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In today’s episode I talk to Dr. Heather Taylor, PsyD (she/her), a licensed psychologist, speaker, and grief educator who helps people name the losses no one prepares us for. She is the creator of the STAY framework for grief integration, founder of Grief Is the New Normal Psychological Services, and host of the Grief Is the New Normal podcast.   In today’s convo, we chat about: Integrating grief into your life (integration vs acceptance)What it means for grief to be “the new normal”Sibling loss and disenfranchised griefContinuing bonds The most common myths about griefLots & lots of grief metaphors (I don’t know about you, but I LOVE me a metaphor) And so much more!    MORE ABOUT DR. HEATHER TAYLOR: Website: www.thedrheathertaylor.com Email: [email protected] Instagram: @dr.heathertaylor Substack: https://drheathertaylor.substack.com/ YouTube: @Grief_Is_The_New_Normal Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2P53FFaGhImhmiPItp6ne2?si=dc1c878042e84282   RESOURCES: Grief Groups: The Friends Missing Friends Collective is a loving and supportive online community of friend-loss grievers. Only $20/month! Sign up or learn more at ⁠⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup⁠ PROMO: Want to try it first to see if the community is a good fit? *Get your first month free* with code PLATONICLOVE Help Texts: Get mental health & bereavement support via text (written by professionals, not AI). You also have the option to invite 2 loved ones to receive a weekly text with practical tips and reminders for how they can support you as you grieve. PROMO: Get a discounted rate at https://helptexts.com/sign-up/friendsmissingfriends Memorial Books: Want to create a beautiful, long-lasting memorial book for your loved one? PROMO: Get $50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends. Learn more about Lifebooks at https://lifebooks.io/   GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review it’s so very appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

In today’s episode I talk to grief and life transitions coach Kendra Rinaldi about her grief journey, her experiences with friend-loss, disenfranchised grief, what it means to validate your own grief, signs and synchronicities, & so much more!   MORE ABOUT KENDRA: Kendra Rinaldi is a grief and life transitions coach who has experienced grief many times in her life. Some of most poignant moments were the tragic and sudden death of her sister in 1996, a miscarriage during her first pregnancy in 2006, and her mother’s death to pancreatic cancer in 2016. From her experiences, she launched a podcast called Grief, Gratitude and The Gray In-Between in March of 2020. She invites guests to share their journey and how they grew from that experience, many sharing about their grief after the death of a loved one and the tools they used in their grief process.   Website: https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com Podcast: https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/podcast Contact her: [email protected] Instagram: @griefgratitudepodcast Facebook: @griefgratitudepodcast   RESOURCES: Grief Groups: The Friends Missing Friends Collective is a loving and supportive online community of friend-loss grievers. Only $20/month! Sign up or learn more at ⁠⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup⁠ PROMO: Want to try it first to see if the community is a good fit? *Get your first month free* with code PLATONICLOVE Help Texts: Get mental health & bereavement support via text (written by professionals, not AI). You also have the option to invite 2 loved ones to receive a weekly text with practical tips and reminders for how they can support you as you grieve. PROMO: Get a discounted rate at https://helptexts.com/sign-up/friendsmissingfriends Memorial Books: Want to create a beautiful, long-lasting memorial book for your loved one? PROMO: Get $50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends, or go directly to this link. Learn more about Lifebooks at https://lifebooks.io/   GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review it’s so very appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

