EP.90 Robina Haines on Navigating the Journey of Grief and Finding Strength in the Mining Community

Life can change in an instant and you never know what the future holds. How do you navigate these twists and turns and where can you turn for help?

Each Wednesday join me, Peter Finn, managing director of FACE Contracting, as I navigate the ups and downs of the mining industry with forward-thinking professionals from all walks of life. If you’re involved in the mining industry in any way – whether you’re a lifer or a high-school student looking to make the leap – Full Production is the podcast for you.

This week we chat to Robina Haines, speaker and two-time published author. Robina has an incredibly powerful story about the loss of her partner who was a FIFO worker and we hear about how Robina has channelled this experience to help others.

Robina’s first book, ‘Hello Grief – Be My Friend’, talks about the experience of losing her partner from her point as view. It also is designed to serve as a practical guide for anyone who experiences the loss of a partner, especially in the mining industry. Her second book ‘My Shining Star’ is a children’s book written as a tribute to Robina’s youngest son and provides a roadmap for those in difficult times of their life. We discuss both of her published books and the story behind them, as well as what she has coming up in the future.

We talk about her grief journey and the support she received from the mining community, including support from our charity partner Miner’s Promise. This story has plenty of takeaways and life lessons for anyone inside and outside of mining.

We also discussed:

The importance of the mining community.
Robina’s story and how her life changed in an instant.
The early stages of grief and moving forward with her family.
How she dealt with challenges that kept coming – including her battle with cancer.
Insight into Robina’s books and the purpose behind writing them.
How gratitude is crucial to being happy in life.
How Robina first got into writing and a reading from her early work on the book.
Where Robina is at now and what she’s looking forward to.