The Silent Why: finding hope in grief and loss

Could we BE any more sad about this loss? Welcome to another My Why blog from me, Claire Sandys, co-host of The Silent Why podcast. My Why episodes are audio versions of my latest blog post. If you'd prefer to read it, you can find it here: https://www.thesilentwhy.com/post/theonewherewesaygoodbyetomatthewperry Like many people, the sitcom Friends was a huge part of my growing up in my late t...

#086. We'll all face grief and loss, but what happens when big losses come one after another in quick succession? How do we grieve them when we're barely through one loss before another one hits us? This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around grief, to see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss. Loss #47 of 101: Loss through cumulative grie...

'What's wrong with clouds?' you might ask, and that's exactly what they want you to think! Welcome to another My Why blog from me, Claire Sandys, co-host of The Silent Why podcast. My Why episodes are audio versions of my latest blog post. If you'd prefer to read it, you can find it here: https://www.thesilentwhy.com/post/meetmyfrenemiestheclouds Over the past year I'...

#085.  This episode contains podcast updates, exciting new ventures, an invite to a grief panel I'm appearing on, and general news about The Silent Why . Welcome to another episode from me, Claire Sandys, host of The Silent Why podcast. This one's an update on why I've decided to continue releasing podcast episodes every other week, and it's all linked to an exciting new ventur...

#084. Let's Chat... facing loss and a life-threatening illness, and the effect it can have on your faith. In these Let’s Chat episodes, I (Claire Sandys) chat one-to-one with a guest who has lived experience or expertise in a particular area of grief. In this episode I’m talking to Matt McChlery who is a worship leader, podcaster, author, song-writer, father and husband (among other things),...

#083.  In this episode I'm looking at one of our favourite TV programmes ever; the British comedy, Detectorists. Welcome to The Silent Why, a podcast exploring every type of loss and grief and all the places we find them. I'm Claire Sandys and every now and then, among our regular episodes (exploring 101 types of loss) I like to share another love of mine - fictional storytelling, partic...

#082. Have you ever felt like you didn't have the right to grieve something/someone? Or been through a loss that felt unacknowledged by social norms? Or maybe your loss was minimised or not understood by others. If so, that's disenfranchised grief.  This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around grief, to see if hope can be found in 101 different types of...

#081. Let's Chat... how to find your way with parenting as a widow or widower. In these Let’s Chat episodes, I (Claire Sandys) chat one-to-one with a guest who has lived experience or expertise in a particular area of grief. Today I’m talking to Jeanette Koncikowski, a writer, consultant and grief advocate from Buffalo, New York. In 2014, when she was just 36 years old, Jeanette's husban...

#080. Life is hectic. Sometimes we simply need to stop for a moment. And that’s what this short episode is all about.  Oh, and the beautiful streams in North Wales… Welcome to The Silent Why podcast, here to help you navigate loss and grief, and possibly... find hope.  These new, very short, episodes will pop up every now and then to help you take a moment to check in and see how you're reall...

August can be a tricky month. Whether you have children, don't have children, go on holiday, don't go on holiday - things do shift a bit, and there's a few things happening at The Silent Why HQ that are a bit different too. Welcome to another episode from me, Claire Sandys, host of The Silent Why podcast. This one is a bit of an update on what's happening over the next few week...

Have you ever seen a dead body? I hadn't, until just a few weeks ago. Welcome to another My Why blog from me, Claire Sandys, co-host of The Silent Why podcast. My Why episodes are audio versions of my latest blog post. If you'd prefer to read it, you can find it here: https://www.thesilentwhy.com/post/seeingmyfirstdeadbody A few weeks ago I did some work experience at a Funeral Directors...

#079. Let’s Chat… how to deal with grief and loss in the workplace. In these Let’s Chat episodes, I (Claire Sandys) chat one-to-one with a guest who has lived experience or expertise in a particular area of grief. Today I’m talking to Samantha Langford, from Lincolnshire in the UK, a workplace health and wellbeing consultant from Gaia Workplace Wellbeing Ltd, helping businesses maintain good healt...

