In this heartfelt exchange, CU students Rebecca Ipina and Lisandra Salas and VP of Community and belonging Jose Rodriguez, share their personal journeys through "heaviness," ranging from childhood trauma and custody battles to the loss of a child. They identify a shared struggle with opening up due to fears of judgment, isolation, or just not being understood. A central theme emerges among them around the power of purpose and community, particularly their supportive environment at CU, which serves as an anchor for their resilience. Ultimately, they show that even in difficult times, small moments of light and connection can help transform pain into strength and hope.
In this heartfelt exchange, CU students Rebecca Ipina and Lisandra Salas and VP of Community and belonging Jose Rodriguez, share their personal journeys through "heaviness," ranging from childhood trauma and custody battles to the loss of a child. They identify a shared struggle with opening up due to fears of judgment, isolation, or just not being understood. A central theme emerges among them around the power of purpose and community, particularly their supportive environment at CU, which serves as an anchor for their resilience. Ultimately, they show that even in difficult times, small moments of light and connection can help transform pain into strength and hope.
Transcripts
We CU Stories Unbound
Episode 11: How We Find Light at the End of the Tunnel
De'Vonte Parson: (00:12)
Welcome to the We CU Unbound Stories, the College Unbound Podcast, where we dive deep into the transformative work of our community, transforming self communities, justice and education. We're here to break down barriers and build up new possibilities. This is a platform for learning, a platform for healing, a platform for belonging and connection. So tune in and join us on this journey of empowerment.
Rebecca Ipina: (00:53)
Welcome back to We CU Stories Unbound. My name is Rebecca Ipina, and I will be your host for today's episode on how we find the light at the end of the tunnel. Jose Rodriguez, and Lisandra Salas will be joining me today for a conversation around growth, resilience, and purpose. Let's dive in.
(01:13)
Life can be beautiful, but it can also feel heavy and uncertain. There are moments when it's hard to get up, hard to believe, and even harder to keep going. But even in those moments, there's always a small light, sometimes faint, waiting for us to reach toward it. So Lisandraand Jose, when was a time in your life when everything felt heavy, and what helped you keep going?
Jose Rodriguez: (01:40)
So, interestingly enough, I think a better question to ask when we're talking about concepts that have held you back or that feel heavy in the heart, is when haven't you've, uh, walked around the earth feeling heavy, like the, the, the weight of the world is on your shoulders. 'cause personally, I don't feel like I've ever caught up. Um, I think, you know, I was unfortunately brought into this world, uh, into a situation that wasn't the best. Um, not having love in your life. I think that those are times where you're constantly chasing that, um, because the people that are supposed to, you know, I'm, I'm talking about my childhood now, like the people who were in charge of making sure that you had love, um, weren't necessarily providing love. Um, and, you know, uh, Rebecca, uh, off screen, you, you, you kind of alluded to like the, the similar paths that we taken, like, so not being in the home with my mother or father, that that meant that, you know, I was always trying to get affection from the wrong places.
Jose Rodriguez: (02:37)
Um, unfortunately, that, that is probably what started all the heaviness that I carry and, um, and that I still carry through this day. And, you know, how I decided, or, or how I chose to, to gain control of all those things that are heavy and burden in me is to, to write about 'em and to share my experience. Um, some think that it's poetic. Um, I, I don't necessarily see it as poetic and or myself as a poet. It's just, um, just me telling my truth. So I think that that's how I found ways to, to, to get through it, is to, like, every time that I'm feeling like that tension, um, within me, or, uh, I feel like I'm about to snap. I just write, I'll write some stuff down and, you know, sometimes it relate, people can relate to it. I think that I'm fi I'm also finding purpose in that. So that's, that's how I'm seeing my way through the heaviness at times.
