Susan is accompanied to today's episode by the award-winning coach and speaker, Jane Duncan Rogers who says "I was devastated when my husband died – this was not in our plans! My greatest fear had come true, my life had completely changed, I was on my own again at age 54, too young to be an old widow, but too old to be a young one. However, little did I know that three years on I would be publishing a book called Gifted By Grief. How could I be gifted by this terrible loss? And yet I was – and that has led me directly to what I do now"

Jane's background of 25 years in the psychotherapeutic and training field has been perfect for the not-for-profit she now runs, Before I Go Solutions. Together with her team of trained End of Life Planning Facilitators, she offers products and programs to help people complete their end-of-life plans, something 90% say is essential. Still, only 14% actually do anything formal about it.

She lives in the north of Scotland, got married again in between lockdowns, and she and her new husband are building not only a new life but a new eco-house together.

Key Takeaways:

• Jane shares her grief story.
• Jane and her husband, diagnosed with terminal cancer, reached a point where they were grateful for the disease and the closeness in their relationship they achieved as a result.
• Jane describes how difficult, but also helpful, it was to answer a list of questions with her husband about certain decisions to be taken after his death.
• Jane shares how she found gifts in grieving which motivated her to write her book: Gifted by Grief: A True Story of Cancer, Loss, and Rebirth.
• Jane talks about end-of-life planning and what are the most important things people should know.
• Jane points out the importance of taking care of secrets in advance and making a conscious choice about how you want your loved ones to find out about them after you passed.

Resources

Tendrilsofgrief.com

Email Susan: [email protected]

Meet Jane Duncan Rogers

Jane Duncan Rogers on Facebook

Jane Duncan Rogers on LinkedIn

Before I Go Solutions on Facebook and Twitter

Gifted By Grief: A True Story of Cancer, Loss, and Rebirth, by Jane Duncan Rogers