Guest Michelle Hord joined host Lisa Keefauver to kick off Season 7 of Grief is a Sneaky Bitch podcast. Michelle knows that behind every tragic headline are real people experiencing real pain from catastrophic loss. As she shared in our Season 5 conversation on Grief is a Sneaky Bitch podcast, soon after she filed for divorce, her husband murdered their 7-year-old daughter, Gabrielle. She faced the unbearable pain of being a bereaved mother while grappling with the shocking actions of someone she once loved. As a producer for Good Morning America, she endured it all in the public eye. In this episode, we explore her latest O Magazine essay, There Are No Words—But Here's What We Owe the Grieving Anyway, inspired by the tragic murder of Rob and Michelle Reiner.

KEY MOMENTS:

02:24 Harmful Grief Beliefs in Society

05:05 The Myth of Fixing Grief

09:34 Invasive Questions and Grief Thieves

12:57 The Othering Effect in Grief

14:30 Protecting Your Heart in Grief

18:10 The Power of Presence

26:57 Understanding the Complexity of Grief

30:03 The Impact of Speculation on Grief

32:00 Complexity of Loss and Grief

34:44 Self-Care for Supporters of the Grieving

38:39 Understanding Resilience and Joy

44:44 Finding Joy in Art and Service

49:23 Grief in the Workplace and Organizational Culture

58:04 The Interconnectedness of Grief and Healing

ABOUT GUEST:

Michelle Hord is a consultant, facilitator, and keynote speaker who helps leaders navigate change, strengthen psychological safety, and build resilient, inclusive workplace cultures. With more than 30 years in media leadership and corporate talent development, she brings a storyteller’s lens and an operator’s discipline to the way organizations communicate, lead, and care for their people. Her book, The Other Side of Yet, is a recipient of the 2023 Christopher Award and the 2023 Memoir Magazine Grand Prize. Michelle is the founder of Gabrielle’s Wings, a nonprofit serving elementary-aged children in historically underserved communities named in her daughter's memory.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MICHELLE: https://michelledhord.com/

READ BOOK: The Other Side of Yet https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-other-side-of-yet-finding-light-in-the-midst-of-darkness-michelle-d-hord/42ad0b5d5d0bdb6f

READ ESSAY: There are No Words - But Here's What We Owe The Grieving Anyway https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a69822675/rob-reiner-unthinkable-tragedy/

ABOUT THE SHOW & HOST:

Lisa Keefauver is an author, keynote speaker, social worker, widow, assault & cancer survivor turned grief activist on a mission to help us center aliveness in a world full of loss by reimagining the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LISA: at https://lisakeefauver.com/

READ BOOK: Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. https://bookshop.org/p/books/grief-is-a-sneaky-bitch-an-uncensored-guide-to-navigating-loss-lisa-keefauver/ffd73d6b6921e6b5?ean=9781477329306&next=t&

READ ESSAYS: AFGO with Lisa Keefauver on Substack - https://afgowithlisakeefauver.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

EPISODE THEMES:

#grief #loss #resilience #joy #presence #trauma #healing #community #workplace #compassion #griefsupport #griefandloss #tragedy #murder

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