Rebecca Ipina: (03:28)
And that's awesome because honestly, your, um, poetry or your, your writedowns are so amazing because they hit other people where they may be hurting or may need guidance. And that is perfect because you are making a difference. You are serving a purpose of letting people know, Hey, listen, you are not alone. And some people just not too keen on talking about it, right? So when they read about it, they're like, oh, wait, I know him. I know Jose, he's an alumni. I cu and guess what? I'm a student at CU coming in with all this heaviness, not thinking I could make it through and look at him going and not stopping. So it really, um, serves a purpose to helping others. How about you, LaSandra?
Lisandra Salas: (04:21)
I'm a person that likes to focus on the present, not so much on the past. And something that it's very heavy is I'm currently going through a custody battle with my kids' father. And that is something that, you know, as we all know, we don't have control over it. Especially once you get the court system involved, now you're adding a third party into it where now you're having other people's opinions and, um, people trying to project what they believe onto what's going on. So just having those moments and having the courts follow up and everything that comes with it, and knowing how to stay in my peace and stay in focus and what my goals and what I'm doing and my purpose of the reason of me being there to begin with, you know, and it's to advocate for my kids is, you know, making sure that I never forget the, that I never forget the pri my, my priority, and that's my kids.
Lisandra Salas: (05:24)
So not losing my focus and making sure that I'm still being a role model while in the midst of chaos and still holding myself accountable to what I do and the angle of things that we don't control. Because I can't control everything. I can only control what I do and how I react to what I'm doing. So just making sure that, you know, I'm never giving up. I'm not throwing in the towel because there's always gonna be a fight in life. It's all depends on what kind of fight you're willing to put in. Um, like I, I'm trying to practice what I preach because people tell me, I say a lot of beautiful things, but sometimes I question myself because it's like, how do I give everybody good advice and I can't, I feel like I'm drowning in a cup of water when I do this for a living.
Lisandra Salas: (06:10)
How can I help myself? So being in a courts in the courthouse, I don't know if anybody else has, but that place eats you up and swallows you up. Yep. When you feel like the smallest ant. And it's like, I'm the one doing it all. So how hard is it for me to advocate for myself when I'm a firm believer? People lie, numbers don't. So, you know, we could all say what we want, but what's on papers, what's on paper. So just letting it speak for itself and just standing on who I am and my integrity, regardless of who's watching and who's doing what I need to stand on, who I'm,
Rebecca Ipina: (06:48)
And that's beautiful because at the same time, sometimes we do feel alone. We feel the heaviness, like you said, the courthouse ain't no joke. I've been in the courthouse one too many times. I was taken back and forth a couple of times for a custody battle, even after my divorce and everything. So I get it. I know how it could be. It, it can tear you down. It tore me down to the point because I had a car accident and lost, uh, my second child. Um, and I was dragged into the court system before I could fully heal. So that heaviness I carried, it had to swallow it. I had to, you know, just keep going and that would've tore person completely down. And if you see who I am and you get to know me, you're like, dude, how are you doing it? Right?
Rebecca Ipina: (07:32)
It's 20 years in the making of carrying that heaviness and, you know, burying a child. And coming from that, you know, that world of darkness and still finding the light takes a lot out of a person. And there's times where I just like, dude, what's the point of even talking about it? Right. Which leads to my next question. Why do you think people struggle to talk about what they're going through? What is, what is some of the hardships you guys have hit walls on that you are like, ah, I don't even wanna talk. Why should I, you know, what, what do you think? Why do people stop talking?
Jose Rodriguez: (08:11)
So, so, um, and, and I don't want to generalize that. I could only speak as per my experience. 'cause I think that even if, even if we, even if we grew up in the same house, we view the world differently because, you know, our perceptions could just be differently because we viewed this one thing different. But honestly, um, I think that why it was difficult for me and oftentimes other people to share is because you feel like you're on an island all by yourself and that no one, no one, um, is going to understand what you're going through. And then in cases, like, like for me, it was really like, yo, who does this happen to? Like e everything that could happen would ha that that could happen. That was negative would happen to me. I like fall into this deep disbelief that like, yo, this, this can't be true.
