Journey to Grateful

I'm certain everyone can relate to having some special very people in their lives. People who had our back when the need arose, and held us steady as we stumbled through challenging circumstances - loss and the grief that comes with it being one of our largest challenges, if not the largest. Simply known as our “Support System” - these people are family and friends who often come through for us in...

Have you ever thought about what life would be like without plans? It might seem like an odd thought, but plans give structure to our lives. From going to work or school, to celebrating birthdays or holidays with family, we rely on plans to fill our days. Whether it's attending your son's high school football game, watching your daughter's play, or helping your parents with yard work, plans give u...

Speaking to others about their grief experiences has helped me better understand grief over the past few years to, if for no other reason than to become aware that everyone’s grief is different. Our experiences, our circumstances, every aspect of our loss, and how we attempt to move forward have differences that can enlighten us and help us by presenting us all with a slightly different perspectiv...

In today's episode. I am introducing a very unlikely subject for a grief-based podcast; Artificial Intelligence, commonly known as AI. The idea is to use an AI resource to answer prompts, or questions about grief and see the results. The overarching hope is to compare and contrast what the AI source produces versus what I have attempted to communicate through 96 episodes to date. Come along with m...

Episode #96 will speak to those of you who have directly experienced great, personal loss. Although healing from the loss you are feeling at this moment seems to be impossible at times, come with me as I discuss the possibility of healing. If not right now in this moment, sometime in your future. I know all too well we all are experiencing or have experienced despair, sorrow, denial, anger, and ev...

Today's episode was inspired by a letter shared with me by a very good friend, leadership coach, and fellow podcaster, Angie Robinson. Angie joined me in episode #30 discussing Personality Types, Support, and Choosing a Word for the Year. The episode focused on providing insights to help us understand ourselves as well as others. It helped identify why some friends may shy away from those hard sub...

I realize "The Power of Grief Groceries" title requires a bit of detailed clarification, but that will have to come a bit deeper inside the episode. As a listener you need to understand the premise of this episode is to share what I feel is the best way to help someone suffering a great personal loss. Whether you have personal experience with the passing of a close friend or family member, or you...

No matter how many years you are from your initial loss, your grief will be part of your everyday life. Each day that passes will allow you to find different ways to take another step forward, providing you strength when you need it and confidence when you feel you have none. If you are the support system for a friend walking with grief, you may need to better understand what grief looks like year...

The true definition of the words we use sometimes escapes us when we use them, or we just don't consider their meaning in detail. We often find the words we choose not to be the perfect fit for the moment, but we use them anyway with little thought as to the appropriateness of our choice of words. In this episode, I will look closer at the words “change” and “reveal” as they are associated with th...

All around you, it may seem as though everyone else is doing just fine. Meanwhile, you are a complete mess dealing with your grief, trying to take just one more step each day with no sign that your sorrow will ever subside. Friends may wish for strength in this time of need while others may secretly wonder when you will "get over it." Outside your window the world seems to be going on as usual, no...

This episode will speak to you whether you have lost someone close or distant or only know someone who has. Perhaps you have been fortunate enough not to experience loss in your life. The message of this show is pertinent no matter what your experience with grief may be, and it will fit whatever season of life you currently find yourself within. For my friends who are on their path with grief, I a...

There are so many pieces of this grief puzzle, aren't there? Whether you have been directly affected by a loss or have yet to be, even just knowing someone and seeing them work through their grief, you get an idea of the many puzzle pieces in their life. Recently I've been feeling as though I might be watching the world walk by in this new life I find myself defining. It should not be a surprise t...

Over the past two years of producing this podcast and living through grief for three years, I've discovered one thing is always true. It’s difficult for some people to understand grief. Specifically, it’s hard for some to understand what people are actually “going through” daily with their grief. In addition, many don’t quite get why grief can never be considered to have an end. To help shed a bri...

 I want to discuss failure. Ask yourself this; "Are you failing at grief?" Or, more accurately, do you "feel" you are failing at grief? I'd suggest you most likely do, but is it an absolute failure, or simply just something you perceive? In this episode I discuss why that's ok and, more importantly, normal. The significant steps you can take to allow your failure to become a positive thing will pr...

In this episode, I’ve chosen to share with you a list I believe is quite important in helping us understand grief on a deeper level. Often I see or hear stories of someone who has experienced a friend or family member in their life not quite understanding how grief affects them even years after their loss. Perpetuating the misunderstanding of grief, its depth, and why there is no end to grief. Thi...

Today’s episode takes on a voice and an experience unlike any episode before. I’ve decided to take you along on a very personal experience and relay to you my thoughts as I searched for memories I discovered I longed for. I hope to enlighten you on how we might best approach grieving positively and with uplifting results. To ultimately help us truly navigate our loss and set us on a path forward.

Through tragedy and difficult times in your life, how often have you heard the suggestion to keep busy? As we navigate our grief journey, I'm sure there have been several times you've heard yourself answering a friend's inquiry about how you are doing with, "I'm keeping busy." Here's the question I'd like you to consider today. Have you thought about your answer about "keeping busy"? Are you "keep...

We all understand that losing someone special brings plenty of grief. How we navigate our grief is the key to a successful journey through grief. Our goal through grief should be to survive our loss for our loved ones and ourselves and find a way to move forward. To do so, we need to understand grief better and discover the tools available to do so. Today, we will explore how a healthy conversatio...

In today’s episode I’d like to examine what it means to “Make Room for Hope” in your life after loss and during your grief journey. It’s an important aspect of grief which one day will we will all come to face. In my opinion, to live without hope is not to live at all. The ultimate question is how can you best begin to consider making room for hope without ignoring your current feelings of loss an...

I've recently realized, with the help and insight of a new friend, that often, in grief, we focus on the loss and how we came to deal with it and not as much on the tangible suggestions and successes we may have experienced as we attempt to take a step forward from our loss. The common question put forth by someone who's experienced loss is simple; "How do you move forward?" This question never se...

Inspiration comes from many places that I've discovered if I'm not listening, I may miss it. Thankfully, last week, I was listening. In this episode, I will share with you a few truthful messages shared with me by some incredible, insightful people. Their words are reminders for us to stop, listen, consider, and reexamine the depth of grief our family or friends may be experiencing daily. Join me...

As we know, there is no end to grief. But why? What is it about grief that seems to allow it to live on years past the initial loss? Is it the shock and despair of it all? Or is it the hopeless feeling of the loss itself? Come along with me as I discuss a new perspective on grief and the never-ending hold it can have on those left behind. We will also examine important reasons we should consider t...

Reflecting on life generally is recognizing where we came from, a point in our past. To grow from our experiences, and to strive for better as we move forward, is a noble but essential goal. Through the love instilled within us as we develop and grow, we hope always to find gratefulness not far from our hearts, no matter what we are going through. As we walk our path with grief and discover what t...

I've been thinking about how grief shows up in my life and others I know who are dealing with grief. I've been more aware of how I allow my grief to be present in my daily life and with others. It seems to be a question focused on how we, as a society, genuinely see grief in others and what we do with what we see. Do we reach out with a helping hand or an ear to bend, or do we wonder why they have...

Being defined by our grief is a risk we face when we allow ourselves to feel deeply and love unconditionally. However, allowing our grief to overwhelm us, externally as well as internally, is not healthy. While we walk through our grief journey, it becomes important to understand how to avoid allowing our grief to define us. We have a choice to let either our grief encompass us, or we can choose t...