In today’s episode I talk to Sarah Khatau about her beloved friend Georgina, her experience with friend-loss grief, and Help Texts – a bereavement support tool that helped her tremendously after the death of her father in 2018. MORE ABOUT SARAH: After the death of her father in 2018, and through the many losses that have shaped her life since, including the death of her dear friend Georgina, Sarah Khatau shifted her career into bereavement support, eventually finding her way to Help Texts as a subscriber herself before joining the team. Today she works alongside hospices, hospitals, employers, andcaregiver organizations across the US and Canada to bring meaningful, personalized support to families navigating loss and serious illness. Sarah is also a trauma-based counsellor supporting sexual assault survivors, and brings that same depth of care and lived understanding to her grief work. She is passionate about making grief support more accessible, less stigmatized, and easier for organizations to offer atscale, and believes deeply in the power of showing up for people in the quiet, in-between moments when they need it most. Learn more about Sarah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahkhatau/ Try Help Texts at a special price! https://helptexts.com/sign-up/friendsmissingfriends   RESOURCES: Grief Groups: The Friends Missing Friends Collective is a loving and supportive online community of friend-loss grievers. If you join, you get group support, 1:1 support, digital support, and a digital resource library of external resources. Only $20/month! Sign up or learn more at ⁠⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup⁠ PROMO: Want to try it to see if the community is a goodfit? *Get your first month free* with code PLATONICLOVE Help Texts: Get mental health & bereavement support via text (written by professionals, not AI). You also have the option to invite 2 loved ones to receive a weekly text with practical tips and reminders for how they can support you as you grieve. PROMO: Get a discounted rate at https://helptexts.com/sign-up/friendsmissingfriends Memorial Books: Want to create a beautiful, long-lasting memorial book foryour loved one? PROMO: Get $50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends, or go directly to this link. Learn more about Lifebooks at https://lifebooks.io/   GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review it’s so appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

In today’s episode I talk to Tess Clarkson about friend-loss grief, her beloved friend Eithne, and the act of finding meaning and healing through creative writing. We chat about: How she met her dear friend Eithne (pronounced Eth-na) through danceThe story of their friendshipFeeling lost, isolated, and misunderstood after Eithne’s sudden and tragic death on Air France 447The yoga retreat in India that helped her start to find her wayThe many healers she reached out to over the yearsHow creative writing has helped her heal and process through "stuck" feelingsThe memoir she is writing about their friendship and her griefAnd more…  MORE ABOUT TESS: Tess is a writer, death doula, and life optimizer—a Reiki master, yoga teacher, and certified astrologer—who helps people tap into their inner guru and tackle taboos. Website: https://tessclarkson.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetessclarkson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetessclarkson/ Substack: https://substack.com/@tessclarkson   Articles: https://www.thegirlfriend.com/relationships/what-a-real-end-of-life-doula-reveals-about-death  https://www.yourtango.com/heartbreak/how-clairvoyant-finally-healed-tragic-death-friend  RESOURCES: Grief Groups: The Friends Missing Friends Collective is a loving and supportive community of friend-loss grievers. Sign up or learn more at ⁠⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup⁠ Get your first month free with code PLATONICLOVE Memorial Books: Want to create a memorial book for your loved one? Get $50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends, or go directly to this link. Learn more about Lifebooks at https://lifebooks.io/   GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review—it’s so appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

In today’s episode I talk to Novelette Monroe, a multiple loss survivor, trained Hospice and Peer Bereavement Care Facilitator, and certified Mindfulness & Grief Coach. She has facilitated many bereavement groups over the years with a special interest in Mindfulness for Grieving Loss. Novelette was born with the Recessive Dystrophic form of Epidermolysis Bullosa, RDEB—a rare life-limiting, progressive, and chronic condition. She was fortunate enough to develop lasting connections with others with RDEB when, at age 12, she attended a summer camp for children with skin disorders sponsored by the American Academy of Dermatology. The friendships she formed at camp became her life source for having folks in her life who knew what it is like to live in a body with this rare disease.   In this conversation we talk about: how the friends she met at camp became her chosen family; friends who showed her what was possible: “if you can see her, you can be her.” the devastation and grief after the death of her beloved friendshow she’s coped, and how mindfulness and bereavement groups have supported her over the years.   MORE ABOUT NOVELETTE: Follow Novelette’s Grieving and Living Consciously socials: Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567169300477 Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Bi1k3HVfW/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grieving_living_consciously/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrSx8Qj30l8JoTceOrRUTww   RESOURCES: Information on self-compassion practices and meditations: https://self-compassion.org Heather Stang’s mindfulness & grief website: https://heatherstang.com/  Heather Stang’s books: https://heatherstang.com/heather-stang-grief-books/ Grief Groups: The Friends Missing Friends Collective is a loving and supportive community of friend-loss grievers. Sign up or learn more at ⁠⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup⁠ Memorial Books: Want to create a memorial book for your loved one? Get $50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends. Learn more at https://lifebooks.io/   GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review it’s so appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

