My guest this week is Shelley Buck, co-author of the recent book Leave Your Light On: The Musical Mantra Left Behind by an Illuminating Spirit (affiliate link), about her son, Ryder Buck. (Shelley’s co-authors include Kathy Curtis and Ryder.)

Ryder Buck

This is a conversation about love, parenting, holding on, letting go, finding faith, and what happens when we die, among other things. I think you’ll get a lot out of our discussion.

Other topics we touched on included:

• The meaning of the name “Ryder” and what message Ryder Buck brought to the world
• Learning of her son’s cancer diagnosis when he was 22 years old
• Parenting and letting go
• Determining to live as fully as possible in the time one is given
• Ryder’s experiences in Bali near the end of his life
• The book Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander
• What happens when we die
• Messages Shelley has gotten from Ryder since he died
• Ryder Buck’s influence in the movie Frozen 2
• The song “The Next Right Thing,” and picking ourselves up after a devastating loss
• “Into the Unknown,” episode 3, with a 10-minute segment on Ryder Buck
• Getting the news of Ryder’s injuries that took his life
• Where my guest found and finds faith to keep going
• Shelley’s cathartic experience of writing her book
• When Shelley feels Ryder’s presence now
• Death as a new, deeper relationship, not the end of a relationship
• Ryder’s albums:
  • Leave Your Light On
  • Life After Life
  • Three of Three

Discover more about Shelley’s book here.

Explore Shelley’s beautiful original jewelry at ShelRae Designs.

Shelley Buck was born into a creative family in the Midwest, and moved to California after college to follow her dream of working for Disney.

It was there she met and fell in love with her husband, Chris, who worked in animation.

After they married and had their first child, Ryder, Shelley stayed home to be a full-time mom to him and the two brothers who followed.

When Ryder was diagnosed with cancer and the journey went to unimaginable places, she poured her heart into writing their story.

Her lessons in parenting through these tribulations, combined with the power of Ryder’s larger-than-life spirit, offer profound messages for living in the light.

Shelley is a storyteller and artist, which she expresses through her original jewelry at ShelRae Designs.

One of Shelley’s original creations