#078.  Ever heard of a natural woodland burial? Or considered what it is and how it works? Either way, you're going to find this episode fascinating. This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around loss and grief and see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss. On our recent trip to North Wales we didn't just do some work experience with some fu...

Ever been wiped out by grief? Left bashed, bruised and gasping on the shore? Is it possible to survive these huge waves of grief? This is a subject I'm blogging about because of the lovely Evelyn Calaunan. One of the 'rewards' for supporting me monthly through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesilentwhy is to choose a blog topic for me to mull over and write about, and this one was in...

#077. In this episode, we (Chris & Claire) talk about our one-week break from the podcast recently and what we were up to - and it involved everything from fish to funerals, bodies to bitey flies! Welcome back to The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around loss and grief and see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss. For Loss 41/101 (Loss of life for a...

#076. Let’s Chat… about the ups and downs of life as a Funeral Celebrant in North Wales. In these Let’s Chat episodes, I (Claire Sandys) chat to a guest who has experience or expertise in a particular area that can help us deal with, or prepare for, loss. Today's topic is funerals. In this episode I’m talking to Sarah Boalch, a Funeral Celebrant from North Wales. Sarah runs ‘Ceremonies with P...

I've always loved graveyards, which led to me to create the Graveyard Musings episodes, and now they're back, only this time we've gone international. Welcome to another My Why from me, Claire Sandys, co-host of The Silent Why podcast. My Why episodes are audio shorts of my blog posts. If you'd prefer to read it, you can find it here: thesilentwhy.com/post/graveyardmusingsbelgi...

#075. Life is hectic. Sometimes we simply need to stop for a moment. And that’s what this short episode is all about.  Oh, and birdsong… Welcome to The Silent Why podcast, here to help you navigate loss and grief, and possibly... find hope.  These new, very short, episodes will pop up every now and then to help you take a moment to check in and see how you're really feeling.   6 minutes total...

#074. Imagine being diagnosed with something that brings a huge amount of relief, but at the same time - a huge amount of grief. This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around grief, to see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss. Loss #45 of 101 - Loss through a late diagnosis of ADHD Meet Margaret Reed Roberts from Cambridge, England. Margaret was diag...

#073. Let’s Chat… Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (a.k.a. ADHD) These Let’s Chat episodes are for me (Claire Sandys, host of The Silent Why podcast) chat one-on-one to a guest who has experience or expertise in a particular area that can help us deal with, or prepare for, loss. In this episode, I’m talking to Dr Edward Hallowell (a.k.a. Ned) from Boston, a child and adult psychiatrist, Ha...

We all have triggers, but did you know that there are glimmers out there too? If you didn't, I'm here to help you discover them. Welcome to another My Why from me, Claire Sandys, co-host of The Silent Why podcast.  My Why episodes are audio versions of my latest blog post. If you'd prefer to read it, you can find it here: thesilentwhy.com/post/triggersandglimmers Now, if someone had...

#072. How much harder is it to mourn the loss of a loved one when sex is involved? We're all for honest and open conversations, but how do you have them when multiple taboo subjects are part of the same story? This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around grief and see if hope can be found in 101 different types of permanent loss. Loss #44 of 101 - Loss throug...

#071. Michelle Fishpaw, a mother and teacher, is passionate about National Child Abuse Prevention Month, which falls worldwide in April. In these next 30 minutes you'll find out why.  Let’s Chat episodes are where I (Claire Sandys, host) chat one-on-one to a guest who has experience or expertise in a particular area of loss. And my guest here is Michelle, joining me from her home - where she...

How do we accept, and live with, a life we didn't really want in the first place? Welcome to another My Why blog from me, Claire Sandys, co-host of The Silent Why podcast. My Why episodes are audio shorts of my latest blog post. If you'd prefer to read it, you can find it here: thesilentwhy.com/post/acceptingalifeIdontwant The way I see it, we can end up on two different highways when we...

#070. This week I'm reading your words, instead of mine. If you're anything like me, telling others about the kind words and compliments we receive is uncomfortable. So when I've had lovely feedback about the podcast, instead of making it public and reading it out on the episodes - like a lot of other podcasts do - I've kept it to myself. But no more! Welcome to The Silent Why,...