Where's The Grief?

In this episode I talk with comedian Benny Blue about his recent one-man show, "Live From My Mother's Funeral."

After his mother Virginia passed away in 2021, Benny found talking about his experience of grief on stage to be one of the few things that allowed him to be honest while still looking for humor in an otherwise traumatising moment.

Comedy allows us to talk about such a wide variety of things that we don't often talk about in our regular lives, and while we all deal with grief, it's one of the few things we don't always acknowledge.

Benny's show combines aspects of stand up comedy along with some theatrical pieces that blend together in a reimagined version of his mothers funeral that allows both him and the audience to process things together.

We also talk about how the writing and performing of this kind of material is so different from the promotion and sharing of the show.

Follow Benny and all that he does at https://www.bennyblueeyes.net/

Check out the Special - LIVE FROM MY MOTHERS FUNERAL

In this episode, I talk with Author Chris Cochran about his book, "What's Good About Today? A Purpose Driven Life." After getting a terminal cancer diagnosis at the age of 21, Chris' son Christian managed to keep his own optimism and uplifting spirit about him, inspiring those around him to be mindful and grateful for the life they have, and to earnestly exclaim all that which is good about today.

We talk about just how important perspective is when dealing with such a devastating loss, and how much it helps to keep talking about our loved ones.

Follow Chris at https://www.chriscochranspeaks.com

Get the book, "What's Good About Today?" HERE

In this episode, I talk to author Annie Sklaver Orenstein about her new book, "Always A Sibling: The Forgotten Mourners Guide To Grief." After years of struggling with her own grief after the death of her brother Ben to a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, Annie began writing what ultimately became the book that she wished had existed when her loss was fresh.

As a skilled reasearcher, Annie surveyed and interviewed dozens of other bereaved siblings, weaving their stories together with her own, along with detailed references to so many of the resources and support that is out there.

We obviously talk (and bond) over the fact that bereaved siblings are often overlooked - hence the Forgotten Mourners moniker, and how impactful it is to finally have found a community and a vocaulary to talk about our siblings with. We also talk about the surreal expereince of having to sell and promote someting so deeply personal.

Get the book and find out more about Annie!

https://www.amazon.com/Always-Sibling-Forgotten-Mourners-Guide/dp/030683149X

https://www.annieorenstein.com

Follow Annie on Instagram @AnnieSklaverOrenstein

In this episode I talk with comedian Brian Rabadeau life before and after the death of his father, Joe. After several bouts with serious health issues, Brian's father started the pandemic fighting against the isolation and struggling with all the mandates, which ultimately led to him dying of Covid in 2022. Since then Brian has worked on finding ways to move forward and let go of his anger towards his father, and at society at large, reminding himself that optimism and hope are still possible despite what llife throws at us.

Follow Brian on IG @Brabs91

If you're in the New Orleans area when this episode drops, Brian will be performing in the Hell Yes Festival, November 12th, 13th and 14th! (GET TICKETS AND MORE INFO HERE!)

In this episode, I talk with Author and Sound Healer Jeralyn Glass about her book, "Sacred Vibrations - The Transformative Power of Crystalline Sound and Music," as well as her practice of creating unique sets of crystal singing bowls.

Already a musician and leader in the sound healing movement when her son Dylan died, Jeralyn focused her efforts on helping others tap into the various frequencies and vibrations of life.

We also talk about how helping others heal can be a source of healing for us as well, and how the intersection of science, spiritually and the healing power of music bring us all closer together.

Find out more about Jeralyn and what she does at https://crystalcadence.com/

Follow her on IG @crystalcadencela

GET THE BOOK - Sacred Vibrations!

Hooray! In this very special episode, I got to talk with Chef Dan Budd, owner of Taste Budd's Cafe, and former teacher at the Culinary Institute of America. As many listeners of the podcast know, my brother Russell was about to graduate from the CIA when he passed away in 2002. Dan Budd was more than one of Russell's professors, he was a mentor to him, and an early employer to take Russell under his wing.

No stranger to grief himself already, Dan's sister Laura died two years prior to Russell, oddly enough on the exact same day, July 6th. Laura's death to a rare brain tumor changed the way that Dan thought about his ability to harness his own energy in support of creating good in the world.

We talk about how family dynamics can change after the loss of a sibling, and the profound bonds we create when talking with others who have been through something similar. We also talk about the importance of gratitude, and the danger of bees!

Check out Taste Budd's in Red Hook, NY!

Taste Budd's

40 West Market Street

Follow Taste Budd's on Instagram!

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Sara Glass about her new memoir, "Kissing Girls on Shabbat."

Growing up in an extremely sheltered Orthodox Hassidic Jewish community, Sara decided to become a therapist and mental health professional partially because seeing how her sister Shani's mental health issues impacted her family. When Shani ultimately took her own life, Sara came out of the closet after years of struggling with her sexual identity and eventually wrote a memoir about her path towards self acceptance and an open life. We talk about the different ways that we interalize our own trauma, and how hard it can be to find ways to be honest with the people in our lives about what we are going through.

We also talk about the stigma that comes with suicide and mental health issues in general, and how important it is to recognise that we never have to do it alone.

As September is Suicide Awareness Month, This episode is a reminder that someone is always listening, and if you need help, reach out to a trusted friend or loved one, or you call 988 for the national suicide prevention line.

Get the book "Kissing Girls On Shabbat" On Amazon!

Follow Dr. Sara online at https://www.drsaraglass.com

Or follow her on social media @DrSaraGlass

You can always email ME at [email protected]

Follow ME on Instagram @WheresTheGrief

In this episode, I talk with Tawnya Musser about her role and experiences in the world of Home Funerals. Already in school to become a funeral director when her brother Robert died, Tawnya found conventional funeral and death rituals to be lacking when it came to the way that her family wanted to celebrate Robert's life and give family and friends an opportunity to grieve together in a safe and familiar environment. Since then she has worked to help people find the resources and avenues to hold their own home funerals, and connect them to individual more personalized memorials.

You can find out more about Tawnya and her work at https://deardepartures.com

Also, https://www.homefuneralalliance.org/home-funeral-guidebook.html provides step by step ideas on how to plan a home funeral.

In this episode, I talk with comedian Liz Glazer about her album, "A Very Particular Experience," recorded on the one year anniversary of Liz and her wife's first daughter's Leo Pearl stillbirth. We talk about the difficulty of even making jokes about such a heavy topic, let alone putting together an entire album. However, we also highlight how important it is to laugh, and how much hope it can bring along with the perspective that keeps us connected to people.

Follow more about liz at https://www.dearlizglazer.com

In this episode, I talk with Author Joseph Alvaro about his book, "I'm One Of The Lucky Ones: Remembering A Soulmate." After Joseph's wife Francés died in 2009, followed by a brother in law, an uncle, his daughter and his father, as well as a handful of friends. "It seemed like all I did was go to funerals for 14 months."

In the wake of such traumatic events, Joseph began finding ways to talk about his lost loved ones by focusing on the precious memories and celebrating thier lives rather than dwell on the immense sadness that ultimatly comes with grief.

In addition to his book, Joseph is the creator and producer of The Lucky Ones, a community of shared stories by individuals about people they were lucky to have known who have passed away. Celebrating the lives of loved ones in a short video exposé, these life affirming stories reinforce our common humanity in wonderfully charming videos filled with love, humor, and memories.

Follow Joseph at https://luckyonestv.com for all the links to the videos.

Get the Book on Amazon!