'How Do I Do This?' podcast about navigating grief

Podcast helps navigate grief ahead of Mother's Day

Ryanne Saucier is the creator and host of the "How Do I Do This?" podcast. She unexpectedly lost her mother in November 2024.

TEXAS - Mother's Day is coming up this weekend, but that may not be a happy occasion for everyone. 

FOX 7 spoke to a podcast creator who used her grief to create a platform to connect with others. 

The backstory:

Ryanne Saucier is the creator and host of the How Do I Do This? podcast. She unexpectedly lost her mother in November 2024. 

"My mother was the quintessential Southern belle. She was a teacher, her name was Sharon, and very big on Southern etiquette and manners," she said.

She says she tried to find tools to help her grieve, but many podcasts were made by women who had lots of help at home, so she decided to create her own podcast.

"One morning in my quiet time, I just felt this little whisper that said, 'well, why don't you create it and show people what you're doing?', because I was doing a lot of things to care for myself. I was still working out when I felt like it, trying to eat well, going to therapy, working, but it's a lot to balance when you're in grief," she said.

Each episode is a conversation. Some topics include grief over friendship breakups, the loss of a pet, and career change. 

"Each episode we start from the lens of grief, but it's really a show about how to live well with the time that we have and how you can enhance your life, so it's not a sad podcast," Saucier said. 

On the podcast's Instagram page, she'll be sharing tips on how to show up for a loved one who may be grieving on Mother's Day. Grieving could mean anything from the loss of a mother or wanting to be a mother but not being able to.

"The first thing I would say is ask your partner, what do they want to do for Mother's Day?" she said. "The second thing, busy women, we suffer from decision fatigue. Make a plan and say, based on what you told me, this is what I think we should do, but also be flexible."

She says a big "don't" would be creating chaos in the kitchen. 

Ryanne's own son is almost 10. While she's not sure how she'll feel as she goes through her second Mother's Day without her mom, she says it'll be bittersweet. 

"I have high grief and low grief days, sort of like tides in the ocean," she said. "My son wants to celebrate me, and I do love Mother's Day. I love being a mom. I love that he wants to do those extra things. That's sweet. The bitter is that I can't share that experience with my mom and celebrate her too."

The How Do I Do This? podcast can be found on all major podcast platforms.