Do you consider grief to be a 4-letter word? I think it is, but probably not the 4-letter word you are thinking. I'd love to hear your thoughts after you listen!

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 here: https://calendly.com/daughterswithoutmoms/30-minute-connection-call

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

Michelle's mom suffered with schizoaffective disorder, which made her a complicated woman and mother. Since her mom passed in 2013, Michelle has learned even more about her mom and at times it has left her feeling guilty about how she felt about her mom over the years of their relationship. Michelle is currently writing a memoir, and you can find more information about the Michelle and her memoir at www.michellehodgson.com.

Michelle's take-away: Everyone grieves in their own way. Don't be afraid to laugh, humor is so important! Don't be hard on yourself if your journey doesn't look like everyone else's. 

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 here: https://calendly.com/daughterswithoutmoms/30-minute-connection-call

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

June 12, 2022 was the date of the 50th Annual American Cancer Society’s Bridge to the Beach Bike-A-Thon. It was my 2nd year riding 67 miles in honor of my sister, mom and many others who have had and do have cancer. 

To be honest, after the ride was done, I went in to a funk for a couple of days. I think it is normal after you look forward to a big event for so long and then it comes and is over.

As I spent the next few days reflecting on our bike ride, I realized how many similarities there were to our day of riding and my sister’s cancer journey. And I want to share that with you.

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 here: https://calendly.com/daughterswithoutmoms/30-minute-connection-call

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

Today I'm re-sharing my thoughts on loss, shame and a pandemic. I wrote a blog about this in January of 2021 (yourgriefjourney.com/2021/01/27/the-grief-and-shame-of-2020), and this podcast was originally aired in May of 2021. 

It's a topic I'm passionate about and have done a lot of research on how the pandemic has amplified our feelings of loss and shame. I also discuss toxic positivity and social comparison, and provide a few ideas of what we can do in the midst of all of the heaviness.

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 here: https://calendly.com/daughterswithoutmoms/30-minute-connection-call

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

Unnati is a bereaved daughter from India, who lost her mother to cancer when she was 16. She shares about how she has dealt with this grief while in a grief negligent society and having no support. 

Unnati's Take-Away: Grief can also affect you mentally and physically. You have to face the reality of your loss, and allow yourself to feel and accept your grief. Denying it only makes it worse.

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 here: https://calendly.com/daughterswithoutmoms/30-minute-connection-call

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

Rebecca and Katie first shared on the podcast in June of 2021. I'm sharing it again, because it's important to recognize that if you are a caregiver, you experience the loss of that role in addition to the physical loss of your loved one. It can be a lot to handle. 

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 here: https://calendly.com/daughterswithoutmoms/30-minute-connection-call

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

In addition to being a DWOM, I'm also a daughter without a dad. My dad died in July of 2018. His birthday is coming up this week, followed by Father's Day. In this episode, I share more of the story of my dad. He was a man of few words, and I loved him with all of my heart. I still do.

My take-away: Are you being realistic in your expectation of your relationship with your own dad? With your mom? With your siblings? There comes a time in our life where we have to stop and think about what standard we are holding our relationships to. Are they even realistic or feasible? If you are constantly disappointed in a relationship with a family member, perhaps it's time to review your expectations. 

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 here: https://calendly.com/daughterswithoutmoms/30-minute-connection-call

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

This podcast is a safe place to share stories of grief, hope and resilience. Karalyn was diagnosed with anorexia when she was 14. As an athlete, she did a good job of hiding it for a while. But once she was "caught", she knew she was scared and needed help. She couldn't stop what she was doing because she was addicted to her disordered eating, and felt like she didn't know who she was without it.

Karalyn's Take-Away: You are not alone. Please reach out to others for help. There are people and places that can help you. Please visit www.nationaleatingdisorders.org for more resources. 

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 here: https://calendly.com/daughterswithoutmoms/30-minute-connection-call

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

Sadie's dad passed away when she was 11. He was in Turks and Caicos with his friends and dislocated his shoulder. He went to the hospital and they gave him a pain medication he was allergic to. He was med-flighted back home and was in a coma for a week but ultimately the brain damage was too much. Sadie struggled a lot with this throughout middle and high school, with not having people to relate to!

Sadie's Take-Away: Don't bury your emotions. It will just make it harder in the long run. If you feel like you have no one to talk to, try journaling, a grief group, a counselor, or go to Instagram and find an account you relate to. 

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 here: https://calendly.com/daughterswithoutmoms/30-minute-connection-call

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

Reid's dad died by suicide in 2006, and his stepdad died from cancer in 2016. When his stepdad died, Reid thought he was good because he'd already experienced the loss of his father 10 years earlier. He couldn't have been more wrong, and struggled with loneliness throughout the journey to healing and integration again.

From this experience, Reid felt a calling to help the grieving find peace and purpose after loss. He is the Founder and Content Creator of the Grief Refuge App. You can find more about the app, and Reid, on their website: www.griefrefuge.com. He also hosts the Grief Refuge podcast, which features reflective conversations and helpful information about grief, loss, and managing the process. You can follow him on social media by searching for @griefrefuge. 

Reid's Take-Away: If you're grieving and you are in deep despair, and you recognize repetitive self-defeating thoughts, you have the power to choose if you are going to believe those thoughts. There is power in that choice. 

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 here: https://calendly.com/daughterswithoutmoms/30-minute-connection-call

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