Grieve Me Alone

Judy and I met through the Instagram, grief, and shared personality traits. My love for her was instant because of her realness, her honesty, her compassion, her transparency, her vulnerability, her resilience, and her perseverance. Judy and I have a heart to heart convo which includes some pretty real talks about addiction and death and the shit show that is this life that doesn't seem to get easier but at least we find others like ourselves flailing in this griefy sea, kicking ass, taking names, and keeping a crass humor about it all because what else is there to do but try to survive. Listen in as we chit chat about all the things, and I do mean, all the things. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/support

In this day and age, the number of grievers is uncountable and the resources we have to assist us along our grief journey is limited, so I was especially grateful to discover there was a fellow griever out there in the world who not only imagined an app but also put in the hard work amidst their griefy daily life to bring this tool to life. Reid Peterson is the Creator of the Grief Refuge app. Grief Refuge is a daily companion to help support people on the grief journey. It can be downloaded for free on both iOS and Android phones. Come along with us as we talk about griefy things, and know this is one episode I will return to often because of the things Reid says. See what Reid is doing these days in the grief community. Website: https://griefrefuge.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefrefugeapp/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/griefrefuge Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2E8F4WBXRXwM032K8wdevl?si=Tk2RhEAVQWK2Hbq0yI7Fyw&dl_branch= --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/support

Being a widowed, solo parent is a lonely place. That's why Sarah created the Facebook group, Widowed, Solo Parenting. It's also tough because you lose part of yourself with your deceased love, and trying to find your new identity is a huge part of the grieving process. Which is why she created her program, Reclaim Your Life. Listen as we chat about all the things and hear how Sarah is impacting the grief community through her own journey. It's a real conversation, complete with breaks in between, not-the-best-reception, and try try try agains, because it's real life, and this is how it went down, and if I'm being honest, I will never find enough time or energy in the world to edit podcasts like I thought I would. So, here it is... The real deal, as promised. Explore more to see what Sarah is up to these days. Blog: https://www.thedaysarefullblog.com Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thedaysarefull Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/thedaysarefull/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedaysarefullblog/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/daysarefullblog --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/support

Join me and Dr. Joshua Black as we talk about Grief Dreams. Joshua Black, PhD, is a grief researcher, speaker, consultant, and host of the Grief Dreams Podcast. His work focuses on dreams and continuing bonds after loss, including prenatal and pet loss. As one of the world's leading academic experts in grief dreams, which can be dreams of the deceased, Dr. Black has directed his efforts on raising awareness about this fascinating phenomenon through media interviews, in addition to speaking engagements and workshops. In addition to his website (Griefdreams.ca), you can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Clubhouse (@griefdreams). www.GriefDreams.ca --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/support

Becky Bierwas and I met through the secret-underground-you-don't-know-it-exists-until-you-join Grief Community on Instagram and she has become one of my closest friends. Join us to hear Becky's story and listen in as we talk about all the griefy things... but mostly about dead babies. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/support

The holidays passed. And they sucked balls. And it's technically spring, but what the hell is TIME anymore? I figured this random ass windy day would be the perfect day to segue into Season 3. This season is gonna be a lil different than what the first two seasons were. How will it be different?, you may wonder. It just fuckin' will. Alright. Jeez, just trust me on that. Comin' back after a break (having paused recordings for my grief dates which was supposed to be 2 months but ended up being SIX). I guess I realized that if I wait for my grief dates to clear up before resuming recording, I'll probably never record again. And we can't have that. I can't anyways. This is as much for me as it is the next person who is grieving. So I'm giving it a go... a slow one, but a GO nonetheless. Stick around if you want. Me and my grief aren't going anywhere. (& even if we have to for a while, trust that we'll be back. Me & Grief are a forever thing.) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/support

