
They Tried to Bury Us: Finding Strength, Identity, and Healing Through Story
From The Alignment Show by Donn King
March 6, 2026 · 52 min
About this episode
Mia Godfrey shares her journey of resilience and healing through storytelling after experiencing loss and immigration.
Some conversations stay with you long after the recording ends. This was one of them. In this episode of The Alignment Show , I talk with Mia Godfrey—life coach, speaker, and author of Buried, Not Broken: A Memoir of Survival, Sisterhood, and Starting Over . Mia grew up in Romania during the communist regime, immigrated to the United States, and later walked through the devastating loss of her sister. What began as a promise between two sisters eventually became a memoir about resilience, healing, and the courage to reclaim your voice. We talk about grief, identity, and the surprising ways writing can help us process life’s hardest moments. Mia shares how her sister’s encouragement led her to write their story, even though she initially resisted the idea. Along the way, we explore how painful experiences can sometimes become the soil where new growth begins. One of the ideas that struck me most was something Mia’s mother used to say: “They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds.” That image captures the spirit of this conversation perfectly. If you’ve ever wondered whether your hardest chapters might someday become part of a meaningful story, I think you’ll find…
People in this episode
Host: Donn King
Guest: Mia Godfrey
Topics covered
- resilience
- grief
- identity
- writing
- healing
- storytelling
Keywords
- resilience
- grief
- identity
- memoir
- writing
- healing
- storytelling
- Mia Godfrey
- Donn King
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Toastmasters International
Books & works: Buried, Not Broken: A Memoir of Survival, Sisterhood, and Starting Over
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