I’m so excited to announce a new offering!! It is the Friends Missing Friends Collective, a loving and supportive community for friend-loss grievers. I have found, time and time again, how we friend-loss grievers desire community where we can meet and gather with others who are also grieving friends. How we need a space where we can feel seen, heard, and understood. So, I wanted to create a friend-loss community via an affordable monthly membership—so folks can join anytime and stay as long as they need.   Membership includes: 2 virtual grief groups a monthA one-on-one sessionA digital resource libraryA Private Discord Server (so you can chat with other friend-loss grievers any time!) SPECIAL OFFER: If you email me or fill out the interest form before December 31st, I will give you the special lifetime “Founding Friends” price of $12/month—because you will be a Founding member! After launch, the general price will be $20. All you have to do to hold your spot is: Email me at [email protected] OR, fill out an interest form at friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup Y’ALL I’m so excited!! Fireworks went off inside me when I decided to move forward with this – this can grow into something truly beautiful, I just know it. Because when we come together—healing happens.   RESOURCES: Grief Groups: Register your interest for the Friends Missing Friends Collective and get 2 virtual grief groups a month: friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup Memorial Books: Want to create a memorial book for your loved one? Get $50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends. Learn more about Lifebooks at https://lifebooks.io/   GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review—it’s so appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Spotify for Podcasts page: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/friendsmissingfriends⁠ Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

In today's episode, I chat with Tara Accardo—a Grief & Transformational Life coach and the host of the podcast Life With Grief—about finding a joyful, fulfilling, and meaningful life again after loss. Grief expert David Kessler describes this as the “sixth stage of grief” in his book Finding Meaning. Now to be crystal clear: this is NOT referring to finding meaning in the death or horrific event, it’s referring to finding meaning in your life after the loss. “Finding meaning” is different for everyone. It might involve completely changing your life; it might be folded into small but significant moments. For many people, it’s when we try to answer the question “what now?” after a loved one’s death. Tara and I talk about this, and much more, including: Finding solace and healing in micro-momentsHow the grieving process cannot be rushedReclaiming power over your lifeCoping during acute griefBeing curious and giving yourself grace QUOTES: “We are truly so much more in charge of our healing and our coping than we think we are…we are in charge of how we grieve, how we cope, our happiness, what our day to day looks like; there is so much that is actually within our power.” –Tara “If you look at it from a place of curiosity, you’re giving yourself much more grace.” –Tara “From personal experience, that ‘what now’ can be so overwhelming. And it’s ever evolving, I feel like I’ve gone through several ‘what nows’…” –Hannah  “There’s a whole life now, that you have to ‘figure out’ without that person.” –Tara “The idea of continuing a relationship with them even after they died…for years I was like, ‘oh the friendship was over,’ after my friend died. But then I’m like, wait I can keep this friendship going somehow. And the ‘how’ is the journey, figuring out how to do that. That is also folded into the finding meaning and finding new purpose.” –Hannah “After a loss that rocks your world; it's like your life was thishouse of cards, and it all falls, and you have to build an entirely new house of cards.” –Hannah “I feel like a lot of people want to rush the grief, they just want to feel some peace and just not hurt so bad… it can’t be rushed, but it can certainly be helped along.” –Tara   MORE ABOUT TARA: Tara Accardo (she/her) is a Grief and Transformational life Coach and host of the Life With Grief Podcast. After losing her parents to cancer within six months of each other, her journey of grieving led her to create Losses Become Gains—a community for fellow grievers that serves tools, inspiration, and guidance on how to navigate grief, loss, and navigating life with both in tow. Through her podcast, one-on-one coaching and other digital resources, Tara’s passion and calling to support fellow grievers runs deep!   RESOURCES: Connect with Tara: IG: @lossesbecomegains IG and TikTok: @lifewithgriefpodcast Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/ Life with Grief podcast The book Tara recommended: The Grieving Brain, by Mary-Frances O’Connor Grief Groups: Interested in joining a friend-loss peer support group? Fill out the interest form at ⁠⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup⁠ Memorial Books: Want to create a memorial book for your loved one? Get$50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends. Learn more about Lifebooks at https://lifebooks.io/   GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review—it’s so appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Spotify for Podcasts page: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/friendsmissingfriends⁠ Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