Chris Vognar is a Houston-based writer. His life partner, Kate, passed away July 2, 2020. A dear friend connected us recently knowing that we both are in the throws of grief. Chris interviewed me for an essay he wrote for the Houston Chronicle, then I had the honor of having this conversation with him. Join us on this rainy day as we talk grief. Please bear with me as my audio is a little scrambled, but Chris's audio is perfectly clear, and it doesn't really matter so much what I say, his grief and his story both deserve our time and attention. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app · Charity Promotion: Democracy Works: This advertisement is part of a charitable initiative in partnership with Democracy Works. howto.vote · Charity Promotion: BallotReady: The goal of this initiative is to increase voter education and encourage your listeners to get the vote out during the 2020 General Election this November. https://www.ballotready.org/ Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/support

I had the special honor of interviewing the Founders of Make Good Together, Michelle & Eric Times are weird. This is uncharted territory. But we need to do better. And we need to take action NOW. Leadership is lacking in our nation's response to the pandemic. Michelle and Eric were done waiting around. They started a movement to annihilate COVID-19. They are building a tribe. They are empowering people to be the leaders the world needs. Because no one, no one should have to endure the needless suffering COVID-19 inflicts. We have a choice. We can do better. MakeGoodTogether.com is asking people to make the promise to be leaders within their social circles to annihilate COVID-19. The scenarios that test our ability to make the right calls are infinite. When a friend asks to go to a bar. When a coworker wants to have an in-person meeting without masks. When an aunt you haven’t seen from a different state insists that you visit. These are awkward situations that put us at the intersection of safety and emotion; and we often cave-in to keeping the social harmony. Make Good Together empowers everyday people to take leadership roles within their social circle to do what’s right, and to influence others. We need to lead by example. We need to make courage contagious. Everyone has a greater reach and more influence than they think. This is your defining moment. We are running out of time. We ask you. In desperation. Make the promise. Share your story. Join us in annihilating COVID-19. We need you. Humanity needs you. You have the power to save lives and change history. Visit MakeGoodTogether.com and add your name to the promise list. Make a commitment to be a leader within your social circle to annihilate COVID-19. And share your story at MakeGoodTogether.com/your-story "I did & I encourage you to do the same. We are making a difference, whether we know it or not." -Chantal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlKyIPXRMtc&t=23s makegoodtogether.com www.facebook.com/groups/annihilatecovid19/ www.youtube.com/channel/UC019JYvt35m_tFDvbd6ZCOg @makegoodtogether on Insta --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/support

Emily Yinger is my person. She has been my best friend for... shit... has it been 12 years already? Dayummm. I met Emily in 2008, the year my best friend Lindsey died. When Emily met me, I was in the throws of grief. I never imagined I would have another best friend because it felt like Lindsey was irreplaceable. Turns out, Lindsey IS irreplaceable. But that didn't stop me from opening up my heart to allow myself to have another best friend. Emily & I have been through a LOT together. Like so much, I could write a book about just that. But I digress... Last night, We flip-flopped between having a phone call or recording a podcast, but either way, I knew my Bestie needed to talk about her grief. So we recorded our convo anyway, and I decided, I'm just going to publish it as is, No Editing, because we like to keep shit real...as real as can be. Emily's younger brother, Joseph, died by suicide when he was 26. Today, August 23rd, the day I publish this episode, would have been his 30th birthday. Drop some eaves on our best friend talk, complete with sarcasm, profanity, tenderness, substances, stupidly funny jokes, annoying cackling (from myself), and an abrupt ending because Anchor cut us off. Our talk is a long one (so you can listen to it in spurts if you choose) about grieving in partnership, and during a pandemic, as well as our current perspectives on suicide, and the unfair pressures that are placed upon the bereaved. But we also throw in a little Portlandia reference. Earlier in the day, our phone call birthed a now-ongoing sarcastic joke about how much we love our lives, how blessed we feel to be where we're at, and happy we are...because the truth is, we feel the furthest from that and it frustrates the shit out of us to hear others say that, only because we're super envious. Anyways, I won't give away everything... Listen in, but beware, there's some extra noises, like dog panting and possibly even a fart. We're pretty damn ridiculous, and at some point, I think we both forget we're recording a podcast. Oh well. YOU'RE WELCOME, WORLD. Join us as we "cacao" our way through grief (that's a Portlandia joke) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/support