Jose Rodriguez: (08:58)
Like, my life is literally a movie and like telling people about it, they're gonna look at me like, like stop making stuff up. Like, or, um, make me a charity case as if I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm out there trying to like gain sympathy when in reality all I was trying to do was share my pain. So, um, I wanna say thank you Rebecca, for saying that what I write, um, hits home for some folks because that, like, that, that is it. And I think that for Alessandra the same. It's about finding your purpose, right? I didn't intentionally set out to write and to like connect with people in that way, but maybe that was my purpose. And sometimes, um, we have to do a better job of getting out of the way, out of our own way, um, because we're blocking, um, our own blessings.
Jose Rodriguez: (09:42)
And the the comment that you just made Alessandro about like not forgetting who you are, um, even when you're going through, through difficulties or like your, your own battles that you know with your baby daddy and this and that. The, the reality is, is if if you don't stray from your, your purpose, can't nobody stray you. Like, so you, you remember what you're honest earth for. And sometimes it, that's hard to do. Like, especially when people were trying, I'm an absolutely, I'm an individual that has been through everything. So like some, some of the trying stuff is like when people be talking to me crazy and I'm like, yo, you don't like . Like, but I have to remember my purpose, like my actions would, would have, uh, bigger consequences than just like that, that, that gratification that I would get in the moment of like, yeah, I punched him in the face 'cause he was talking crazy.
Jose Rodriguez: (10:31)
Um, but long term it would impact me and my family and actually alter my purpose. Um, because I'm at a place in life where people, I have a voice in spaces that some people don't have a voice. So I am the voice for those who don't have a voice. So that is my purpose. So that's like just staying, keeping in mind that I have a purpose regardless of what all the noise that's happening around me, I have a purpose. But to your original question, uh, Rebecca, it's that like, you can't, um, and you said it about sharing, sharing, sharing my writing, like, oh, oh shoot, I can see myself in that person. And like, when you can't see yourself in the people that you're around, that's when it's tough to share. 'cause no one's gonna understand
Lisandra Salas: (11:13)
That part. And to go piggy back off of what you just said, no one's gonna understand, like you said, we can all live in the same house. We're all gonna have different views on it because the way our thought process is, we will never be the same regardless if we, we were even held in the same sack. We will not have the same thought process . So that's given. And I feel like, you know, with, with sharing comes opinion and then comes feelings and some people are ashamed of what they've been through. Some people, you know, there, there comes those feelings that come with, oh my God, are somebody gonna judge me for it? Or I don't want sympathy. I don't want people to view me differently based off my story where I get a lot of things. Uh, I get a lot of remarks of You don't look like what you've been through.
Lisandra Salas: (12:01)
And I was like, I would hate to look like that because that's a very sad story. Because when I get to talking, now that I've passed that phase of being to myself and processing it, that I now share because I realize I'm not the only one going through it. There's a lot of people out here that can relate or you can help or guide. And that's where my purpose fell in, where, you know, I strive to educate and knowledge is power because once upon a time I didn't know, and that caused me to have to start it all over. So just simply knowing a piece of information could take you a long way. So I feel like to bring back to the question as far as why do people share, I feel like it's a phase of grief, just like we grieve. It comes in phases.