In today’s Grief Note episode I talk about a time when I untangled a toxic belief—or story—I was holding related to my friend Lauren’s death. It’s not uncommon for us to create stories around our loss. David Kessler talks about how when we create a story “that is not true and is not helpful,” we can “get stuck in the narrative.” In other words, stories can complicate our grief. There are a million different stories we may tell ourselves around a loss. Such as, “it’s my fault they died,” “I was a bad friend/daughter/partner/parent because _____,” “I will never be happy again,” and on and on and on. I found that I was able to untangle my story—which had become a knot in my heart—by writing about it. By switching perspectives, I was able to recognize that 1.) my story wasn’t true or helpful, and 2.) I had the power to stop believing it.   RESOURCES: Grief Groups: Interested in joining a friend-loss peer support group? Fill out the interest form at ⁠⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup⁠ Memorial Books: Want to create a memorial book for your loved one? Get$50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends, or go directly to this link. Learn more about Lifebooks at https://lifebooks.io/   GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review—it’s so appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Spotify for Podcasts page: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/friendsmissingfriends⁠ Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

In today's episode, I chat with Rachel Dwyer and Kendel Rogers—the co-hosts of the podcast 2 Girls with Grief about integrating grief into your life, rather than emotionally severing. What do we mean by integrate? We mean rather than shoving the grief aside, pretending it doesn’t exist, and putting on a mask to the world—we embrace the grief, feel it fully, and show the world our WHOLE selves. We make comparisons to the show Severance (don’t worry, no spoilers!), and how it is a perfect metaphor for the idea of emotional severance as we grieve. All three of us used to emotionally sever, and through finding community, digging deep into our emotions, and rewriting our stories, we integrated grief into our life and now feel much more whole.   QUOTES: “I used to see my grief as a dark shadow that followed me and trying to like shove it away and put it in the corner and pretend it wasn’t there. And now I’ve learned how to incorporate it into me, because it’s what has happened.” – Kendel “Because grief is so misunderstood, I misunderstood my own grief. I didn’t know what to feel and I felt so lost and sad, but it just seemed like you’re supposed to be over it and you’re supposed to move on from it…I just felt like I was in 2 different worlds: I portrayed myself as fine, but was crying at night or just really sad. And it was a really weird feeling of having two lives.” – Rachel "Grievers still deserve a happy life and grievers still deserve joy." – Kendel “I thought getting up every day and not staying in bed all day,was me doing everything. No one would look at me and be like ‘she’s depressed’… So in my head I’m like, I’m doing fine…it took a while, and it wasn’t until last year that I was like ‘I’m going to try something different.’” – Rachel “It's almost like now I'm in this walk with my grief. I'm not running from it. I'm not hiding from it.” – Kendel “How can I experience real joy WITH grief, and not separately? Because before it was always like, I’m happy but my grief is separate. But it’s like, no it’s all together, and how do I make that make sense to me in this world?” – Rachel “If you’re going to try to outrun your grief, it will come back. You can’t hide from it, you can’t shove it away in a box, we’ve tried that and you can learn from us.” – Kendel MORE ABOUT RACHEL AND KENDEL: Rachel Dwyer is based in San Francisco and Co-hosts the 2 Girls with Grief Podcast & the Griefy Girls Book Club with Kendel Rogers. Kendel Rogers is one half of the 2 Girls with Grief podcast & the Griefy Girls Book Club. After losing her father in 2020, she wanted to have more in depth conversations about death and grief. Along with destigmatizing the taboo around death and grief, she volunteers with The Warm Place, a grief support center for children in Fort Worth, TX. RESOURCES: Connect with 2 Girls with Grief: IG: @racheldwyerinsf / @2girlswithgriefpod / @griefygirlsbookclub TikTok: @racheldwyerinsf / @2girlswithgriefpod Grief Groups: Interested in joining a friend-loss peer support group? Fill out the interest form at ⁠⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup⁠ Memorial Books: Want to create a memorial book for your loved one? Get $50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends, or go directly to this link. Learn more about Lifebooks at https://lifebooks.io/   GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review—it’s so appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Spotify for Podcasts page: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/friendsmissingfriends⁠ Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

