Martika's mom struggled with substance abuse her whole life, and it affected their relationship. In 2020, Martika lost her mom. They were in a healing place when she passed. Since then, Martika has learned a lot navigating through her grief.

Martika's Take-Away: Grief is a process. There is no timeframe, and no right or wrong way to do it. Give yourself grace to feel it. There is vulnerability in strength. Take your time and be patient with yourself. 

All of our stories are important! If you have a story to share, please send an email to [email protected]. You don't have to be a DWOM to share your story. All are welcome!

For more information on my thoughts on grief, please visit my website, www.yourgriefjourney.com

Chiomah lost her mum suddenly in 2009, a couple of years after losing her Dad. She thought her Dad's loss was hard (she was a daddy's girl) but nothing prepared her for the loss of her Mum. She was shattered and for the first time understood what depression was.

Since losing both of her parents, Chiomah is determined to use her gifts to help humanity and share with others. She is a multi-talented professional; a public sector lawyer, a family and parenting advocate, a blogger and an author.

Here are all of the places you can find Chiomah:

YOUTUBE https://youtube.com/@ChiomahMomah

INSTAGRAM https://instagram.com/Chiomahmomah

WEBSITE  https://chiomahmomah.com/

PODCAST    https://podcasts.apple.com/ng/podcast/chiomahs-blog/id1516688576

BOOKS   https://www.amazon.com/Books-Chioma-Momah/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AChioma+Momah

Chiomah's Take-Away: God uses humans to reach other humans. Keep reaching out to people. If you think of them, reach out to them. Share and show love to people. 

All of our stories are important! If you have a story to share, please send an email to [email protected]. You don't have to be a DWOM to share your story. All are welcome!

For more information on my thoughts on grief, please visit my website, www.yourgriefjourney.com

To kick off Season 3, I wanted to share an update to my journey. I recently met my mom's cousin, who found boxes of my mom's things and wanted to share them with me. It's been almost 40 years since I've had contact with anyone from my mom's family, and this was such a blessing. During that trip, I also got to see the friends that took us in when my mom was dying. I'm so grateful to have people who treat me like family, all the time, every time. And then I finished the year with a face-plant on an icy street in Philadelphia. You just can't make this stuff up. 

All of our stories are important! If you have a story to share, please send an email to [email protected]. You don't have to be a DWOM to share your story. All are welcome!

For more information on my thoughts on grief, please visit my website, www.yourgriefjourney.com

Rachelle's mom died from cystic fibrosis when she was two. Her dad remarried and she also died from cystic fibrosis when Rachelle was 6.

Rachelle didn't understand what she'd lost until she became a mom herself. When she became a mom, she couldn't understand why her daughter always called for her. She realized that she needed help with processing her early loss and what it meant to be a mother. 

Rachelle's Take-Away: Be kind and have grace for yourself and for those around you. We are all on a journey and all come with a story.

All of our stories are important! If you have a story to share, please send an email to [email protected]. You don't have to be a DWOM to share your story. All are welcome!

For more information on my thoughts on grief, please visit my website, www.yourgriefjourney.com

Since this is episode 44, my nephew Chris and I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the reel he made. He created it as his mom’s diagnosis day was nearing, and he saw a trend on TikTok that tugged at his heart. I asked if I could share it on Daughters Without Moms. He said yes, and it went viral. 

All of our stories are important! If you have a story to share, please send an email to [email protected]. You don't have to be a DWOM to share your story. All are welcome!

For more information on my thoughts on grief, please visit my website, www.yourgriefjourney.com

A week before Rupa gave birth to her first child, her mother had emergency brain cancer surgery. After that moment she was sadly muted and passed away soon thereafter.  

After a couple of years of grappling with that trauma - and the journey of motherhood without her mother - Rupa took that pain and wrote 100 poems about parenthood/childhood from both her and her daughter's perspectives. In turn, her book "someone calls me mommy" was born and has been very well received by moms and children alike.

Rupa is generously offering listeners 10% off her book! Use code DWOM at checkout: someonecallsmemommy.com

Rupa's Instagram handle: @rupa_mommy

Rupa's Take-Away: If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven't been in bed with a mosquito. You can make such a difference.