Lisandra Salas: (12:48)
It's the same thing when you're going through something, you have to process it first to understand it and then how you move forward. It's more of a self-reflection because not everybody is okay with sharing. Some people are okay with, you know, journaling or just, you know, connecting with music. Because prior to me being a speaker, I went years without speaking. I mean, my, I my father got incarcerated when I was six years old. I watched my house get raided. So those were a lot of trauma where my mom put me in speech therapy and people was like, wait, you had a period you didn't talk and now we gotta tell you to shut up. I was like, isn't that crazy? Full circle? But that's, that's just the way life unfolds. You just never know. We have different phases
Rebecca Ipina: (13:33)
And that's so true because I went through my phase where I was stuck in, um, I went to counseling and I would not talk, I would not say anything. I would not, I rather paint and draw and color and journal. I did journal, I did poetry. That was how I let out all my feelings. And then after a while in my, when I had my kids in my thirties after my second, my third child technically. But, um, I just realized that I couldn't help them if I kept quiet because I needed to voice what I was going through. I needed to voice and find guidance on how to help them. And the way I was gonna do that was voice, what my issues were and get the help for myself to then be able to, you know, model and lead by example. And we're gonna do this together and we're gonna speak, which answers my next question, which was what helped you open up and share your story.
Rebecca Ipina: (14:30)
But you guys did an excellent job of fitting that in before I can even ask. So we'll just move on up to the next one, which is, what are some of the practical things that helped you reconnect with hope when you were feeling, um, low? Is there a daily habit, belief or practice that grounds you? I listen to music a lot. So when I'm feeling low and down, I don't care what type of music it is, we're gonna jam out and I'm gonna swear that I can sing if my life depended on it, just to kind of level me back and hone me. That's my anchor is music. And the kids know when mom throws that music on don't disturb.
Lisandra Salas: (15:14)
It's, I think that's our generation because that is definitely my household where my son's like, oh, mom's putting the music on. You know what it is? Where this morning I, I I'm trying to remember the song, but it's like a, a gospel song. And when I, I was listening it to this morning and I just became
Rebecca Ipina: (15:31)
Ordinary. Ordinary,
Lisandra Salas: (15:33)
Yes,
Rebecca Ipina: (15:34)
Yes. I love that song.
Lisandra Salas: (15:35)
I do the lyrics. I was such a, such a, a different place where last night, um, we was having some issues at home where I told I myself, I said, you know what, we're gonna have a sea and we're gonna pray on it because something gotta give and this is not the way we're going on it. So what's bigger than us is God. And you know, that's what my house believes. And we, we put on it, we woke up this morning, we had a little rough morning and I'm like, all right, we gotta go. I have timely mannered and you know, I'm sitting here supporting someone that, you know, I know what it's like to be alone in, in such a big place and feel like the room is coming on top of you. So who am I? I always told myself, God, I want you to put me in a position that I could be the person that I wish I had.
Lisandra Salas: (16:18)
So that's why I say this is my purpose. This is the reason, this is my why, this is my purpose. Like I've had so many life ending experience where I'm like, God has me here for a reason and I'm living within my purpose and my value and I'm living for him. Like I say, we do God's work because we gotta work regardless. And every job comes with its own nonsense. You just have to know if you're sure if this is what you wanna do. 'cause money ain't never enough. No, I'm sorry ain not paying you enough right now. what you gotta deal with. Ain't no job paying you enough. ,
Rebecca Ipina: (16:55)
How about you Jose?
Jose Rodriguez: (16:56)
So interestingly enough, it it, uh, about a job paying you enough and I'm sorry to go though. It's what you see as valuable, right? Yes. So I think that the biggest payment that I get from CU is being able to connect with people. So it's like no accident that my title is community and belonging because I get a lot of energy, um, from connecting with individuals. Yep. I think that my community has grown and like I, I've gained a lot of friendships through cu so I think that if I'm looking, putting a value on that, then definitely I get paid enough. 'cause there isn't a place in Rhode Island that I can't go and they'd be like, oh, that's Jose from college and bound. Um, you know, that, that feels, you know, that that gives you a lot of warmth inside. 'cause I'm still raising kids in this community. Right. And you know, with the whole, it takes a village mentality. It's important that people know who you are. 'cause I am from that generation where your next door neighbor could grab you by the ear when you was doing something wrong.
Lisandra Salas: (17:48)
Yes.
