Grief Dreams Podcast

In this guest update episode we talk with Rebecca MacDonald from episode 109. Rebecca is a self-taught keepsake artist working and living in Ontario with her husband and dog. Since immigrating to Canada in 2009, Rebecca has experienced loss many times. The passing of her grandfather in 2014 meant the loss of a loved one and a source of inspiration in her life. His courage and compassion continue to drive her to help others with their grief. Through the creation of custom jewellery and keepsakes, Rebecca seeks to provide comfort and connection to those experiencing loss. 

In this episode we talk about changing her business name since being on the podcast, changing residence because of the pandemic, self-care during the pandemic, the recent death anniversary of her grandfather, and a new grief dream of her grandfather.

Rebecca's work can be found on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook

@comfortconnects or on www.comfortconnects.com  

We rereleased this episode (E109) as our next episode features an update on the guest.

Rebecca MacDonald is a self-taught memorial jewelry artist working and living in Ontario with her husband and dog. Since immigrating to Canada 10 years ago, Rebecca has experienced loss many times as she moved throughout the country. Her grandfather has been a huge inspiration in her life and dealing with his passing from the other side of the Atlantic ocean has been one of her biggest struggles so far. By fostering connections with animals, she has also been able to connect with others. Through her work, she is learning how to manage her grief while helping others with their loss through her jewelry making.

In this episode we talk about her immigration from Ireland, her love of pets, starting her business making memorial jewelry, the death of her dog and grandfather, and a grief dream of her grandfather.

Rebecca’s work can be found on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook @comfortconnects or on www.comfortconnects.com  

Lisa Keefauver spent the past 2 decades as a clinical social worker and narrative therapist. She witnessed first hand the unnecessary suffering of so many individuals because their families, communities, and culture weren’t supporting them in their grief. And then, it happened to her too. At 40, Lisa became a widow. In 2011, her husband Eric died in her arms, leaving her a single mother to their 7 year-old daughter. Just a few years later, she was by the bedside of a close friend when he succumbed to the ravages of Muscular Dystrophy. Lisa is the Founder & CEO of Reimagining Grief and host of the podcast, Grief is a Sneaky B!tch.

In this episode we talk about collective grief during the pandemic, reframing the concept of productivity, sitting with your emotions, the death of her husband and friend, and grief dreams of them.

You can find more about Lisa at https://reimagininggrief.com/

Dr. Sharon Prentice is a psychotherapist and spiritual counselor whose work focuses on helping patients process the grief of losing a loved one. Becoming Starlight is her memoir of healing from the devastating loss of her daughter and husband. She experienced a unique spiritual experience, known as a Shared Death Experience (SDE), which gave her a peek into foreverness and a sense of peace that was otherworldly.

In this episode we talk about meeting her husband, her pregnancy with her daughter, the death of both of them, her Shared Death Experience, and grief dreams of her daughter and husband.

For more information on Sharon, please visit https://sharonprentice.com 

Lisa Bonneville has been volunteering and working in palliative care for about 7 years and her current work life includes a hospice, a funeral home, and caring for palliative Catholic Nuns. She currently holds certificates in Thanatology, as a Death Doula, and as a personal support worker.

In this episode we talk about life during the pandemic, changing her life path, the death of her grandma, uncle, and friend, funerals and grieving during the pandemic, her grief dreams, and her mother’s and uncle’s grief dreams.

You can find her Facebook Group here: Loss and Grief During COVID-19

In this guest update episode we talk with Molly Schultz from Episode 82. Molly is a stay at home mom of 6 kids all under the age of 8 (she added one since her last episode). Additionally, she blogs about her journey at www.triedandtruemama.com and through her Instagram @triedandtruemama.

In this episode we talk about her newest child (Bowie), her grief from the death of her father since last coming on, grief dreams before and after the birth of Bowie, and caring for children during the pandemic.

We rereleased this episode (E82) as our next episode features an update on the guest.

Molly Schultz is a stay at home mom of 5 kids under the age of 6. Molly’s dad was diagnosed with pancreatic just a few months after her twins were born. Before he died, he signed over custody of his son (Molly’s half-brother) Easton to her. Molly recently started a blog this summer to document the grief journey she walks through with her kids, as well as the everyday life of her young family. In this episode we talk about raising 5 kids, the death of her father, her grief journey, and her 2 grief dreams.

Here is a link to the blog post Molly wrote on her Grief Dreams https://www.triedandtruemama.com/blog/grief-dreams

You can find her blog at www.triedandtruemama.com and follow along with her at @triedandtruemama on Instagram and Facebook.

Becky Aud-Jennison had a lengthy career in human services, starting as a nurses aide, then nurse, then clinical mental health professional and mind-body practitioner. In 2018 Becky created The Death Dialogues Project with an aim of getting conversations surrounding dying, death, grief and the aftermath out of the closet.

In this episode we talk about cultural differences between USA and New Zealand, the death of her brother, having a good death, creating The Death Dialogues Project, continuing bonds with her brother and mother, grief dreams of her father, mom, brother, and Ram Dass.

You can find more about The Death Dialogues Project at www.deathdialolgues.net and on Instagram and Facebook.

Andrea Wilson Woods is a writer who loves to tell stories, and a patient advocate who founded the nonprofit Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association. Andrea is the CEO and co-founder of Cancer University, a for-profit, social-benefit, digital health company. With Cancer U, Andrea synergizes her talents of coaching, writing, teaching, and advocacy. Andrea obtained her master’s degree in professional writing from the University of Southern California; her nonfiction writing has won national awards. Her newest book is a medical memoir titled Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days. 

In this episode we talk about her life as a sister/legal guardian, her sister/daughter’s depression and cancer journey, her new book, giving her loved one a good death, meeting a stranger at her loved one's gravesite, and grief dreams of her. 

You can find more about Andrea here: betteroffbald.com, bluefaery.org, cancer.university

If you use the promo code: GRIEFDREAMS at cancer.university, you will receive a free lifetime membership to Cancer University

Janna Lopez has over 25 years in media, communications, and editorial endeavors. She has spent the last ten years as owner, publisher and editor of several regional magazines. As a word enthusiast, she's helped multi-million dollar companies craft their stories, and currently leads workshops and coaches clients about midlife identity loss and grief. She is the author of the new book, Me, My Selfie, & Eye: A Midlife Conversation about Lost Identity, Grief, and Seeing Who You Are.

In this episode we talk about midlife identify loss and grief, her midlife issues (grandmother loss, divorce, and job loss), reflecting on her own mortality, who are we beyond roles, her new book, a grief dream of her grandmother, and a dream during her midlife issues.

To know more about Janna visit www.jannalopez.com