Suzanne Rust

She believes the best stories are the ones we live first and rewrite later.

Obviously, I had to know what her favorite lipstick was these days.

She said it's a matte crayon lipstick from an Indian brand called Sugar in the shade Lily Aldrin, a deep pink mauve color.

I was on the subway the other day and watched a mother lovingly apply some lip gloss to her young teen daughter's lips.

She then took out a mirror from her bag so that the girl could admire herself, and they both smiled at the reflection.

It was a beautiful, intimate moment that really made me miss my mother, who died when I was just 21.

I think that learning to live through loss and grief is one of the scariest high-wire acts of all.

Losing my mother at a young age really shaped me, and I wonder how it shaped Arshia.

She said that it made her realize early on that nothing is guaranteed.

Not people, not time, not even memories.

In Arshia's words, when you're afraid of forgetting the sound of someone's voice, you start looking for something tangible to hold on to.

When the person you rely on most disappears so suddenly, a part of you learns to keep some distance.

It's not cynicism, it's self-protection.

but it's also made me intentional about the relationships I do have.

If I let someone in, it means something.

So losing her didn't just shape my grief, it shaped my approach to life.

Hold on to what matters, accept that some things will fade, and build trust carefully but wholeheartedly when you find people who feel steady.

Those are the words of Arshia Kapadia.

That's it for this episode of the Moth Radio Hour.

Thanks to all of our storytellers for being brave enough to step out on the high wire and share their stories.