In today's episode, I chat with guest Des Mathews (they them), a Yoga Guide and Grief & Death Doula, about the intersections between yoga philosophies and grief. Key takeaways: the role of Ahimsa (non-harm, one of the 5 Yamas) in self-compassion during griefsurrendering to emotions with Ishvaraparidhana (divine surrender, one of the 5 Niyamas)Supporting somatic healing and nervous system regulation with Asana (the movements and poses)Cultural differences in grieving friend-loss griefhow capitalism has contributed to a society that devalues friendshipsand more!  QUOTES: “…feelings might come up and it’s completely normal in our journey with grief, and with that I recommend more gentle yoga or restorative practices.” “yoga can be used as a resource for calming our nervous system.” “there’s no timeline for our grief, and it’s very cyclical. When we can come to that place of acceptance, it goes back to the compassion piece where we’re able to give ourselves and others more grace.”  “Traditionally yoga was seen as a practice to end suffering and cause liberation, cause freedom.”  “You're only allowed a certain amount of days off if your mom dies or your partner dies, but what about your best friend? Your best friend could have been your life partner,right? Society just doesn't seem to care as much about that. And again, that goes into the whole diminishing of it, which makes us feel like we're kind of gaslighting ourselves in a way. Like, did this person even exist? Because it's not recognized, people aren't showing me that it matters.” MORE ABOUT DES: Des is a Queer, South East Asian trauma-informed Yoga Guide and Grief and Death Doula who is a settler on Treaty 20 and the Williams Treaties in Nogojiwanong-Peterborough, Ontario. They host yoga practices, grief circles, and workshops in person and virtually. They are intentional about where they show up and lead with values of generosity, interdependence, compassion, honesty, and authenticity. RESOURCES: Connect with Des: IG: @death.and.yoga Email: [email protected] Des’s recommendation to dive deeper into yoga: SusannaBarkataki at https://www.susannabarkataki.com/ Grief Groups: Interested in joining a friend-loss peer support group? Fill out the interest form at ⁠⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup⁠ Lifebooks: Want to create a memorial book for your loved one? Get$50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends, or go directly to this link. Learn more about Lifebooks at https://lifebooks.io/   GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review—it’s so appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Spotify for Podcasts page: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/friendsmissingfriends⁠ Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

