What About Grief?

Hard to believe it has been a full year since the launch of this podcast, which started as a way for Larry to try to help others, and himself, begin to understand grief.  Along with his producer Marcia Anderson, they cue up just some of the great advice, perspectives, fearlessness and vulnerability their guests brought to each episode, never failing to surprise and move us over the past 12-months. 

The loss of a child at any age is devastating and the emotional pain that goes along with it stays with you forever.  But how do you move forward with that pain and grief?  
How do you try and comprehend that the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing are not original to you only...but rather shared by others.
Larry's guest this month, Jenna Rogers, introduces us to Faith's Lodge in Wisconsin which is the first dedicated retreat facility that provides hope, connection, and support to parents and families coping with the death of a child.
A community where you will be surrounded by other families who are also traveling this same journey and who most importantly...understand what you are going through.

Regret and guilt are inevitably a part of life, but if you're grieving there are important differences to understand in order to better be able to cope.   Larry's guest, Litsa Williams, has explored this very subject as Program Director at WhatsYourGrief.com
and co-author of a new book called What's Your Grief?  Lists To Help You Through Any Loss .  She's here to help us understand how best to navigate this sea of emotions in order to begin healing. 

Mourning a loss is one thing for an adult and something uniquely challenging for a child.  What's the best way you can help a small child or teenager process  their grief?  The answer can be very different in each case and today Larry focuses on understanding how grief affects kids with help from guests Tamara Ellis Smith, author of the beautiful children's book Grief Is An Elephant, and Dr. Julie Kaplow, a childhood trauma and grief expert.  Both offer deeply moving advice on how to help a child or teen cope.

Kim Witczak never set out to become a drug safety advocate, but in 2003, life as she knew it came crashing down around her when her husband, Woody, took his own life.  But Kim met her grief head on and started a journey searching for answers and a way to help others while honoring Woody.   Today Kim shares with Larry how her search for the truth gave her grief a purpose that ultimately makes a difference for all of us.

What's the difference between being alone and experiencing loneliness?  How do you cope with loneliness or with those around you?  How prevalent is loneliness in our society?  Today, Larry has a heartfelt conversation about this most challenging part of his own grief journey with two experts who have both studied loneliness extensively.  Dr. Louise Hawkley & Dr. Wendy Lichtenthal will share their wisdom, insight and practical advice for dealing with this surprisingly universal, human issue.

How does an NFL legend face the most heartbreaking loss of his life?  
Former Buffalo Bills Hall-of-Fame quarterback, Jim Kelly, joins Larry today                      and shares how he dealt with the loss of his 8-year old son, Hunter, to a terminal illness, has overcome multiple bouts with cancer and how his faith has shaped the way               he gets through everything life has thrown at him.

How do your memories, both good and bad, impact your grief?  Larry's guest today has devoted her career to studying how memories affect our experience of loss.  Dr. Mary Lamia, is a clinical psychologist, professor and author, most recently of the book, Grief Isn't Something To Get Over and she  will share her understanding of how our emotions and the persistence of memory are keys to understanding and adapting to death, as a part of life.
She also has deeply empathetic advice  for Larry, as he sorts through his emotions following the very recent loss of his mother.  http://marylamia.com

Here come The Holidays.  Parties, feasts, get-togethers, celebrations and more...the coming weeks are typically crammed with activities that can exhaust any person, but for someone who is grieving the approaching tidal wave of festivities presents a particular set of challenges.
Today, Larry opens up and shares his own holiday ups and downs as a recent widower and he'll also get some helpful advice on navigating  the holidays from an expert - Dr. Suzanne Degges-White, who offers valuable insight on how to get through the holiday months when you're grieving.

Zach Hoffpauir was an exuberant, gifted athlete, playing football and baseball with passion and intensity...described by those around him as always working to make everyone around him better.
He loved life, and lived it in a big way, until darkness fell when he died at age 26.
Today Larry connects with Doug Hoffpauir, Zach's father, in a conversation threaded with honesty, hope and even some humor, as he shines some light on Zach's remarkable life and how he and other parents who experience a loss of a child can find healing in unexpected ways.

If you are in distress, call the National Suicide Prevention hotline 24 hours a day at  800-273-8255, or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org for more resources.