Jose Rodriguez: (17:50)
Although I don't want nobody, uh, putting their hands on my children though. It is nice that people will reach out like, yo, I saw maybe, you know, you should keep an eye on that. Um, 'cause you know, it takes a village. Um, but as far as like the grounding, um, part of it, I run, I run, uh, I get up at four o'clock in the morning every day and I run five miles. Um, and part of the reason that I um, get up and, and this is actually a really good lesson to know, is that if I get up early, I'm not in that early. I'm not interrupting anything else that would happen throughout the day. So I'm not taking time away from anybody or anything. And it's that concept of just making time for yourself. Um, 'cause it's easy to make excuses, yo, I'm tired, I'm not gonna get up. I'm gonna be tired anyway.
Rebecca Ipina: (18:31)
Um, right.
Lisandra Salas: (18:32)
That part I'm be tired, regardless,
Jose Rodriguez: (18:36)
But at least I'm tired. And I did the thing that was for me and only for me. And, you know, it was uninterrupted and, and nobody and, and nobody could take that away from me. Um, the only person that could take it away from me is me.
Rebecca Ipina: (18:47)
What are some of the practical things that help you reconnect with hope when you're feeling low?
Jose Rodriguez: (18:53)
So believe it or not, and this is gonna sound so cliche, but it's going to the Met,
Lisandra Salas: (18:58)
Honestly, I could relate with that. 'cause Wednesday always grounds me. I love yes. Wednesdays I could have a the worst week. And once Wednesday comes and Rebecca knows our lab faculty is one that we literally hold each other like a glue.
Rebecca Ipina: (19:15)
Yes, most definitely. I gotta agree. It is because you get to reconnect with everyone that it has the science, same mindset, different concepts, but same mindset on Wednesdays is the day where you get re-grounded. Like, yo, our weeks can be disastrous, but come Wednesdays, that food, that chatter, it's outside our homes, it's outside the problems. We leave everything outside when we come to see you, even though we do work, but we come together in a space with everybody that's not judging, nobody's looking at you funny. Nobody is thinking anything. We're just like, we're happy to be in that space.
Jose Rodriguez: (20:02)
Last year, the end of last year, I had to take three months off of work. And I think that one of the, one of the things that grounded me the most and and and uh, at least for me doubled down that my decision to go there every Tuesday and Wednesday is the right decision, um, was that people won acknowledge that I was going in second set, Jose, you were missed. Um, you know, so when you have a couple hundred people saying that, I think that you, you you're in your purpose. So that definitely grounds me and reminds me why I do the things that I do every day.
Rebecca Ipina: (20:30)
Yeah. We have to find a ritual. I think that is one of the biggest things that I've learned throughout everything in life is find something that hones you back in. Even in your darkest days, that little bit of light always shimmers through the darkness, through the clouds. There's always that little bit of light that's gonna shimmer through. And that's what you have to find. What is your light? It's not gonna be a direct light, um, but it's gonna be something that makes you smile genuinely that isn't you feeling like, oh my God, I'm here again. Let me put on my fake smile and carry the day. Like it's all good. Right? So we have to find ways, um, to find that little shimmer of light and hold onto it, which is how can we be a light for others? And simple everyday ways.
Lisandra Salas: (21:27)
I mean, I'm a person that meets people where they're at and just simply being that extender. Sometimes you don't realize some people just need a listening ear and you know, just meeting people where they're at, where I can project what I can see you doing, but that's not gonna help you rather than helping you reach what you see yourself at. So I'm a firm believer of just meeting people where they're at and just listening. 'cause if you listen, you will hear something.
Rebecca Ipina: (21:57)
Most definitely. How about you Jose?
