: A grounding exercise to give and share love How we are processing the results of the election Our call to action    We are all feeling the weight and uncertainty of our world, and we have so much work to do.   As we ponder on how we will close out this season, we would truly love to hear from you.    Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com.   If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.    Resources referenced:  MLK Jr.’s words on nonviolent resistance James Baldwin quotes:  "You think your pains and your heartbreaks are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who have ever been alive."  “The great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.” Kamala Harris quote “Let their determination be our charge. And I'll close with this. There's an adage a historian once called a law of history, true of every society across the ages. The adage is, only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case. But here's the thing, America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars.” (full speech) We Can Do Hard Things Podcast - episode “Post-Election Family Meeting”  November 13th - Kindness Day

Welcome to Episode 7 of Two Wives and A SPARK Season 4!    Today's episode is being released one week after the 2024 Presidential Election. There is a lot on our hearts so we invite you to listen in as we share: A grounding exercise to give and share love How we are processing the results of the election Our call to action    We are all feeling the weight and uncertainty of our world, and we have so much work to do.   As we ponder on how we will close out this season, we would truly love to hear from you.    Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com.   If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.    Resources referenced:  MLK Jr.’s words on nonviolent resistance James Baldwin quotes:  "You think your pains and your heartbreaks are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who have ever been alive."  “The great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.” Kamala Harris quote “Let their determination be our charge. And I'll close with this. There's an adage a historian once called a law of history, true of every society across the ages. The adage is, only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case. But here's the thing, America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars.” (full speech) We Can Do Hard Things Podcast - episode “Post-Election Family Meeting”  November 13th - Kindness Day

Welcome to Episode 6 of Two Wives and A SPARK Season 4!   Today's episode is being released on Election Day, 2024.   Listen in as we share: What is top of mind for us Thoughts on how we can stay connected and in community  The importance of creating space to be  and more.   We cannot predict how the election will turn out, but we can choose how we show up and create spaces to honor our feelings. We can move forward with respect, authenticity, and love.   Thank you for listening! We would love to hear from you.    What did you think of this episode? What do you want to see more of?  Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.    Resources referenced:  Inside Out 2 Hummingbird video  Prentis Hemphill quote on boundaries SPARK Acronym  Show up authentically  Pause and listen Ask with curiosity  Respect diversity  Kindly expect conflict

Welcome to Episode 6 of Two Wives and A SPARK Season 4!   Today's episode is being released on Election Day, 2024.   Listen in as we share: What is top of mind for us Thoughts on how we can stay connected and in community  The importance of creating space to be  and more.   We cannot predict how the election will turn out, but we can choose how we show up and create spaces to honor our feelings. We can move forward with respect, authenticity, and love.   Thank you for listening! We would love to hear from you.    What did you think of this episode? What do you want to see more of?  Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.    Resources referenced:  Inside Out 2 Hummingbird video  Prentis Hemphill quote on boundaries SPARK Acronym  Show up authentically  Pause and listen Ask with curiosity  Respect diversity  Kindly expect conflict

Welcome to Season 4 Episode 5 of Two Wives and A SPARK!   Today's episode is all about the lasting impacts of micro-moments.   Listen in as we share: What is top of mind for us Thoughts on what it means to live your values The urgent need for connection in our world and how intentional dialogue can spark meaningful change How hope should always inspire action   Thank you for listening! We would love to hear from you! What did you think of this episode? What do you want to see more of?  Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.    Resources referenced:  Revolutionary Love Compass  Harvey Milk quote - "Hope will never be silent."  Joshua Discourse (aka doss.discourse on IG)  

Welcome to Season 4 Episode 5 of Two Wives and A SPARK!   Today's episode is all about the lasting impacts of micro-moments.   Listen in as we share: What is top of mind for us Thoughts on what it means to live your values The urgent need for connection in our world and how intentional dialogue can spark meaningful change How hope should always inspire action   Thank you for listening! We would love to hear from you! What did you think of this episode? What do you want to see more of?  Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.    Resources referenced:  Revolutionary Love Compass  Harvey Milk quote - "Hope will never be silent."  Joshua Discourse (aka doss.discourse on IG)  

Welcome to Season 4 Episode 4 of Two Wives and A SPARK!    Today's episode grapples with the discomfort that comes with harmony.    Listen in as we share: What is top of mind for us Thoughts on authenticity and safe spaces How this election brings a need for more harmony to the forefront How we move through discomfort and growth for the sake of harmony and the greater good Thank you for listening! We would love to hear from you! What did you think of this episode? What do you want to see more of?  Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.    Resources referenced:  The book Speak Up, by Miranda Paul, Illustrated by Ebony Glenn

Welcome to Season 4 Episode 4 of Two Wives and A SPARK!    Today's episode grapples with the discomfort that comes with harmony.    Listen in as we share: What is top of mind for us Thoughts on authenticity and safe spaces How this election brings a need for more harmony to the forefront How we move through discomfort and growth for the sake of harmony and the greater good Thank you for listening! We would love to hear from you! What did you think of this episode? What do you want to see more of?  Connect with us on Instagram or send us an email at twowivesandaspark@gmail.com. And check out our site: www.twowivesandaspark.com. If you’re curious, here’s more information on what we do at SPARK Equity In Action.    Resources referenced:  The book Speak Up, by Miranda Paul, Illustrated by Ebony Glenn