Episode
Grief as Proof of Love: Processing Loss Through Writing With Niki J Borger
- Podcast
- The Mindful Living
- Published
- Jul 17, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1502
- Processing state
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Summary
There is a kind of grief that does not arrive as sadness alone. It comes mixed with relief, with guilt, with feelings we are not taught to admit out loud. This episode is for anyone quietly carrying a loss they have never quite named. Actor, writer, and producer Niki J Borger sits with host Sana to talk about losing her mother, the years of stillness the pandemic forced on her, and how she found her way back to herself through writing. Together they slow down around grief as something to be met, not managed, and what it means to let a feeling simply be present. ABOUT THE GUEST: Niki J Borger is an international writer, actor, and producer known for her original plays at the Extravaganza Theater Festival in LA and award-winning short films including Because I Could and A Portrayal of a Subtle Suicide . She recently released In Between , a book of eight gender-neutral one act plays exploring the space between life and death. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Grief is not only sadness. It arrives as a whole mix of emotion, and that mix is different for everyone. Loss often brings more loss alongside it, in career, friendships, and identity, not only in the personal. Relief and guilt can live in grief at the same time. Neither one cancels the love. Writing can hold what feels too tender to speak aloud, offering a safe container to process. You don't need to fix your grief or explain it. Presence with it is already enough. CONNECT WITH NIKI: Instagram: @nikijborger | Website: nikijborger.com | Community: Light Warrior Dojo EPISODE CHAPTERS: (approx.) [00:00] The Weight We Carry Without Naming It — an opening reflection on grief [03:35] Meet Niki J Borger — writer, actor, and the stories she tells [07:45] What We Get Wrong About Grief — beyond sadness and stages [15:45] Losing Her Mother, and…