Jose Rodriguez: (22:00)
It's really just that it's the a a reminder to self not to not to assume that, you know, just because you can see yourself in in a person, not to assume that you know what they're going through. Because again, we all experience things differently. And I say this from the perspective of I'm the youngest of four and three, three of my siblings will tell a story completely different and than, than how, how I was brought up from like the oldest to the youngest. The oldest got a lot more things. The youngest me got nothing. And by the time that, um, my mom, I, I got to to it got to me, my mom already had gave up on being a mom and just didn't want to be a mom. So like our experiences are different even though we come from the same place. Right. Um, so it, it's important to approach things like that and, and like that's the constant reminder is that even if yeah, we can look the same, you could be my twin brother for all I know. And um, we, we still view the world differently.
Rebecca Ipina: (22:55)
No, most definitely. I the same thing my sister got to experience living with my dad. I didn't, my dad denied me. And so our living and growing up was totally different. I was a mama's girl 'cause I was the only one in the house because my sister had went to live with my dad and it was like, if you put us together, you hear the stories and you're like, how can that be? And she's like looked down on, she's the ugly duckling of our actual family where I am the, you know, poor little Becky left little orphan, um, that they wanted to put on a pedestal. And my sister was the oldest. So, you know, it was crazy. So that's why it, you can't judge a book by its cover. You never know, regardless of what you see or or what you think you saw or heard. We can't judge a book by its cover. So what's one small act of kindness that made a big impact on you guys?
Lisandra Salas: (23:55)
I would say showing up and being present. I try to do everything with intent. So my thing is if I don't want to, I'm not going to. So if I'm here, it is because I want to.
Jose Rodriguez: (24:08)
So one of the biggest acts of kindness that I see that actually, um, impacted my life for the positive and I think that actually shaped my perspective on how I approach community. Um, wasn't an act at all. Um, in the moment it ended up being an act, but it wasn't an act at all. But it was rather some choice words that at the moment I didn't understand. And I often look, look back at that moment and reflect. But it was, um, when I first got outta prison in, in 2010, and I say first because I did go back after that, but when I first got out of prison in 2010, um, I was hired at the non-violence institute in Providence, the Institute for the Study and Practice of Non-Violence. That's what it was called at the time. Yes. And the executive director at the time, Tenny Gross, said that the reason that he hired individuals who had once, um, hurt the community is because it's important to recycle human capital.
Jose Rodriguez: (25:03)
Um, and at the time, um, I really couldn't understand, 'cause in my mind I'm like, yo, did did he just call me like money? Is he looking at me like if I'm a monetary thing that I'm, am I for sale? Like, am I up for grabs? Like, like what does he mean for that? Uh, but that definitely shaped the trajectory in which, 'cause you know, without the non-Violence Institute, I don't meet, uh, Adam, I don't come to college and bound. So like all those things. So it was for me it's that, those words. And eventually I got the meaning of it because I'm actually a really strong advocate for that word. And like saying that to people like, yo, you need to invest back into the things that you helped destroy. You know, so like whether regardless, like regardless of what you you've done in life, there's always a chance to like make Right. But you have to, you have to do that within intent.
Lisandra Salas: (25:51)
Yes,
Rebecca Ipina: (25:53)
That is very true. I was told I can be anything I set my mind to. And I was like, I cannot, I can't even sell myself out of a paper bag. So, and this person really did not give up on me. She harassed me till this day. She harasses me. She even made me wear pink. So I, I have a story on that when I have a cap and gown in pink that she did not take no for an answer. 'cause I didn't, I didn't like the color pink because it reminded me of breast cancer, which reminded, took me back to my mom days, you know, and struggling with cancer. But I never had realized until now why I didn't like pink so much and I wasn't a girly girl for pink. And, but she was like, you're gonna wear this cap and gown. And I threw a tantrum.
