Where's The Grief?

In this episode I talk with actor and author Jody Gelb about her book, "She may be lying down but she may be very happy," a memoir about the loss of her daughter Lueza. Born with cerebral palsey, Lueza had many struggles in her too short life, but despite all that they faced, Jody managed to find ways to give her as normal and as happy a life as a child can have. Her story speaks to what is possible when we start to open up and have the tough conversations. 

Follow Jody online and ge...

In this episode, I sat down to talk with Bobbi Schlager Milne! I met Bobbi 20 years ago at my first Compassionatte Friends grief conference, and she has continued to be a constant source of love and support in the grief community, and among the few bereaved parents who made a real point in finding support for her surviving daughter Tracy (who later became the sibling representative on the nation board for The Compassionate Friends.) Bobbi's son Andrew was killed in an accident when he was just 10 years old, and his sister Tracy was 15, in 1985. A year later, Bobbi began...

In this episode I got to talk with Author and certified coach Ingrid Hu Dahl. Her new book, "Sun Shining on Morning Snow" is a testatment to the importance of preserving family history and finding ways to talk about the things that we tend to avoid talking about.

After the death of her mother, Ingrid reflected on their relationship and how thier respective journeys of identity and self discovery was similar. Having her own struggle with both her cultural and sexual identity, Ingrid manages to weave her grief into a memoir that is about the ways our...

In this episode, I talk with Author Louise Ells about her book, "Lies I Told My Sister."

Her novel began as a response to a a question a friend asked: "What scares you the most? And are you going to write about it?" Having already dealt with the loss of one of her sisters at a young age, Louise managed to find ways to express her feelings of grief and loss in a novel that explores the relationship between sisters, and the ways that we avoid our biggest fears. 

We also talk about how writing i...

In this episode I talk with comedian Keith Chase about the tumultuous year that saw him nearly lose his own life alongside dealing with the death of his grandmother as well as his father, all in a short span of time. Now 6 months later (This episode was recorded in Nov. 2024) Keith has started reflecting on all the issues that come out of loss, and how we think about our own mortality while still being responsible for someone elses paperwork.

We also talk about how hard it can be to transition back into regular life again when all...

In this episode I talk with my good friend and fellow bereaved sibling, Earla Dawn Legault about her book, "Living With Sibliing Grief - Imagining a Way Forward."

After the death of her sister Leigh-Ann, Earla struggled to find support for her grief, finding very little in for those who had lost a sibling. Even her local grief support groups in Canada seemed too general to understand what she was going through.

Enter Monica Murphy, a fellow bereaved sibliing who was also struggling after the death of her sister Darcy. Together Monica and Earla wrote...

In this episode I talk with author Jonathan Foster about his book 

After the death of his daughter Quincy at the age of 20, Jonathan spent close to a decade processing how to grieve and continue to keep hope in his life. 

Poetry allows for a dynamic and interesting way to weave a narrative, and the ways we experience grief can often be so difficult to express in a linear way. "Indigo" manages to capture a stream of consciousness quality to his story that draws the reader in both mentally as well as visually.

We...

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 do...

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.

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 t...

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

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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...

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, J...

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...

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.<...

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 com...

In this episode I got to talk to Author Courtney Deane about her new book, "When Happily Ever After Fails."

Courtney's father died when she was just 14, and her mother when she was just 28. In order to process her grief and make sense of her feelings about her own identity as a now parentless person, Courtney wrote a romantic comedy novel about a young woman going through similar difficult challenges.

We talk about how important it is to create our own narrative of our trauma, and how finding ways to honor our own journeys.

In this episode I talk with Author and fellow grief podcaster, Brooke Carlock!

After a two year span in which she lost both her parents, her stepmother AND her 10 year old daugher Libby, Brooke has found a miriad of ways to process her grief, as well as help others through thier own. Her podcast, "Mourning Coffee" is an open and honest discussion about the ups and downs of grief and loss that is unfiltered and refreshing in its approach. It reminds me just how helpful it is to validate our own feelings as normal despite how unfamiliar...

In this episode I talk to my good friend comedian John Moses! John's father Ken managed to live for 18 months after being given a terminal diagnosis that was much shorter. Now a year after his passing, John is starting to process his relationship with his dad, and finding ways to let his new perspective make him a better man and father. We also talk about how letting go of resentments and being present can be helpful in fostering family connections.

Follow john on Instagram @ComedianJohnMoses

In this episode, I talk with Author Deborah Kasdan about her book, "Roll Back The World - a sister's memoir." After being diagnosed with schizophrenia as a young adult, Deborah's sister Rachel lived most of her life in and out of hospitals and institutions. Now 20 years since her death, Deborah felt the need to tell Rachel's story, to honer her memory and her life, and to help erase the stigma and fear we have of mental illness. 

We talk about the importance of community, as well as hightlight the fact that even though we've come pretty far f...

In this episode I talk with comedian and fellow grief podcaster Micah Walsh! After his father Kevin died, Micah found an outlet for his feelings in starting his own podcast with comedians talking about grief and loss, "I'll Greive You With This."

We talk about how helpful it can be to talk about the hard topics with other people who understand, and who are not afraid to make jokes about an otherwise stressful and devastaing proceess. 

Listen to "I'll Grieve You With this!"

@IllGrieveYouWithThisPodcast

@Micah_Walsh

Happy New Year!

In this episode, I had an incredible conversation with my good friend and comedian Ray Gootz! Ray was one of my very early guests on the show (Episode 11),  just one month after both his mother and Aunt died. He was among the first people I knew who was doing comedy material about his losses right away, and I was in awe of how open and raw the jokes were. It's been 8 years since then and we talk about all the losses Ray has endured since then (His father, another aunt, his virginity, among others) a...

In this episode I got to talk with Writer and Performer Colin Campbell about his Book, "Finding the Words," as well as his solo show, "Grief: A One Man Sh*tshow."

After both of his kids, Ruby and Hart were killed by a drunk driver, Colin had a deep need to express his grief, first by writing jokes about his grief and his loss, eventually turning it into a one man off-broadway production. A brutally honest approach to his pain, Colin manages to connect through his need to grieve publicly, with no punchlines pulled. 

With n...

In this episode I talk to Author James G. Robinson about his book, "More Than We Expected - Five Years With A Remarkable Child." When his son Nadav was born with a congenital heart defect, James and his wife understood that thier lives would be more difficult than most. When Nadav died at 5 years old after complications from heart surgery, James managed to focus on the stories of strength and resiliance that his son taught him.

In 2017, his article "Road to Recovery" was featured in the NYT Travel section. Detailing a road trip his family took after...

In this episode, I talk with comedian and sex worker rights advocate Kaytlin Bailey about life after the death of her father just over a year ago.

Already a performer and activist before her Father Joe developed dementia, and ultimately cancer, Kaytlin helped her father write his memiors about his life and career in the US Army, and spending as much time as she could before it was too late. 

We talk about how having mutual respect for differing opinions and perspectives can help nurture a solid relationship, and allow us to stand up for o...

In this episode, I got to talk with Author Alexandra Wyman about her book, "The Suicide Club: What To Do When Someone You Love Chooses Death." We talk about the importance of community and the various ways we can find support and create connection outside our immediate families. Alexandra has become an advocate for suicide prevention, helping to change the ways we talk aboout it, and how we can all instill love and hope to those around us before any suicidal ideation takes hold. 

Learn more about Alexandra at  https://www.forwardtojoy.com

Alexandra also ha...

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 t...

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 h...

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 a...

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 d...

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" p...

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...

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...

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

I got to talk with Chelsey McHale, a fellow member of The Compassionate Friends (TCF) support group that I attend. After her brother Clint died while out mountain hiking, Chelsey actually started a TCF sibling support group in her town, AND managed to get new safety signage put up where Clint died in order to help make sure future accidents can be avoided, while also having a spot to visit and honer her brother. 

We talk the stupid things people say, how to create healthy boundries with difficult family members, and the importance of staying true to o...

In this episode, I talk with interdisciplinary artist, documentary filmmaker, teacher, and arts therapist Adriana Marchione. Already a therapist and dancer when her husband died, she ultimately found ways of expressing her path towards healing by incorporating that which she was already involved in. Her film, When the Fall Comes, is about her process of grief using art and dance after the death of her husband Eddie. Her new documentary, The Creative High, shares compelling artist stories of addiction and recovery. We also talk about the importance of the creative process, and the healing that can come from letting oo...

I got to talk with comedian Erin Lok about how comedy helped her cope with all the anxiety and stress that the pandemic brought, as well as the larger difficulty of life after the death of her father. We talk about the importance of letting ourselves express our emotions, as well as the catharsis that a little bit of levity can bring.

Follow Erin online at https://linktr.ee/Erinlokcomedy or @erinlokcomedy on IG!

Follow ME @WheresTheGrief

Email me WheresTheGrief@gmail.com