Where's The Grief?

In this episode, I talk with clinical psychologist and author Dawn DiRaimondo about her book, "Surviving Sibling Loss: The Invisible Thread That Connects Us Through Life And Death." Dawn was already a therapist when her brother Michael was killed while deployed in Iraq. Finding few resources and liturature about sibling loss, Dawn decided to write the book that she had wished existed when she was newly bereaved, incorportating interviews and insights from interviews with other bereaved siblings alongside her own experience.

Follow Dawn and get her book at her website, https://drdawndiraimondo.com/

(or get the book directly from Amazon!)

In this episode, I got to talk to Comedian Christy Miller about how she's been faring after the death of her mother Shirley.

Christy has always been a comedian who pulls no punches in her act, and she came by her sense of humor from her mother, always pushing the bounderies of what was deemed appropriate. Having opened for Andrew "Dice" Clay as well as Paul Mooney, Christy has always been the type to not care what other people think, often using humor to process heavy topics.

We talk about how great it is to have family that embraces our career choices, and how important it is to surround ourselves with people who get us and let us make terrible jokes in the face of devastating events.

Get Christy's Album, "Brually Yours"

Follow Christy on IG @ChristyMillerComedy

Follow Christy's YouTube Page!

In this episode, I talk with Comedian Christopher Wagner about the different ways he dealt with the death of his parents. We reflect on how much more difficult of a time he had after his mother died than his dad. Chris was somewhat estranged from his father for a period before trying to mend the relationship as time ran out, and we talk about how hard it can be to lose someone just as you feel like you've re-gained them.

We also talk about alternative mental health therapies, including psychodelics and ayahuasca, and the perspective shifts that allow us to forgive and heal.

Follow Chirs on IG @ChrisWagnerd

In this episode I talk with author Kelly S. Thompson about her book, "Still, I Cannot Save You." Already an award winning non-fiction writer when her sister Meghan died, Kelly turned her story into a memoir about the difficult parts of sisterhood and family bonds that is both heartbreaking and uplifting. After battling childhood cancer, Meghan's adult life was fraught with drug addiction before motherhood pressed her to clean up and re-establish the sibling bond that she and Kelly shared before it was too late.

We talk about how not all sibling relationships are easy, and the different ways we can forgive ourselves and others for past resentments. We also talk about the healing power of writing and the strength it takes to ask for help.

Follow Kelly on Twitter @KellyS_Thompson

Learn more about Kelly and where to get the book at https://kellysthompson.com

After the death of his mother Phyllis, comedian Jason Roeder turned to what he knew best to help cope with the loss, along with the amount of free time he suddenly had due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

A comedy writer by trade who has been published by The New Yorker and The Onion (among others), Jason managed to write a parody grief book that turns many of the tropes and cliche's of grief and mourning on its head, helping to highlight the absurdity of the human existence.

Jason's book, "Griefstrike! The Ultimate Guide to Mourning" provides a number of ridiculous scenarios that poke fun at the structures and rituals we associate with death, alongside footnotes from his own life and experience that remind the reader that all good jokes come from real places, especially those about pain and suffereing.

Get the book and follow Jason online at https://www.jasonroeder.net and on Twitter @jasonroeder

In this episode I got to sit down with Comedian Adam Mitrani to talk about how he's been coping after the death of his brother Rueben.

We talk about how isolating grief and loss is, particularly for those who have lost siblings, as well as how difficult it can be to write comedy material about such a devastating and far reaching experience.

We also talk about the importance of community, connection and the power of music.

Follow Adam online on IG @AMitrani

Follow him on Twitter @AMitrani717

In this episode, I talk with Author Donna Kendrick, about her book "A Guide to Widowhood – Navigating the First Three Years."

After her husband Greg died by suicide, Donna shifted her financial planning skills to help newly bereaved widows and widowers.

We talk about how important it is to integrate our loss so we can move forward, especially when we are literally integrating people in our lives.

Follow Donna online at Widow-wisdom.com

or on IG @widowandwisdom

In this episode, I talk with Michele Benyo, Founder of Good Grief Parenting. When Michele's son David died of cancer at just 6 years old, his sister Deanna, then 3 said, "Mommy, half of me is gone." Already a teacher of early childhood development, Michele shifted her focus. Realizing how much support her daughter was going to need after this loss, Michele began teaching and coaching other bereaved families how to best support thier surviving children.

We talk aboout how parallell set similar the journeys are for both parents as well as sibliings, and the unique challenges that losing a sibling brings.

As a bereaved sibling myself, I am so grateful that there are others out there who are advocating for us, and making sure we have the tools we need to manage our own grief.

Follow Michele and find out more at https://goodgriefparenting.com/

In this episode, I talk with author Mark Chesnut. Already a travel writer, after the death of his mother Eunice, Mark channeled his grief into a touching end-of-life memoir called "Prepare for Departure," emcompassing his relationship with his mother as well having to confront his own feelings about love and death.

We talk about how impactful it is to be able to be of service, but also how imortant it is to maintain our sense of humor when remembering the stories that shaped us.

Follow Mark online and get the book at https://www.markchesnut.com

Follow Mark on Instagram @Departure_Level

In this episode I talk with author and mental health advocate Sherry Walling! 6 months after the death of her father, Sherry's brother died by suicide. Already a mental health professional, Sherry found that her own need to express herself was through movement and connection. Her poetic book, "Touching Two Worlds" was also turned into a aerialst show focused on how we grieve with movement and performance.

Find out more and get the book at https://www.sherrywalling.com

Follow Sherry on Instagram @SherryWalling