Rebecca Ipina: (26:42)
I was like, no, I am not, I'm not wearing that. I just won't graduate. Don't gimme the certificate. I don't care. It was a leadership program. And she's like, Nope, you are gonna do it. Until this day. I have that as one of my pictures on, I think it's my zoom or my meets, one of 'em has my pink cap and gown that I swore I was not gonna wear. And so, but she never, that's the extent of her kindness. Like, she pulled me out and pushed me to do a pageant, push me to do. She was like, you can do this and not act alone of not giving up on me. No matter how bad my tantrum was at a grown age , I was, it just stuck with me because everybody else would've gave up on me by now. Most of my families did when I threw a tantrum that I wasn't gonna do something I didn't want to.
Rebecca Ipina: (27:37)
Um, they just gave up and didn't ever look back. So with her not giving up on me and just continue to pull me and always like put me, you know, on a pedestal and be so proud of me all the time and check in and, and never like turn her back on me was the kindest act. And she doesn't know me from a hole in the wall. She met my daughters and then we connected and from there we have stayed in contact. She has helped me through, I mean, the worst of the worst with, you know, figuring out my A DHD. So it really takes that one little act to just hone you in and bring you, you know, where you need to see the light, uh, more than just that shimmer. And we'll all get there as long as we remember, you know, key points on our why, our purpose in life and just finding the right people to connect with and, and keep going and never giving up.
Lisandra Salas: (28:41)
Absolutely. That's a big one. Never giving up. You can rest for a moment, chill for a minute, but get knowing you need to get back up and shake it off.
Rebecca Ipina: (28:52)
I tell people, I'm like, I will drown for like five minutes in my cup of waters, but I always, it's you're soaking, you're soaking . Yeah, I'm, I'm soaking, I'm soaking. I'm letting my hair get wet, you know, completely soaked because it takes like pounds of water, like I say, but I always float back up to the top. Oh, I so I, I really appreciate you guys coming in and, you know, um, giving me this conversation back and forth, sharing light, um, you know, at the darkest tunnels that we can possibly get to and just reminding our listeners that, you know, it's, it can get really heavy and really dim, but there's that spark or that shimmer of light that's always gonna shine through. You just have to follow it, right? Follow the cracks if you are lost in a cave. Because if you can see light then there's an exit close by. Absolutely. And if there is not one but there is light coming through, you can always make one that far chisel your way outta it. You just have to remember why you wanna get out. Right. What's waiting for you. Absolutely. So do you guys wanna share any closing words with our listeners before I let you guys go?
Rebecca Ipina: (30:20)
I wanna say thank you. I appreciate you and you inspire me in so many ways. And I do remember the pink picture because when I left read Over Your Lip, I remember seeing it as your evidence. So I wanna say thank you so much for letting me be a part of this. I am honored that you chose me, and I am honored to have you. You are a light, believe it or not, even in your darkest days, you are a light that comes on Wednesdays and always brightens up no matter how bad my week goes, as well as Jose. You guys lighten me up 'cause you guys remind me that I'm not alone in the journey. Um, we all come from different backgrounds. We all do different things and we are not alone. And that is the biggest, best thing I can have because we can all call each other, email each other and we're like, Hey, let's wheel you back in. We got you. No worries. We throw that life jacket out. How about you, Jose? Any closing words?
Jose Rodriguez: (31:22)
Um, to anyone listening man, just stay, stay blessed. Um, really just remember to stay in your purpose.
Rebecca Ipina: (31:30)
Definitely. Definitely that purpose is gonna guide you a long way. And if you don't have one, it'll, it'll smack you in the face. Even if , if you dunno, it's there, you'll be like, why am I here? Life has a funny way of humbling us. Yes, it does. Yes it does. So again, thank you so much and till the next time, absolutely. Thank you.
Jose Rodriguez: (31:57)
Talk to you soon.
Rebecca Ipina: (31:59)
Talk to you soon. Talk to you guys soon. So to wrap it all up, guys, if you're listening today and it feels like your tunnel is endless, please remember this. You matter in your story matters. The light is still there. Sometimes it shows up through people, through conversation or through one moment of kindness. Don't hesitate to reach out. You're not alone. Resources linked in the notes. Take care.