In today’s Grief Note episode I share my thoughts about liminal space – a term I read about in the book “The Art of Holding Space” by Heather Plett.   In the book, Heather Plett describes liminal space as: “a period in which something—social hierarchy, culture, belief, tradition, identity, etc.—has been dissolved and the new thing has not yet emerged to take its place.” It’s “strange, vast, and sometimes uncomfortable, a space full of complex and often overlapping emotions.”   When I read all that I thought, welp. Crap. That’s definitely what I’m in the midst of right now.    So. In this Grief Note, I talk about it! Because when you feel lost, I figure the best thing you can do is voice your lost-nessout loud. After all, liminal space is very intertwined with grief.   RESOURCES: The Art of Holding Space by Heather Plett Grief Groups:Interested in joining a friend-loss peer support group? Fill out the interest form at ⁠⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup⁠ Lifebooks: Want to create a memorial book for your loved one? Get $50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends, or go directly to this link. Learn more about Lifebooks at https://lifebooks.io/ GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review—it’s so appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Spotify for Podcasts page: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/friendsmissingfriends⁠ Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

In today's episode, I chat with guest Brendan Shaw about navigating the many complex layers of tragedy and grief, and finding new purpose in life, after a traumatic loss. Since the 2022 murder of his brother, Philip, Brendan has been using storytelling, social media, and community work to process his own grief and help others feel less alone in theirs. We discuss: Processing his feelings and thoughts through social media, and how his videos have resonated with millions of strangers around the worldExploring healing through small shifts: even 1% at a timeFinding purpose in life again after a traumatic lossDealing with the broken legal systemAnd more QUOTES: “…even a small shift in mindset can make a huge difference moving forward for somebody. If through this pain I’m experiencing on a daily basis I can give any kind of insight to somebody who’s hurting also, I don’t know any better purpose.” “Philip was objectively one of the best people you would have ever known. There wasn’t a single person who didn’t absolutely love him. He was charming and funny and witty. He had a boyish, childish playfulness to him…sweet and funny and real and knew how to deliver a stupid corny dad joke at the right time…he’s just the best.” “When you lose someone really important to you, all of the sudden time takes on a completely different meaning. A day can feel like forever, but then you wake up and you’re like how am I three years into this? I haven’t seen my brother in three years? That’s not possible. He’s right at the forefront of my mind.”   “When you’ve gone through those super low lows, where you just feel like you’re about to die of sadness…but then somehow, you did get out of it…once you do that enough times, you have that repetition – now you have the muscle built where you can maybe start to step outside it and recognize when you’re in the moment and go ‘okay, I have been here before. I’ve also gotten out of this before, and I know that it will happen.’”   MORE ABOUT BRENDAN: Brendan is the founder of The Phil With Love Foundation, a nonprofit created in Philip’s memory, and creates content as "BrendanShawGrief" on social media that speaks to the often invisible, long-term impact of loss. Through honest conversation and a willingness to share what most people shy away from, Brendan attempts to brings comfort, validation, and connection to anyone walking through life with grief. RESOURCES: Connect with Brendan: IG, Tiktok: @BrendanShawGrief Website: BrendanShawGrief.com Grief Groups: Interested in joining a friend-losspeer support group? Fill out the interest form at ⁠⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup⁠ Lifebooks: Want to create a memorial book for your loved one? Get$50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends, or go directly to this link. Learn more about Lifebooks at https://lifebooks.io/   GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review—it’s so appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Spotify for Podcasts page: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/friendsmissingfriends⁠ Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