All of our stories are important! If you have a story to share, please send an email to [email protected]. You don't have to be a DWOM to share your story. All are welcome!

For more information on my thoughts on grief, please visit my website, www.yourgriefjourney.com

Shaelyn's mom passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack in October of 2021, when Shaelyn was 25 years old. Her mom was her only parent, and Shaelyn was co-raised by her mom's parents (grandma and grandpa) for a long time. Shaelyn felt like she lost her mom twice.

Shaelyn is a musician and you can find her on YouTube (youtube.com/c/ShaelynAvalon) or iTunes (music.apple.com/us/artist/shaelyn-avalon/948358090). The song she talked about in the podcast, My Time, will be released soon. You can find her on Instagram: @shaelynavalon

Shaelyn's Take-Away: Every grief experience is different. While I'm grieving my mom, my grandparents are grieving a daughter. It's not going to look the same for everybody, but don't be hard on somebody just because they are not processing it the same way you are. 

All of our stories are important! If you have a story to share, please send an email to [email protected]. You don't have to be a DWOM to share your story. All are welcome!

For more information on my thoughts on grief, please visit my website, www.yourgriefjourney.com

Tiffany's mom died when she was 28 years old, and she felt like she had done a good bit of healing.  Then she became a mom herself and it really brought out a new sense of grief of needing and missing her mother.

During the podcast, we discuss Amber Bradbury's book If Grandma Were Here

Tiffany's Take-Away: Give yourself permission to grieve; it's okay to grieve. Let yourself feel the feelings. Try to remember that your loved one would want you to be happy. Try to keep going for them.

All of our stories are important! If you have a story to share, please send an email to [email protected]. You don't have to be a DWOM to share your story. All are welcome!

Would you like to talk about your grief journey? Sign up for a complimentary Connection Call by sending an email to [email protected]

For more information on my thoughts on grief, please visit my website, www.yourgriefjourney.com

Amy feels like cancer has been in her life forever. Her mom was first diagnosed with breast cancer when Amy was 12. After successful chemo and radiation treatments, her mom was cancer-free for 20 years. Then she got sick again with a recurrence of breast cancer. This type of cancer was treatable by a hormone blocker and she recovered quickly. A third diagnosis of cancer had a much different outcome.

Amy is a Palliative Care Liaison and is passionate about helping patients have conversations about treatment goals and educating the medical staff about how they can help them too. Please be an advocate for palliative care for yourself and your family!

Amy's Take-Away: Be kind and gentle with yourself. If you feel guilty because you are crying too much much, or crying too little, don't worry about it. We are all just trying to get through it. Lean on people and ask for help when you can. Find support online and follow pages that align with what you are going through. 

All of our stories are important! If you have a story to share, please send an email to [email protected]. You don't have to be a DWOM to share your story. All are welcome!

Would you like to talk about your grief journey? Sign up for a complimentary Connection Call by sending an email to [email protected]

For more information on my thoughts on grief, please visit my website, www.yourgriefjourney.com

Note: This episode includes discussion about eating disorders.

Skylar is a fatherless daughter. Her dad, Kenny, died of cancer when she was 11 years old. She found dieting as a way to numb her feelings, and now recognizes that her eating disorder was part of her grieving. Today, Skylar practices intuitive eating, which has helped her learn how to tolerate her feelings.

Skylar is an anti-diet culture writer, sharing her thoughts on recovery, grief, and radical self-compassion. You can find Skylar on Instagram @nocryingincooking and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theresnocryingincooking.

Skylar's Take-Away: Pain is okay. It is okay to hurt; our feelings want to be felt. Also, find someone who speaks your language. Someone who can say "I get it."

All of our stories are important! If you have a story to share, please send an email to [email protected]. You don't have to be a DWOM to share your story. All are welcome!

Would you like to talk about your grief journey? Sign up for a complimentary Connection Call by sending an email to [email protected]

For more information on my thoughts on grief, please visit my website, www.yourgriefjourney.com