When my son Cory was sick, everyone always asked about him. One sad day we were at the mall and ran into someone I knew. The first thing they asked was how Cory was doing. Three-year-old Brie looked up at the person and said, very matter-of-factly, “I’m here. I’m cute too.” a sad looking child I remember her little face scrunched up in confusion. Her expression seemed to say, “Why doesn’t anyone ever ask about me ?” My heart ached for her. In that moment I realized somethin

March 18 th is a special day for me. It is my son Cory’s birthday. I do not celebrate his death day as some people do. I try not to be reminded of that painful day. It can’t be helped though because it was Mother’s Day and my daughter Ke’ili was diagnosed on the 35 th anniversary of Cory’s crossing over the rainbow bridge. Cory's Poster Last August, I started a podcast called Talk Stories with Shirley Enebrad. I was invited to sign up for PODCASTHON 2026. It is an amazing c

It’s true. Numbness usually follows shock. So be prepared. When someone you love dies unexpectedly, your body goes into shock. Your brain goes into shock. It’s as if every internal system freezes mid-motion. The world tilts. Sound becomes muffled. Time stretches and collapses all at once. barren winter scene And then—almost mercifully—that shock softens into numbness. Numbness is not weakness. It is not denial. It is not failure to love deeply enough. It is your brain’s way o