The Mourning Coffee Podcast

What happens when your child is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and how do you even begin to navigate life after losing them?

This week on The Mourning Coffee Podcast, I'm joined by Jonathan (Jon) and Jenn Wall, who lost their 16-year-old son, Zach, to osteosarcoma in November 2021.

We talk about Zach's big personality, the realities of parenting a child with terminal cancer, the importance of pediatric palliative care, and the grief that follows the death of a child.

Jon and Jenn also share why they founded Zach's Bridge, a nonprofit connecting families facing advanced pediatric cancer and bereavement with parents who've been through similar experiences. We discuss Zach's Rules for Life, the lessons their son taught them that continue to guide their lives and their work.

It's an honest conversation about child loss, finding support, helping other families, and keeping our children's memories alive.

Learn more about Zach's Bridge, request peer support, or find out how to help: https://zachsbridge.org

#ChildLoss #GriefSupport #PediatricCancer #Osteosarcoma #TheMourningCoffeePodcast


If this channel helps you and you’d like to support it, here are ways to keep it going:

BUY BROOKE'S BOOK: Grief Sucks (But Your Life Doesn't Have To) visit: https://a.co/d/iFy7sLz

MAKE A DONATION: buymeacoffee.com/brookecarlock
Find out more about Brooke: https://brookecarlock.org

To read about Libby and help our nonprofit, visit livelikelibby.org.

What happens when you understand why someone died, but that understanding doesn't make the grief any easier?

This week on The Mourning Coffee Podcast, I'm talking with Suzanne Sherman, author of Living in the Long Shadow: Surviving a Legacy of Mental Illness.

Suzanne was just four years old when her mother developed schizophrenia, and eighteen when she lost her mother to suicide. We talk about growing up with a parent struggling with serious mental illness, the complicated grief that followed her death, and how writing her memoir helped Suzanne better understand her mother and their relationship.

It's an honest conversation about suicide loss, compassion, forgiveness, and the love that remains even after someone dies.

Learn more about Suzanne and her book: https://suzannesherman.com

#SuicideLoss #GriefSupport #MentalHealthAwareness #TheMourningCoffeePodcast


If this channel helps you and you’d like to support it, here are ways to keep it going:

BUY BROOKE'S BOOK: Grief Sucks (But Your Life Doesn't Have To) visit: https://a.co/d/iFy7sLz

MAKE A DONATION: buymeacoffee.com/brookecarlock
Find out more about Brooke: https://brookecarlock.org

To read about Libby and help our nonprofit, visit livelikelibby.org.

Why does grief make even the simplest everyday tasks feel exhausting?

This week on The Mourning Coffee Podcast, I'm talking with Dr. Rondalyn Whitney, occupational therapist, researcher, and author of Habits of Widows and All the Lies in the Afterlife.

After losing her husband in a sudden car accident, Rondalyn began looking at grief through a different lens: as an occupation. We talk about rebuilding routines, finding your identity after loss, learning to care for yourself, and why getting back to "normal" isn't necessarily the goal.

A fascinating conversation filled with practical advice for navigating life after loss.

Learn more about Rondalyn: https://rondalynwhitney.com

#GriefSupport #LifeAfterLoss #GriefJourney #Widowhood #TheMourningCoffeePodcast


If this channel helps you and you’d like to support it, here are ways to keep it going:

BUY BROOKE'S BOOK: Grief Sucks (But Your Life Doesn't Have To) visit: https://a.co/d/iFy7sLz

MAKE A DONATION: buymeacoffee.com/brookecarlock
Find out more about Brooke: https://brookecarlock.org

To read about Libby and help our nonprofit, visit livelikelibby.org.

What happens when the grief you've been preparing for becomes reality? This week on The Mourning Coffee Podcast, I'm talking with Gary Nadeau, author of I Love You Mostest, about losing his 25-year-old son, Bradlee, the lessons Brad taught him about living through unimaginable challenges, and how mindfulness helped Gary navigate life before and after his son's death.

To find out more about Gary, visit www.booksbygarynadeau.com

If this channel helps you and you’d like to support it, here are ways to keep it going:

BUY BROOKE'S BOOK: Grief Sucks (But Your Life Doesn't Have To) visit: https://a.co/d/iFy7sLz

MAKE A DONATION: buymeacoffee.com/brookecarlock
Find out more about Brooke: https://brookecarlock.org

To read about Libby and help our nonprofit, visit livelikelibby.org.

In this episode, Brooke Carlock speaks with author Marcy Kelly about her deeply personal memoir, The Porcelain Heart, which chronicles the first year after her son's unexpected death. They explore grief, memory, and ways to honor loved ones while navigating loss.

Visit https://http://marcykelly.net/

If this channel helps you and you’d like to support it, here are ways to keep it going:

BUY BROOKE'S BOOK: Grief Sucks (But Your Life Doesn't Have To) visit: https://a.co/d/iFy7sLz

MAKE A DONATION: buymeacoffee.com/brookecarlock
Find out more about Brooke: https://brookecarlock.org

To read about Libby and help our nonprofit, visit livelikelibby.org.

