The Silent Why: finding hope in grief and loss

#009. What is it like to live with the loss of skin every day? Skin that is so fragile the slightest bump will make it tear and blister. This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around loss and grief and to see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss. Loss #9 of 101: Loss of skin Assya Shabir is in physical pain, day and night. She lives with a disorder c...

Comparison gets a bad rep, but is it always deserved and can it actually be helpful to us? Welcome to another My Why from Claire Sandys (co-host of The Silent Why podcast). My Why episodes are weekly audio shorts of my latest blog post. If you'd prefer to read it, you can find it here: thesilentwhy.com/post/comparison This week I'm exploring the subject of comparison. It gets a lot of ne...

#008. When the moment comes that both your parents have died, you realise you are no longer a daughter to anyone, a role the might have been very precious to you, so what does that loss feel like? This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around loss and grief and to see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss. Loss #8 of 101: Loss of being a daughter In t...

This week I'm introducing you to a friend of mine - the Moon.   Welcome to another My Why from Claire Sandys (co-host of The Silent Why podcast). My Why episodes are weekly audio shorts of my latest blog post. If you'd prefer to read it, you can find it here: thesilentwhy.com/post/themoon Yes, my friend might be a little distant at times, comes and goes a bit, and balloons and shrinks do...

#007. Losing your dad when you are in your early 20's is hard, losing him very suddenly throws in even more things to come to terms with. This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around loss and grief and to see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss. Loss #7 of 101: Loss of a dad Meet our good friend, Hannah. When we started this podcast journey an...

“Of course it's happening inside your head Harry. Why should that mean that it's not real?” — J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Welcome to another My Why from Claire Sandys (co-host of The Silent Why). My Why episodes are weekly audio shorts of my latest blog post. If you'd prefer to read it, instead of listen, you can visit: thesilentwhy.com/post/lostinside This we...

#006. Not all losses are bereavements, and the losses encountered through mental illness can be huge for the person going through it and those around them. This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around loss and grief and to see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss. Loss #6 of 101: Loss of a brother to mental illness Meet Trevor Griffiths; author, phi...

" Crying is all right in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do."  ― C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair Welcome to another My Why from Claire Sandys (co-host of The Silent Why). My Why episodes are weekly audio shorts of my latest blog post. If you'd prefer to read it, instead of listen, you can visit: thesilentwhy.com/po...

#005. A few weeks ago a social media post, by someone we’d never heard of, went viral and popped up on Claire’s LinkedIn feed. And that was our first introduction to Emily. The image and what was written underneath prompted Claire to immediately get in touch to ask if Emily would be willing to share the story with us - and she said, yes! This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up co...

'The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go'. — Unknown Welcome to another My Why from Claire Sandys (co-host of The Silent Why). My Why episodes are weekly audio shorts of my latest blog post. If you'd prefer to read it, instead of listen, you can visit: thesilentwhy.com/post/theautumnfall What can autumn teach us about how to deal with loss? Should it be &apo...

#004. What's it like processing the loss of an arm and shoulder? Especially when it also ends a much-loved career. This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around loss and grief and to see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss. Loss #4 of 101: Loss of an arm and shoulder. In this episode we chat to Dan Richards; amputee, cyclist, army veteran, Nake...

'Guard your heart' might sound like a good thing to do, but it can also sound like a bad thing to do, so which is it? Welcome to another My Why from Claire Sandys (co-host of The Silent Why). My Why episodes are weekly audio shorts of my latest blog post. If you'd prefer to read it, instead of listen, you can visit: thesilentwhy.com/post/guardyourheart  This week I look at what it m...

#003. Part 2. This second part of Episode 003 is us again (the hosts, Chris & Claire Sandys) as we continue to share our story of being a childless couple.  This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around loss and grief and to see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss. Loss #3 of 101 continued: Loss of fertility In Part 1, we spoke about our persona...

Can you define what loss is? With such a wide variety of definitions and implications it's hard to explain sometimes. Welcome to the first My Why from Claire Sandys (co-host of The Silent Why). My Why episodes are weekly audio shorts of my latest blog post. If you'd prefer to read it, instead of listen, you can visit: thesilentwhy.com/post/whatisloss This week I explore how you even begi...

#003. Part 1. This episode is a bit different, because for 44 wonderful minutes you just hear from us, the hosts.  Chris Sandys: Radio producer, craft beer lover and full-time extrovert. Claire Sandys: Writer, baker (...not yet a candlestick maker), marzipan lover and full-time introvert. This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around loss and grief and to see if ho...

#002. Loss isn't just about bereavement, we can lose people before they die. But how do you grieve the loss of someone who's still alive but is either a different person or doesn't recognise you anymore? This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around loss and grief and to see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss. Loss #2 of 101: Loss of...

#001. Few people recognise the huge losses involved when a couple divorce or separate, but the effect is often described as being worse than a death. This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around loss and grief and to see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss. Loss #1 of 101: Loss of a marriage In this episode we chat to Sue Brayne, author, speaker an...

You're probably thinking: What on earth is a Herman? Why do I care? What on sweet earth does a Herman have to do with a podcast about loss? There's actually a chance you might have heard of a Herman, or have known it by a different name, but to be sure, tune into this episode for a mere 5 minutes (ish) and find out what it is and why we (hosts, Chris & Claire Sandys) are asking all o...

Can hope be found in every type of loss?  Join us, Chris & Claire Sandys, a childless (not by choice) couple, using our experience of loss to explore where, and when, hope emerges and joy returns in every journey of grief.  This is a mission to find 101 different types of loss, and you can expect: first hand experiences with grief, inspiring guests, honest conversation, tears, laughter and ple...