Sabila Khan is the founder and co-admin of Covid-19 Loss Support for Family and Friends, the first Facebook bereavement group for Covid loss. Sabila speaks about the unique challenges of grieving during a pandemic. She lost her beloved father, Shafqat Khan, to Covid-19 on April 14th, 2020 and created the bereavement group on April 18th. Sabila says, "There are so many people hurting out there and I'm doing everything I can to get the word out about our group. I want folks to know that they're not alone in their grief and that our community provides a safe space for them in what is an otherwise toxic environment on social media." Please take the time to listen to and honor Sabila and her grief. In doing so, it is a way to pay our respect and acknowledge the life of her darling father, Shafqat. They both deserve our love and attention. If you have lost a loved one to Covid-19, please consider joining this group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/691112725033515/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/support

Cristina Pappadake-Gomez lost her sweet and loving father, Gregg Pappadake, to Covid-19. Her story is full of depth and emotion. Please make the time to listen and honor her grief and her beloved Dad's life. They both truly deserve the acknowledgment. Grieving amidst a pandemic has already taken so much from them. Cristina found my Grieve Me Alone Instagram account, and on the day I had drafted and posted about these future mask designs I had in store for the following month's shop update, Cristina commented on that post, shared that she lost her dad to Covid-19, and I was so moved by her story that I stopped what I was doing, completely rearranged my day, and devoted hours to working on getting the masks out before I got up from my computer. Thus, the masks dropped way ahead of schedule, and once they were available on the shop, I tagged Cristina and she purchased a "My Dad Died. That's Why I'm Like This." mask. Cristina appeared on several news segments: NBC NYC, NBC News LA interview with Lester Holt, & 11Alive, sharing about her darling dad and why she wears a mask. Cristina is an advocate and public speaker. You can follow her blog www.lifedeathfoodandsex.com or email her directly at lifedeathfoodandsex@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/support

Last week, Aaron Burch was just a sad dude with a mask. Now, he's a sad dude with a mask and a message: "My Mom Died. That's Why I'm Like This." Aaron's beautiful Mom, Cheryl, passed away of Covid-19. He searched out Covid Loss Support Groups, saw a post with a link to the GMA store, and 'as soon as he saw it, he knew he wanted to have written across his face why he was doing what he was doing and why it's so important to mask up'... (his words, not mine) Aaron's story has been shared on several news segments, including CNN Other segments can be found here and here (and to be honest, there could be more segments after this is aired) Truly, the person to best tell Aaron's story is Aaron, so please take the time to listen and truly be with his loss and his grief. He and his mom both deserve it and this virus robbed them of so much. PS. I always promised you the raw and the real so here you have our hour-ish talk, complete with technical difficulties so bear with us, and take witness to the beginning of our new friendship. Wishing we could have met by any other circumstance but this. AND GODDAMMIT, WEAR A MASK! IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU, IT'S FOR EVERYONE'S LOVED ONES. Like Aaron says, "I WON'T LOSE YOU". #iwontloseyou --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/grieve-me-alone/support

It's the first mother's day without mom. I'm exhausted. Feeling all the things. And terrified I or my Dad are soon to follow. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

