Grief dates like death days, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and other loss-related days can bring a sense of heaviness and dread to the calendar. And if you're like many grievers, you might be wondering, "What exactly do I DO on a grief anniversary?" In this episode, I'm sharing the five types of grief dates you might be carrying, and six meaningful ways to honor one—plus helpful ways to scale your chosen ritual up or down depending on how much time or energy you have that year.

You'll learn:

• What a grief date is and the five types most grievers carry
• Six simple, doable rituals for honoring a grief or death anniversary
• How to adjust any ritual depending on your energy that year

Get the Printable Grief Dates Calendar PDF: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/store/p/printable-grief-dates-calendar

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

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Get my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

Loss can shake your entire sense of meaning and purpose—especially when the identity, role, or "why" that used to get you up in the morning morning is gone. Today I'm answering a griever's question about finding purpose again after loss and sharing a simple tool for experimenting with new meaning without any pressure to get it right.

You'll learn:

• Why loss changes your relationship with meaning and purpose, not just your daily life
• A helpful "maybe and perhaps" tool for experimenting with new meanings without committing to them
• Why meaning after loss can be good, bad, or neutral—and why all three are normal
• Why believing you manifested your loss isn't true, and where that belief comes from
• Why no one else, no matter how well-meaning, can make meaning for you

Watch my free Grow Through Grief workshop to get two more helpful tools for rebuilding after loss: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/free-workshop

Get my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

Grief doesn't just change you—it changes your friendships too. Today, I'm outlining eight common reasons relationships fracture after loss, plus how to renegotiate connections so they can hold both you and your grief. And, if you're a supporter, I'll share easy, actionable ways to show up without your grieving friend having to reach out first.

You'll learn:

• Why loss creates a gap between grievers and the people who haven't experienced loss ye

• How the "Hidden Grief Clock" and grief comparison quietly strain relationships

• Why it's usually up to grievers to teach others how to show up for them

• How to start setting boundaries and asking for the support you actually need

• What it looks like to be a good friend to someone who's grieving

Take my free two-minute quiz to see if Life After Loss Academy is right for you: https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/66d9d6ed60643d001527c51a

Get my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

After a loss, it's common to criticize yourself for crying too much, forgetting things, or not functioning like you used to. Today I'm teaching one of my students' favorite tools for building instant self-compassion: a simple two-word phrase you can add to anything you're doing throughout your day.

You'll learn:

• The difference between critical and compassionate self-talk after loss
• A simple two-word phrase that instantly softens how you speak to yourself
• The psychology behind why this small linguistic shift actually works
• How this tool fits into the bigger practice of integrating loss into your life

Watch my free Grow Through Grief workshop to get two more helpful tools for rebuilding after loss: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/free-workshop

Get my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

Talking about death, dementia, and end-of-life wishes can feel impossible, until you have the right tools to start. Today I'm joined by Lisa Pahl, owner and co-creator of the Death Deck, the End of Life Deck, and the Dementia Deck, to talk about why these conversations matter and how to actually start having them with the people you love.

You'll learn:

• Why avoiding hard conversations about death and dying doesn't mean you've failed
• How to introduce a hard topic to family or friends who typically avoid it
• What questions can help you understand what someone would want at the end of their life
• Why the person you'd trust most with your final wishes might not be who you expect
• How identifying as a learner, not an expert, can change the way you approach grief and death

Learn more about all three of Lisa's conversation decks and get 20% off your purchase with code GRIEF20: https://thedeathdeck.com/collections/shop-all-decks

Get my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

Anger is one of the most common—and misunderstood—emotions in grief. I'm outlining why anger doesn't have to make sense to be valid, how anger is perceived differently depending on who you are and how you show up in the world, and three practical tools to help you work with your anger instead of fighting it.

You'll learn:

• Why anger doesn't need to be logical or justified to be real
• How anger lives on a spectrum, from micro irritation to full-blown rage
• How anger is perceived and treated differently depending on your gender, culture, age, and identity
• Three helpful tools for coping with anger after loss
• Why anger deserves a place in your grief, not judgment or shame

Take my free two-minute quiz to see if Life After Loss Academy is right for you: https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/66d9d6ed60643d001527c51a

Get my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

There's no such thing as getting "back to normal" after loss, and the world may never feel fully safe again. In this episode, I'm unpacking why grounding in grief isn't about making the world predictable again. It's about learning to trust yourself as the one steady, constant presence in your own life, no matter what keeps shifting around you.

You'll learn:

• Why loss permanently changes your worldview—and why you're not crazy for grieving an old version of "life before"

• Why "getting back to normal" is never a realistic goal for grievers

• Why the world was never as safe as you believed it to be, and what that means now

• How to locate safety and stability within yourself instead of the world around you

• Simple ways to start practicing grounding, even when everything else feels unpredictable

Watch my free Grow Through Grief workshop to see if Life After Loss Academy is right for you: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/free-workshop

Get my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

Lots of people say hurtful things to grievers—not out of cruelty, because they don't know what to say. While their intentions are helpful, their impact can be incredibly painful. I'm breaking down the seven worst phrases people say to grievers, why they miss the mark, and what to say instead using the Of Course I'm Here Right Now framework from my new book of the same name.

You'll learn:

• Why meaning-making statements like "Everything happens for a reason" feel dismissive and oppresive
• How vague phrases like "Sorry for your loss" leave grievers feeling unseen
• Why toxic positivity and "at least" statements bury grief instead of honoring it
• How silence—saying nothing at all—is often the most painful response of all
• Simple, adaptable scripts you can use right now for any type of loss

Get my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

If you've ever asked, "Is it even possible to come back to life after loss?"—this episode is for you. You'll get an honest answer to one of grief's most common and urgent questions, plus a practical 5-step framework for rebuilding after any devastating loss, regardless of what you've lost or how long ago it happened.

You'll learn:

• Why coming back to life after loss isn't a shiny comeback story—and what rebuilding actually looks like
• How to feel stable and safe again when grief makes everything feel uncertain and untethered
• Why giving grief a place to go—through ritual and intentional release—creates relief and space to heal
• How to carry your loss forward into the future without leaving it behind
• How to set grief-honoring boundaries and identify the people who can actually support you
• How to find glimpses of peace and joy again while living with grief long-term

Take my free quiz to find out if Life After Loss Academy is right for you: https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/66d9d6ed60643d001527c51a

Get my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

When you love someone through a long illness, grief comes long before death does. Today, therapist and widower Gordon Brewer shares what 13 years of caregiving, anticipatory grief, and loss taught him—including why men often struggle most with the parts of caregiving they can never fix.

You'll learn:

• Why caregiving can feel like continual surrender—especially for men socialized to protect and fix
• What anticipatory grief actually looks like from inside a long-term illness
• How being a grief professional doesn't protect you from the pain of personal loss
• How faith, spirituality, and your relationship with god can change with grief
• What to do when grief unexpectedly pops up—and how to "ride the waves"

Learn more about Gordon and listen to his podcast The Practice of Therapy: https://practiceoftherapy.com/

Get my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast