widows and grief – End of Life University

Learn how this television chef and blogger used humor to help her navigate life as a widow.

My guest Laurie Burrows Grad is a cookbook author and television chef who began blogging about grief, widowhood, and survival after the death of her husband Peter. She shares how she used humor to help her navigate life as a widow and offers some practical tips for others facing widowhood. Laurie is the author of the book The Joke’s Over, You Can Come Back Now: How this Widow Plowed Through Grief and Survived. Learn more about her work at her website:

www.lauriegrad.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

How Laurie felt demoted socially after the death of her husband
How writing blogs helped Laurie get through her grief
Why you have to get through the pain of grief in order to come out on the other side
Laurie’s experiences with grief counselors and with Our House Grief Support Center
How finding meaning within loss can help you feel better
How Laurie has used humor in her writing and throughout her grief process
The challenges of trying to date as a widow in later life
The trauma of experiencing a loved one’s death while traveling in an unfamiliar place and how the Neptune Society helped
Top ten things not to say to someone grieving and what to say instead
How cooking for others was also helpful for Laurie in her grief
How to get through the holidays and anniversaries by preparing in advance
The most important things Laurie has learned on her grief journey

Links mentioned in this episode:

Learn more and sign up for Grief Coach ($10 discount for 1 year)
Our House Grief Support Center
The Neptune Society
Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, occasional movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!
Buy me a coffee
Donate on Paypal

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu and to those who have made a donation through Paypal or bought me a coffee! Your contributions make all the difference.

Learn practical tips for navigating the caregiving journey and grief after the death of a spouse.

My guest Jill Johnson-Young is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked in hospice and as a therapist specializing in grief, loss, dementia, and trauma. She shares her personal journey as a caregiver for two spouses and as a “double widow” along with helpful tips for grief and how to break the “widow rules.” She is the author of numerous books about grief for adults and children including her most recent The Rebellious Widow: A Practical Guide to Love and Life After Loss. Learn more at her websites:

www.therebelliouswidow.com

www.jilljohnsonyoung.com

Get the book here

Read the transcript

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

The “widow rules” and why they need to be challenged
How society judges grievers rather than allowing them to take their own unique path
How anticipatory grief helped with her process of grief after death
The importance of fostering intimacy for couples who are facing death (making “body memories”)
How medical and hospice providers often overlook the needs of the caregiver
What to say to couples dealing with a terminal illness
Why couples should discuss the caregiver’s future after death
Setting boundaries and asking for help as a caregiver
How she found “helpers” to connect with her children and watch over them during the dying process and funeral
The jarring moment when a diagnosis is received for both patient and caregiver
Challenges facing same-sex couples as they access care
Humor as self-preservation for medical staff and caregivers

Links mentioned in this episode:

Jill’s Programs and Courses; Get a 50% discount with code Podcast50
Book by Rabbi Steve Leder: For You When I Am Gone

Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!

Buy me a coffee

Donate on Paypal

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest patrons Janis Wiebking and Robin Blanche! Also thank you to Francis Pope Hewitt for your Paypal donation! Your contributions make all the difference.