In today's episode, guest Amber Jeffrey shares stories about her beloved friend Poppy Chancellor, who died in September of 2023. The two of them met through their grief work in 2019 – Amber with The Grief Gang, and Poppy with The GriefCase – and what followed was a deep, loving friendship and creative partnership. QUOTES: “That’s a real aspect of friendship loss that maybe isn’t spoken about is how, when you choose people to be in your life and you actively build a friendship – and for that to die, for them to die – is catastrophic. Our friends are the foundations in our lives.” “It’s so difficult to explain her, because she was just so one ofone...to try and do that justice, to try and tell people about her, just felt like I was always failing.” “We straightaway realized we had the commonalities of our passion for grief. As we got to know each other, we really enjoyed each other outside of grief...like our shared love of music, or just silliness...we could just chew the fat about anything, and we just had a lot of fun.” “The grief of losing her is just insurmountable...Poppy cracked my world right open. She was technicolor.”   MORE ABOUT AMBER: Amber Jeffrey is a celebrated podcast host, mentor and community facilitator. Her work & podcast, The Grief Gang, specialises in breaking down the stigma around the topic that is grief one conversation at a time. By sharing her own experiences of loss as well as the stories of others on both her show and online platforms. Through Amber’s passionate voice she has gone on to deliver talks & panel discussions at the University of Cambridge, Oxford, Westminster for the UK commission on bereavement and many other corporate entities. The podcast has gained traction in its life span of 5 years and has been recognised and amplified by many news & media outlets such as The BBC, Vogue, Women’s health, The Guardian and many more. With interviews on Woman’s hour, Channel 5 & BBC 1Xtra, Amber is no stranger to being behind the mic and delivering compelling, insightful and humorous interviews on the topic of grief.   RESOURCES: Connect with Amber: IG, Tiktok, Facebook: The Grief Gang Website: www.thegriefgang.com Grief Groups: Interested in joining a friend-loss peer support group? Fill out the interest form at ⁠⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup⁠ Lifebooks: Want to create a memorial book for your loved one? Get$50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends, or go directly to this link. Learn more about Lifebooks at https://lifebooks.io/   GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review—it’s so appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Spotify for Podcasts page: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/friendsmissingfriends⁠ Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

Today’s episode is a little different: I share my thoughts on various grief topics – while taking a walk! I was inspired by Amber Jeffrey’s recent episode on her awesome podcast The Grief Gang, and wanted to give it a try (all credit goes to her for the idea!). Think of it as a voice note from a friend :) I’ll still continue to do interviews on the pod, but will also have these Grief Notes every once in a while (especially now that summer is coming to Chicago!)   In this Grief Note, I muse about: Creative blocks I’m having with my memoirContinuing my friendship with LaurenMy desire for communityAnd more!  RESOURCES: Grief Groups: Interested in joining a friend-loss peer support group? Fill out the interest form at ⁠⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup⁠ Lifebooks: Want to create a memorial book for your loved one? Get $50-off with affiliate code friendsmissingfriends, or go directly to this link. Learn more about Lifebooks at https://lifebooks.io/ GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review—it’s so appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Spotify for Podcasts page: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/friendsmissingfriends⁠ Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781 Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!

Just a heads up: today's episode discusses mother-loss. If that's activating or upsetting, please take care of yourself. David Kessler has great resources for mother-loss grief at mothersdaygrief.com. In today's episode, I chat with Diandra Ford-Wing, a dynamic and innovative Sales Director whose profound journey through grief ignited her passion for storytelling. After the sudden loss of her mother, Diandra made the courageous decision to pause her thriving career, allowing herself the space to heal and reflect. This transformative experience ultimately inspired her debut novel, "Red Bird," a heartfelt exploration of loss and resilience.    Diandra and I chat about: How we all express and experience grief differentlyUsing writing as a tool for processing griefSigns from our loved onesHonoring our loved ones’ legaciesAnd more! RESOURCES: Mother-loss Resources: mothersdaygrief.com Connect with Diandra: IG: www.instagram.com/diandrafordwing Website: booksbydiandra.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/diandrafordwing Grief Groups: If you’re interested in being a part of avirtual peer support friend-loss group, fill out the interest form at ⁠friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup   GET IN TOUCH: Thank you for listening to Friends Missing Friends. If you enjoyed it, please follow/subscribe, leave stars and a review—it’s so appreciated, and it helps the podcast reach more listeners! Email: [email protected] Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends Website: friendsmissingfriends.com Spotify for Podcasts page: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/friendsmissingfriends Leave a Voicemail at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781   Feel free to reach out, by email or VM. (And if you want me to share it on the podcast, be sure to explicitly give me permission to do so). Thanks y’all! Sending you love!