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For the past several weeks, I've been exhausted.

Not normal tired. Not "I need a nap" tired. The kind of tired that makes you question yourself, your motivation, your energy, and whether something deeper might be going on.

This week, I wanted to share a personal story about finally listening to my body after weeks of brain fog, joint pain, fatigue, and feeling unlike myself—and the unexpected diagnosis that followed.

But this episode isn't JUST about the diagnosis.

It's about the ways we dismiss ourselves.

The ways we explain away exhaustion, grief, burnout, loneliness, resentment, or that quiet feeling that something isn't quite right. It's about learning to listen before life starts shouting.

Together, we'll explore what happens when we stop asking, "What's wrong with me?" and start asking, "What's trying to get my attention?"

If you've been feeling disconnected, overwhelmed, exhausted, or simply unlike yourself lately, this conversation is for you. Because sometimes hope doesn't arrive as a solution, but rather, as an invitation....An invitation to slow down, pay attention, and come home to yourself.

00:00 Introduction: Life Often Whispers Before It Shouts
01:10 Feeling Exhausted and Unlike Myself
02:30 Ignoring the Signs
03:40 A Trip to Minneapolis and an Unexpected Rash
04:30 The Shingles Diagnosis
05:15 What My Body Was Trying to Tell Me
06:00 Why We Dismiss Ourselves
07:00 What Are You Trying Not to Hear?
08:00 The Questions We Already Know the Answers To
09:00 Lessons from Hope Comes to Visit Guests
10:00 Living Intentionally Instead of Perfectly
11:00 What's Trying to Get Your Attention?
12:00 Hope as an Invitation

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit

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Some conversations leave a mark on your heart.

This week's episode of Hope Comes to Visit is one of them.

My guest is Sabrina Foster—a mother, advocate, community leader, and founder of the Foster Family Foundation.

In 2021, Sabrina's son, Glenn Foster Jr., died while in police custody in Alabama. Since that day, she has devoted herself to seeking accountability, honoring her son's legacy, and supporting others through advocacy and community work.

What moved me most about this conversation wasn't simply the tragedy of what happened.

It was listening to a mother tell the story of her son.

Before Glenn was a headline, he was a little boy she adored. He was a student, an athlete, an entrepreneur, a father, and someone who believed deeply in helping others succeed.

Throughout our conversation, Sabrina shares stories of raising Glenn, watching him achieve his dreams, building businesses, becoming a father, and creating a life filled with purpose.

We also talk about grief, resilience, faith, activism, healing, and the reality of continuing to live after unimaginable loss.

Sabrina's love for her son is evident in every word she speaks. And perhaps that's what stayed with me most.

This isn't simply a conversation about loss. It's a conversation about love.

Connect with Sabrina through The Foster Family Foundation.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget Apple now has video!

00:00 Introduction
02:39 How Danielle and Sabrina Connected
04:43 Tell Us About Glenn Jr.
07:54 Raising a Son of Excellence
12:17 Football, College and the NFL Dream
13:18 Watching Your Child Live Their Dream
15:25 Life After Football
18:54 Building Businesses and Creating Legacy
22:05 The Trip Through Alabama
22:53 The Arrest
24:19 When Things Stopped Making Sense
26:08 A Mother's Instinct
28:18 The Phone Call No Parent Should Receive
31:02 What Officials Said Happened
32:23 The Independent Autopsy
35:23 The Pursuit of Justice
36:31 Grief, Survival and Finding Purpose
39:33 The Foster Family Foundation
42:17 What Legacy Means to Sabrina
43:42 How Sabrina Defines Hope
45:01 How to Support the Foundation
46:19 Accountability and Systemic Change
47:42 Final Reflections

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit

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What does it look like to grieve openly, honestly, and without hiding the hardest parts?

This week on Hope Comes to Visit, I’m joined by Brittany Wiederin—a wife, mother, advocate, and founder of the Handle Hard Better Foundation.

After losing her husband, Cory, to a rare and aggressive form of kidney cancer, Brittany finds herself navigating the unimaginable: raising two young boys, carrying profound grief, and learning how to move forward while still honoring the love that changed her life.

What struck me most about this conversation is Brittany’s willingness to live—and grieve—unmasked.

Together, we talk about love, loss, parenting through heartbreak, caregiving, resilience, faith, and the reality that grief isn’t something we move on from. It’s something we learn to carry.

We also talk about the intentional choices Brittany and Cory made after his diagnosis, including playing catch with their boys every single day, creating legacy videos, and finding ways to build beautiful memories in the midst of a devastating reality.

This conversation is heartbreaking and hopeful all at once.

One of Brittany’s most powerful reminders:

“For as hard as it is, it’s worth it. Being vulnerable takes courage. But if we aren’t vulnerable, someone may never feel seen.”

If you have experienced loss—or love someone who has—I hope this conversation reminds you that you are not alone.

💙 If you get a chance - take the time to watch the video version of this episode and stay through the end. Brittany graciously shared personal family footage of Cory, their boys, and the beautiful life they built together. We share some throughout the episode, but there are extra special moments as our conversation closes. It is a moving tribute to a husband, father, coach, and man who continues to impact the lives of those who love him.

Connect with Brittany on Instagram and keep an eye out for the Handle Hard Better Foundation.

If this episode resonates with you, please share it with someone who may need it. You never know when a story of hope might arrive at exactly the right moment.

00:00 Introduction
01:35 Meet Brittany Wiederin
03:42 Who Was Cory?
05:35 How Brittany and Cory Met
06:45 Cory as a Coach and Father
08:43 The Cancer Diagnosis
11:19 Playing Catch Every Day
13:09 Creating Intentional Memories
14:51 Facing an Uncertain Future
17:04 Living With Grief
18:47 Parenting Through Loss
23:06 Caring for Yourself While Grieving
25:10 Grieving Unmasked
29:42 How the Boys Are Doing
31:22 Preserving Cory’s Legacy
36:04 What Cory Wanted His Boys to Remember
37:49 The Gift of Legacy Videos
40:07 The Handle Hard Better Foundation
43:33 How Brittany Defines Hope
46:20 Connecting with Brittany
47:27 A Message for Caregivers and Widows
49:06 Final Reflections

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit