Opinion Archives

Listen: Good Grief. Nano Learning Podcast

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July 1, 2026

In this first episode of the Good Grief. Nano Learning Podcast, Watershed Voice's Aundrea Sayrie begins by exploring what grief is, and what it isn't. Together, you'll unpack common misconceptions, challenge unrealistic expectations, and create space for honest conversations about healing, loss, and life after change. Whether you're grieving the loss of a loved one, a relationship, your health, a dream, or another significant life transition, you're welcome here. Aundrea's hope is that each short episode leaves you feeling seen, informed, and a little less alone.

Good Grief. The Mother Wound, Part Six

By Aundrea Sayrie

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Opinion

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June 18, 2026

In The Mother Wound, Part Six, Watershed Voice columnist Aundrea Sayrie writes, "Many mothers carried wounds no one ever helped them unpack. "Some were parenting while grieving. Some were surviving a dark reality while mothering. Some were trying to love from places within themselves that had never fully been loved gently either. "And while that does not erase the pain some children experienced, it does create room for something many people eventually wrestle with as adults: "The realization that their mothers were human long before they were 'mom.'"

Good Grief. The Mother Wound, Part Five

By Aundrea Sayrie

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Opinion

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June 11, 2026

In The Mother Wound, Part Five, Watershed Voice columnist Aundrea Sayrie writes, "Eventually there comes a moment where a person has to decide, 'Do I carry this pain forever, or do I begin finding a way to free myself from it?' "Because forgiveness is not for the other person. It is for you. For your peace of mind. For your ability to move forward without carrying the same emotional burden forever."

‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ review: Strange hallways and warped desire

By Matt Erspamer

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Culture

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June 10, 2026

Watershed Voice’s Matt Erspamer reviews two recent horror hits, Backrooms and Obsession. Both films are currently in theaters. Editor's note: This review contains content that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Good Grief. The Mother Wound, Part Four

By Aundrea Sayrie

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Opinion

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June 4, 2026

Watershed Voice columnist Aundrea Sayrie’s new series “Good Grief.” explores how loss lives in everyday lives, and its impact on mental health. In The Mother Wound, Part Four, Sayrie writes, "Sometimes the body carries what the mind learned to minimize" but "healing begins when we realize that the nervous system can learn new experiences too."

Good Grief. The Mother Wound, Part Three

By Aundrea Sayrie

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Opinion

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May 28, 2026

Watershed Voice columnist Aundrea Sayrie’s new series “Good Grief.” explores how loss lives in everyday lives, and its impact on mental health. In The Mother Wound, Part Three, Sayrie writes that "children should not have to earn gentleness" because "they deserved it all along." And when they don't receive that care, it leads to self doubt and shame as they grow older.

Good Grief. The Mother Wound, Part Two

By Aundrea Sayrie

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Opinion

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May 14, 2026

Watershed Voice columnist Aundrea Sayrie's new series "Good Grief." explores how loss lives in everyday lives, and its impact on mental health. In The Mother Wound, Part Two, Sayrie looks at the "absence you can't name," as some grief isn't about losing someone but rather "never fully having had them in the way you needed."

Aundrea Sayrie: Introducing Good Grief. Creating space for awareness, honesty, and repurposing pain

By Aundrea Sayrie

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Culture

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May 7, 2026

Watershed Voice columnist Aundrea Sayrie is introducing a new series exploring how loss lives in everyday lives, and its impact on mental health. This month she will examine the "mother wound," and how a month she once looked forward to feels different, forcing her to "confront the distance" between who she is and who she wants to be.

Charles Thomas: Why sleep is so Important for our health

By Charles Thomas

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Opinion

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April 17, 2026

Watershed Voice columnist Charles Thomas writes, "Why is lack of sleep such a big problem? Because sleep is critical to our health and wellbeing! While we don’t know exactly what the purpose of sleep is, there are many theories around why we humans spend a third of our lives sleeping. "Sleep allows our bodies to heal and our tissues to be restored during a period of rest. It also helps us consolidate our memories of the day, and regulate our moods. There is research that suggests sleep helps us tolerate pain better, and it can help remove cellular garbage in the brain called amyloids, which are linked to Alzheimer’s disease."

Celebrating our sixth birthday and Local News Day

By Alek Haak-Frost

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Opinion

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April 8, 2026

Watershed Voice officially launched six years ago on this day in 2020, providing a combined 3,400 stories, columns, podcasts, poems and the like to residents of St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, and Cass Counties over the last 2,191 days. Help us celebrate our birthday with a donation, and sign up for our free newsletter in observance of Local News Day on April 9.

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