"No one understands me; however in my spirit, it speaks mysteries." Call it a spiritual supernova, call it a psychotic break, call it what you will. For me, it was a night I won't soon forget. Insert a vulnerable unraveling, a grief attack, cookies, an aha moment, and then, just for the hell of it, sprinkle in some gifts of the spirit, or gibberish, whatever the hell you wanna call it. I used to say this to my mom, "I have come through you but I am not from you, I belong not to this world, for this world is not my home". Took me a long time to connect the dots to see that my story is much like a love story that's been told over and over again but I am the lonesome tower, I am the damsel in distress, I am the fire breathing dragon, I am the knight in shining armor, and I am the happily ever after. And so as I'm thinking on my life story, and writing out my story, I can almost see all the puzzle pieces before me, and for a second, I catch a glimpse, an idea, of what the bigger picture could be, but it's still kinda foggy to me. I can't see exactly where it is that I'm going, but I'm following wherever this path leads. Wanna come along with me? I mean, if it's the end of the world as we know it, you do what you need. It is most definitely the end of the world as I knew it to be. Know anyone that can interpret tongues or gibberish? I'm just as curious. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Regrets. Remembering. Ramblings. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Where to place the blame? Ourselves? Doctors? Our deceased? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Capturing the thoughts inside this scrambly sick and griefy brain. Probably not worth the listen, but needed to talk to my mom and pretend like she can hear me and well, all of this just plain sucks. The end. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Let me go ahead and clear up any confusion there could be for when the time comes and I've returned to the whitest light from whence I came. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

If you can't handle profanity, this episode isn't for you. *REMINDER of DISCLAIMER: I am not a licensed therapist, doctor, counselor, or any of that. My thoughts, feelings, and opinions are strictly mine and are fluid in this messy river of grief. Do not mistake these podcasts for professional or medical advice, it is no such thing. I am just an active griever fully grieving. Listen at your own risk. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Dear Friends & Family of the Bereaved, listen up! Don't take offense, Take action. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Ever lose someone you love, have people show up for you right after , assure you they'll be there for the long haul, then they disappear? Yeah, me too. We tend to lose more living people after we lose our dead loved ones, which then packs on more grief to our initial grief. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Grieve Me Alone welcomes Zach & Alex (aka Jesse Pinkman), our brave first-ish guests. Join us as we venture into a free-flowing tri-ologue right after MEH CHRISTMAS about the layers of grief, ridic family dynamics, accidentally sitting shiva, "safety meetings",  and what surprised us most about this current grief journey.  No more spoiler alerts! You just gotta listen. Oh, and don't forget to check out the merch! Available through January 13, 2020! Get yours now! https://www.bonfire.com/leave-me-alone-5/ https://www.bonfire.com/my-mom-died/ https://www.bonfire.com/my-dad-died/ Not affiliated with Marco Polo, Facebook, Breaking Bad, Casper, Gummy bears, AirPods, air mattresses, or Christina Ricci.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Another perspective on cancer... Trips down memory lane... And for those interested in contributing to the conversation, email Chantal at grievemealone@gmail.com for more information. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

A dozen-minutes-monologue on forgetting versus remembering, the dance of hope and fear, and the friend that brought us all together, Grief. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Come for a ride with me on this breezy overcast day. Listen... we're all learning along the way, but let's be mindful of the ways we "grief block" the grieving. I'm sure none of us want to pile on more hurt to those in pain. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Do you judge yourself for parts of your "grief process" ? Do you feel weird about things you have done or do and wonder if anyone else out there has done something similar? Do you feel judged by others who think that they would do "it" differently if they were in your shoes? Well, let's talk openly and honestly about it all. Let's change these narratives. Let's go easy on ourselves for how we get through life without our loved ones. Let's remember there's not one other person who could ever know what it's like to be in our shoes because even with the most similar of grief stories, our story is different... Our grief is unique because our relationships are unique and no one else on the planet is you. No one else has lived your life from the very beginning to now. People can think they would do "it" differently if they were in our shoes, but the truth is, they'll never know, and even if they could, we'd probably pray they would never have to know how painful it is to be in our shoes. But then again, maybe just for a moment, so they can reflect on and correct their hurtful judgmental ways. ;) Meh...To each their own. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Oh you know, just a typical run of the mill real vulnerable unedited monologue while sitting on my Momma's grave the day after Thanksgiving...And some cemetery background noises. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Welcome to Grieve Me Alone. Join me on my closet floor as I venture into this journey, that started from an idea that wouldn't leave me alone. Hear a little bit about me, the why behind this podcast, some ideas moving forward, and whatever else I rambled on about for 30+ minutes. Grief be with you, and also with you. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app