Keywords:
grief, loss, memoir, parenting, mental health, healing, remembrance, personal stories, coping strategies, emotional resilience

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Marcy Kelly and her memoir
01:59 The sudden loss of Michael and initial reactions
05:12 The long wait for autopsy results and its emotional toll
08:56 The importance of talking about the deceased
12:04 Digital legacy and accessing loved ones' information
14:57 Guilt and questioning after a loved one's death
19:59 The ongoing nature of grief and living with loss
24:56 Honoring Michael through scholarships and memorials
30:01 Advice for others navigating early grief
35:03 The significance of sharing memories and stories

On this week’s episode of The Mourning Coffee Podcast, I sat down with Richard Lynch Jr. for a raw and honest conversation about grief, trauma, addiction, men’s mental health, incarceration, and rebuilding a life after rock bottom.

Richard shares his personal story of losing his father to suicide, struggling with addiction, serving prison time, and ultimately finding purpose helping others through recovery and grief work.

We also talk about emotional suppression in men, trauma responses, healing, and why “lean on your people” became such an important message in his life.

Follow Richard on social media at #leanonyourpeople

If this channel helps you and you’d like to support it, here are ways to keep it going:

BUY MY BOOK: Grief Sucks (But Your Life Doesn't Have To) visit: https://a.co/d/iFy7sLz

MAKE A DONATION: buymeacoffee.com/brookecarlock
Find out more about Brooke: https://brookecarlock.org


To read about Libby and help our nonprofit, visit livelikelibby.org.

This Sunday on The Mourning Coffee Podcast, I’m sitting down with Dawn Michele Jackson, Advanced Grief Recovery Method Specialist, registered nurse of 30+ years, speaker, and author -- and this conversation goes beyond what we usually think of as “grief.”

We’re talking about the kinds of grief that don’t always get acknowledged… like divorce, trauma, addiction in families, empty nesting, and even pet loss. The losses that don’t come with casseroles or sympathy cards, but still completely shake your world.

To find out more about Dawn, visit: https://www.dawnmichelejackson.com/

If this channel helps you and you’d like to support it, here are ways to keep it going:

BUY MY BOOK: Grief Sucks (But Your Life Doesn't Have To) visit: https://a.co/d/iFy7sLz

MAKE A DONATION: buymeacoffee.com/brookecarlock
Find out more about Brooke: https://brookecarlock.org


To read about Libby and help our nonprofit, visit livelikelibby.org.

In this episode of The Mourning Coffee Podcast, I’m joined by Brooke Shearer, creator of Trauma Uncensored, for a raw and honest conversation about child loss, trauma, and what healing actually looks like.

Brooke shares the story of losing her son Logan to a distracted driver, the long road to justice, and how she’s learning to live, heal, and even thrive after unimaginable loss. We also talk about suicidal thoughts in grief, nervous system overload, and why doing the real work matters.

Find Brooke at https://www.instagram.com/superscherizmo/

If this channel helps you and you’d like to support it, here are ways to keep it going:

BUY MY BOOK: Grief Sucks (But Your Life Doesn't Have To) visit: https://a.co/d/iFy7sLz

MAKE A DONATION: buymeacoffee.com/brookecarlock
Find out more about Brooke: https://brookecarlock.org


To read about Libby and help our nonprofit, visit livelikelibby.org.

In this episode of The Mourning Coffee Podcast, I’m talking with bestselling author and teen mental health advocate A.S. King, but this conversation is also deeply personal.

Amy’s daughter, Gracie, was my student.

Gracie died by suicide in 2018, and I'm excited to talk with Amy about what it’s like to live in that reality while continuing to advocate for the very teens she writes for and fights for every day.

For more information about Amy, visit: https://www.as-king.com/

For more information about Gracie's House, visit: gracieshouse.com

If this channel helps you and you’d like to support it, here are ways to keep it going:

BUY MY BOOK: Grief Sucks (But Your Life Doesn't Have To) visit: https://a.co/d/iFy7sLz

MAKE A DONATION: buymeacoffee.com/brookecarlock
Find out more about Brooke: https://brookecarlock.org


To read about Libby and help our nonprofit, visit livelikelibby.org.

In this episode of The Mourning Coffee Podcast, I’m talking with Ashley Olivia Nelson, grief and identity specialist and author of The Identity Reset -- and wow, this conversation hit.

We’re getting into something that not enough people talk about in grief: not just losing someone you love, but losing the version of yourself you used to be.

Ashley is a multiple-loss survivor and twice widowed, and she shares her story along with some incredibly helpful ways to understand identity loss, those “invisible losses” (like the life you thought you’d have), and why everything can feel so disorienting after loss.

You can find Ashley and her book The Identity Reset wherever books are sold, or at this link: https://amzn.to/4clQCkq

Learn more here: learningaboutgrief.com.

If this channel helps you and you’d like to support it, here are ways to keep it going:

BUY MY BOOK: Grief Sucks (But Your Life Doesn't Have To) visit: https://a.co/d/iFy7sLz

MAKE A DONATION: buymeacoffee.com/brookecarlock
Find out more about Brooke: https://brookecarlock.org

To read about Libby and help our nonprofit, visit livelikelibby.org.