After her brother was killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan in 2009, Annie Sklaver Orenstein was heartbroken and unmoored. Standing in the grief section of her local bookstore, she searched for guides on how to work through her grief as a mourning sibling — and found nothing.

Annie shares how alone she felt in her grief, driving her to write Always a Sibling: The Forgotten Mourner's Guide to Grief. We explore why sibling grief often goes unacknowledged and how siblings navigate the complex journey of mourning while their grief is frequently overshadowed by parental loss.

The conversation delves into the unique challenges siblings face, from being expected to care for grieving parents to struggling with finding joy again. Annie shares personal insights about discovering her brother's journals, experiencing signs from beyond, and learning that it's possible to hold both grief and joy simultaneously.

You'll learn:

• The importance of gluten-free meatballs or a cozy throw
• Why grief isn't a pie
• What do about the aftershock of joy
• Whether you should read your sibling's private journals or letters after they're gone
• How you might recognize signs from your sibling and find comfort in unexpected places
• And so much more

Learn more about Annie:
Annie's website
Instagram

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"This is my go-to podcast for inspiration and to discover new approaches to embrace the challenges in my life." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me reach more people -- just like you -- find strategies and insights to do the things that feel undoable. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. Follow now!

Sign up for my newsletter and learn more about these remarkable stories at www.jessicafeinstories.com

Order Jessica's memoir, Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes

Watch Jessica's TedX Talk

Music credit: Limitless by Bells