Two Mothers, One Aché: A Grief Dialogue

RE-RELEASE: Changing the Grief Narrative with Bun B

This episode was originally released on December 2, 2025.
Hip-hop legend Bun B joins Two Mothers, One Aché for a raw and deeply human conversation about brotherhood, loss, and healing. He opens up about the morning he learned of Pimp C’s passing, the identity-shifting grief that followed, and why he chose to grieve publicly in a culture that often equates vulnerability with weakness.Together, Bun, Yvette, and Dionne explore how grief reshapes us, what community can repair, and the quiet ways our loved ones still reach for us. From faith to hip hop, from depression to legacy, this episode offers a rare look at a man who has carried grief in full view—and continues to transform it with honesty, service, and love.A powerful conversation for anyone navigating loss or supporting someone who is.
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Two Mothers, One Aché: A Grief Dialogue is produced and distributed by Merrick Studios and hosted by Yvette Dávila and Dionne C. Monsanto. Each episode offers a brave and intimate space where grief is spoken aloud, healing is shared, and love refuses to fade—listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever your journey takes you. Join the conversation on Instagram @2mothers1achepod and learn more at wearemerrickstudios.com/two-mothers-one-ache-pod.
Original music by Dasan T. Broadnax, known artistically as O.D. Mongrel. Discover more of his work on all streaming platforms.

Grief and Memorializing Love with special guest Posdnuos

This week on Two Mothers, One Aché, Yvette and Dionne welcome the legendary Kelvin Mercer, better known as Posdnuos of De La Soul, for a deeply moving conversation about grief, remembrance, and the rituals that keep our loved ones close. With honesty, tenderness, and hard-earned wisdom, Pos reflects on memorializing his mother Hattie Mae, honoring the life and legacy of his brother Dave, and how gratitude, storytelling, and creative expression can help move grief through the body instead of letting it harden inside us.
Together, they explore why saying their names matters, how rituals become a compass through loss, and why memorializing those we love is not about staying stuck in pain, but about carrying love forward with intention. From “Thanks, Dave” to Cabin in the Sky, this episode is a powerful reminder that grief is not just about what we’ve lost, but about what we choose to keep alive.
Join the conversation on Instagram ⁠@2mothers1achepod⁠ and learn more at ⁠wearemerrickstudios.com/two-mothers-one-ache-pod.⁠
Original music by Dasan T. Broadnax, known artistically as O.D. Mongrel. Discover more of his work on all streaming platforms.

Grief and Pregnancy Loss (Part 2)

In Part 2 of this deeply moving conversation, Dionne and Yvette stay at the kitchen table with Adrienne Bailon-Houghton as the story turns toward what carried her through: faith, ritual, acceptance, and the sacred path that led her to surrogacy.
Adrienne opens up about the grief she didn’t realize she was still carrying—the quiet sobs in the shower, the heartbreak of another loss during COVID, and the truth that miscarriage is not something you simply “move on” from. Together, they talk about the pain of unspoken grief, the power of being witnessed, and the ways love, faith, family, and community can hold you when words fall short.
This episode is also about what helps and what hurts: the comments that wound, the support that steadies, and the people who walk beside us without trying to fix what cannot be fixed. With honesty, tenderness, and hard-won wisdom, Adrienne shares how acceptance made room for joy, how surrogacy became an act of surrender and love, and how motherhood still arrived in a way that was holy, intentional, and fully hers.
And in true Two Mothers, One Aché fashion, this conversation brings us back to the heart of it all: your grief is real, your love is real, and you do not have to let go to keep healing.
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Grief and Pregnancy Loss (Part 1)

This week at the kitchen table, Dionne and Yvette welcome Adrienne Bailon-Houghton for an intimate conversation about miscarriage, IVF, and the kind of grief that often goes unseen.
With their signature breathwork and gentle disclaimers (no medical advice—just lived experience), they create space for Adrienne to share what her body remembers: the shock of failed cycles, the ache of embryos that didn’t take, the compounded losses, and the quiet shame and anger that can surface—even for someone rooted deeply in faith.
Adrienne speaks candidly about eight rounds of IVF, the rituals that carried her through, the heartbreak of hearing “no heartbeat,” and the complicated longing to see yourself reflected in your child. Together, they explore partner grief, spiritual confusion, and what it means to hold hope while your light feels dim.
If this topic is tender, take care of your heart as you listen. And if you’ve walked this road, may this episode remind you: your grief is real, and you are not alone.
Two Mothers, One Aché: A Grief Dialogue is produced and distributed by ⁠Merrick Studios⁠ and hosted by ⁠Yvette Dávila⁠ and ⁠Dionne C. Monsanto⁠. Each episode offers a brave and intimate space where grief is spoken aloud, healing is shared, and love refuses to fade—listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever your journey takes you.
Join the conversation on Instagram ⁠@2mothers1achepod⁠ and learn more at ⁠wearemerrickstudios.com/two-mothers-one-ache-pod.⁠
Original music by Dasan T. Broadnax, known artistically as O.D. Mongrel. Discover more of his work on all streaming platforms.

Turning Pain Into Purpose

This week on Two Mothers, One Ashé, Dionne and Yvette sit with Shamayim “Mama Shu” Harris, founder of Avalon Village, for a conversation that moves far beyond titles and accolades.
After grounding together in breath, Mama Shu opens up about the losses that reshaped her life—her mother, Christine, and her sons, Jakobi Ra and Chinyelu. She shares what it meant to survive the kind of grief that feels unsurvivable… and the moment she realized she was still here.
Together, they explore ancestors, purpose, community, and the radical idea that joy is not a betrayal of the ones we’ve lost. This episode is about finding meaning, building containers for love, and allowing grief to transform—not define—you.
We close, as always, with a moment of Ashé, speaking names aloud and breathing life into memory.
Two Mothers, One Aché: A Grief Dialogue is produced and distributed by ⁠Merrick Studios⁠ and hosted by ⁠Yvette Dávila⁠ and ⁠Dionne C. Monsanto⁠. Each episode offers a brave and intimate space where grief is spoken aloud, healing is shared, and love refuses to fade—listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever your journey takes you.
Join the conversation on Instagram ⁠@2mothers1achepod⁠ and learn more at ⁠wearemerrickstudios.com/two-mothers-one-ache-pod.⁠
Original music by Dasan T. Broadnax, known artistically as O.D. Mongrel. Discover more of his work on all streaming platforms.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Listener Letters: What Grief Asks of Us

In this listener-led episode of Two Mothers, One Aché, Dionne C. Monsanto and Yvette Davila open with a grounding practice—the humming bee breath (Brahmari)—to calm the busy mind and bring the body back online. From there, they answer real questions from the community with care, privacy, and safe messaging: How do I ask for support without feeling needy? Is it normal to feel guilty for living after someone dies? How do I forgive myself for what I didn’t do? Along the way, they share practical tools like “cancel, cancel” to interrupt spiraling self-blame, reminders about boundaries, and the truth that progress isn’t perfection. They close with comfort songs and an Aché moment to honor loved ones—yours included.
Two Mothers, One Aché: A Grief Dialogue is produced and distributed by ⁠Merrick Studios⁠ and hosted by ⁠Yvette Dávila⁠ and ⁠Dionne C. Monsanto⁠. Each episode offers a brave and intimate space where grief is spoken aloud, healing is shared, and love refuses to fade—listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever your journey takes you.
Join the conversation on Instagram ⁠@2mothers1achepod⁠ and learn more at ⁠wearemerrickstudios.com/two-mothers-one-ache-pod.⁠
Original music by Dasan T. Broadnax, known artistically as O.D. Mongrel. Discover more of his work on all streaming platforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grief and Afterlife

In this episode of Two Mothers, One Aché, Dionne and Yvette explore grief, the afterlife, and the signs our loved ones leave behind.
They reflect on dreams, symbols, intuition, and spiritual experiences that often follow loss—and why so many of us question or silence them. Through personal stories and ancestral wisdom, they discuss how grief can expand our awareness, how to stay grounded while honoring the unseen, and why trusting yourself is part of healing.
This conversation is an invitation to release shame, embrace curiosity, and remember that love doesn’t end—it transforms.
Luz y progreso. Aché.
Two Mothers, One Aché: A Grief Dialogue is produced and distributed by Merrick Studios and hosted by Yvette Dávila and Dionne C. Monsanto. Each episode offers a brave and intimate space where grief is spoken aloud, healing is shared, and love refuses to fade—listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever your journey takes you.
Join the conversation on Instagram @2mothers1achepod and learn more at wearemerrickstudios.com/two-mothers-one-ache-pod.
Original music by Dasan T. Broadnax, known artistically as O.D. Mongrel. Discover more of his work on all streaming platforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grief and Suicide Prevention

This week on Two Mothers, One Aché: A Grielf Dialogue, we hold space for what’s hardest to say. Dionne C. Monsanto and Yvette Love Dávila are joined by Dr. Denisse Centeno-Lamas, whose work in suicide prevention is rooted in culture, faith, and lived experience.This episode moves beyond facts into the body of grief itself—migration, loneliness, burnout, depression, and the silence that keeps people from asking for help. Dr. Denisse shares how loss, community trauma, and her own mental health journey shaped her calling, while the hosts name the harm of stigma in faith spaces and the myth that prayer alone can heal everything.Together, they remind us: mental health is health. Language matters. Culture matters. And talking—honestly, compassionately—can save lives.The conversation closes with a Moment of Ashé, speaking names, honoring ancestors and loved ones, and offering grief the dignity of being seen.Come breathe with us. Come name it. Come heal it.Send us a textTwo Mothers, One Aché: A Grief Dialogue is produced and distributed by Merrick Studios and hosted by Yvette Dávila and Dionne C. Monsanto. Each episode offers a brave and intimate space where grief is spoken aloud, healing is shared, and love refuses to fade—listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever your journey takes you. Join the conversation on Instagram @2mothers1achepod and learn more at wearemerrickstudios.com/two-mothers-one-ache-pod. Original music by Dasan T. Broadnax, known artistically as O.D. Mongrel. Discover more of his work on all streaming platforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ambiguous Grief: Relationship Loss

No funeral. No ritual. No “closure.” Just a relationship that ends while everybody’s still alive and a grief we’re rarely taught to name.In this episode of Two Mothers, One Aché, Dionne and Yvette ground the space and dive into ambiguous loss: friendships that fade, people who ghost, and relationships that rupture without an ending. The kind of grief that lingers because there’s no ritual, no permission, and no clear goodbye.Dionne reflects on a bracelet she still wears, a living reminder of a friend who disappeared, and how relational loss can shake identity, safety, and belonging. Yvette names what’s happening beneath the surface: when there’s no closure, the body and spirit stay tethered.Together, they unpack guilt, boundaries, and the myth of “forgive and forget,” exploring how grief and relief can exist at the same time, especially when a loss is protective. They also offer practical tools, journaling, mirror work, and simple release rituals, to help give form to grief that’s been sitting in the shadows.Because grief doesn’t need to be fixed. It needs to be witnessed. Come breathe with us. Come name it. Come heal it.Aché.Send us a textTwo Mothers, One Aché: A Grief Dialogue is produced and distributed by Merrick Studios and hosted by Yvette Dávila and Dionne C. Monsanto. Each episode offers a brave and intimate space where grief is spoken aloud, healing is shared, and love refuses to fade—listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever your journey takes you. Join the conversation on Instagram @2mothers1achepod and learn more at wearemerrickstudios.com/two-mothers-one-ache-pod. Original music by Dasan T. Broadnax, known artistically as O.D. Mongrel. Discover more of his work on all streaming platforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What Do I Say?

Grief doesn’t come with a script… but somehow everybody shows up holding one.Dionne C. Monsanto and Yvette Love Dávila get real about the phrases people say when they mean well but cause real harm—“At least you have other children,” “God has a plan,” “Time heals all wounds,” and even “How are you?” They break down why these lines minimize pain, rush healing, and miss the moment entirely—and what empathy actually sounds like instead.This conversation also gives practical ways to show up: presence over platitudes, specifics over big questions, and love that looks like action (food, help, “I’m here—no response needed”). The episode closes with an Ashé moment, breathing life into the names of loved ones: Joseph Guadalupe, Nan Kalaliku Tayahimba, Justin Ross, Tina Allen, Aunt Cynthia Wallace, and Ramona Anderson.Aché.Send us a textTwo Mothers, One Aché: A Grief Dialogue is produced and distributed by Merrick Studios and hosted by Yvette Dávila and Dionne C. Monsanto. Each episode offers a brave and intimate space where grief is spoken aloud, healing is shared, and love refuses to fade—listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever your journey takes you. Join the conversation on Instagram @2mothers1achepod and learn more at wearemerrickstudios.com/two-mothers-one-ache-pod. Original music by Dasan T. Broadnax, known artistically as O.D. Mongrel. Discover more of his work on all streaming platforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices