I had such a great discussion with Kelsey Chittick for this episode. Kelsey is a widowed parent, and in this episode she reflects on losing her husband suddenly. He actually died in front of their kids at the trampoline park, when she was out of the country. Be sure to listen for the part where she shares the most valuable lesson she learned: that she didn’t have to try to fix everything for her kids, but instead she needed to be there and to listen. -=-=-=-=- Thank you sponsors &...

I had such a great discussion with Debbie Weiss for this episode. We talk about three different aspects of Debbie’s grief experience: losing her mom at age 10; losing her husband at age 50; and dating in middle-age widowhood. Debbie is the author of the new book Available As Is: A Midlife Widow's Search for Love. -=-=-=-=- Thank you sponsors & partners: Grief Coach - Grief support text messaging service. Tips and support delivered all year long, personalized based on your loss....

I had such a great discussion with Allison Gilbert for this episode. Allison was my guest back in episode 35, where we talked about her book Passed and Present, and about ways to keep the memory of our loved ones alive. This week, we talk about her new book, which is called: Listen, World! It’s a biography – and in our discussion we uncovered the important idea that biography is perhaps an under-appreciated tool in terms of grief support. Much like memoir, a great biography can be a window...

I had such a great discussion with Barri Leiner Grant for this episode. One of the most important takeaways from our discussion is this: grief support comes in different forms, and it’s important to understand some of the options so you can find something that feels right for you. -=-=-=-=- Thank you sponsors & partners: Grief Coach - Grief support text messaging service. Tips and support delivered all year long, personalized based on your loss. Listeners get $10...

I had such a great discussion with Meghan Riordan Jarvis for this episode. Meghan is a trauma therapist, and what she had to say about trauma and grief kind of blew my mind. This discussion is one of a special pair of episodes: Meghan and I talked twice in the same week — once for her show, once for mine — so do be sure to listen to both discussions. You can find my interview on Meghan’s Grief is My Side Hustle podcast here. -=-=-=-=- Thank you sponsors & partners: Grief Coach - Grief...

I had such a great discussion with Adam Carter of the National Alliance for Children’s Grief for this episode. We talked all about how social media can be a helpful tool, plus tips and suggestions for parents when it comes to teen social media use as it relates to grief and grieving. Check out the word cloud, and then listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast app! -=-=-=-=- Thank you sponsors & partners: Grief Coach - Grief support text messaging service. Tips and support...

I had a great discussion with Joseph James for this episode. I’m really glad that Joseph reached out to me about coming on the show, because this show is not just for moms. It’s is very definitely for all widowed parents. And I think it’s useful to hear a variety of perspectives, and a variety of styles of grieving, and parenting. And as Joseph tells us, he didn’t feel like parenting came naturally to him, and he felt like he needed to learn how to be a better dad. Check out the word cloud,...

I had such a great discussion with Paula Harris for this episode. Paula’s financial planning firm specializes in working with widowed people, and she’s also the author of Rise Up: A Widow’s Journal. Check out the word cloud for this episode, and then listen to our full discussion! -=-=-=-=- Thank you sponsors & partners: Grief Coach - Grief support text messaging service. Tips and support delivered all year long, personalized based on your loss. Listeners get $10...

I had such a great discussion with Lisa Valentine Clark for this episode. Lisa is a widowed mom of 5, and she lost her husband two years ago to ALS. Check out the word cloud for this episode, and then listen to our full discussion. -=-=-=-=- Thank you sponsors & partners: Grief Coach - Grief support text messaging service. Tips and support delivered all year long, personalized based on your loss. Listeners get $10 off: https://grief.coach/jennylisk/ BetterHelp - Talk with a licensed,...

I had such a great discussion with Zibby Owens for this episode. Zibby has a delightful podcast all about books & authors, and a thoughtful new memoir, Bookends, which dives deep into grief. Some topics Zibby and I discuss include: Zibby’s podcast, Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books, and some of her favorite grief memoirs; Her own brand-new memoir, Bookends; Losing her best friend on 9/11, and the trauma and impact that had on her; The ‘grief brain’ and brain fog she experienced;...

I had such a great discussion with Kristin Meekhof for this episode. Kristin is an author, and I invited her on the show because she is both widowed herself and is someone who lost a parent at a young age. Plus, this week we have a giveaway, where one lucky winner will get signed copies of both Kristin’s book, A Widow’s Guide to Healing, and my own book, Future Widow. If you’re listening around the time this episode is released, you can enter now through June 11, 2022, at...

I had such a great discussion with Rebecca Soffer for this episode. Rebecca is not a widowed parent, but many widowed parents and others turn to her book and her community, Modern Loss, for support and connection. And now, Rebecca has a brand-new book: The Modern Loss Handbook. It’s a beautiful, full-color book, and Rebecca calls it “an interactive guide to moving through grief and building your resilience.” Some topics Rebecca and I discuss include: When she and I met at an event at The...

I had such a great discussion with Kim Murray for this episode. Kim is a widowed parent, and we have so much in common. Her husband died of glioblastoma, as did mine. Her kids were 8 and 10 when he was diagnosed; mine were those ages, too. Most importantly, though, Kim gets real with us. She talks about things people aren’t willing to talk about – including her son’s struggles beginning a few years after his dad died, and the stories she was telling herself about her parenting because of his...

I had such a great discussion with Stacy Francis for this episode. Stacy is a certified financial planner who specializes in working with women going through transitions, including becoming widowed. I invited her on the show because this is such an important topic, and it’s helpful to be able to ask an expert our questions about money, taxes, and social security. Some topics Stacy and I discuss include: Thinking about the first tax return as a widowed person; Some differences to know about...

I had such a great discussion with Karen Phelps Moyer for this episode. I first learned of Karen’s work because she founded Camp Erin, which is a camp for kids ages 6-17 who are grieving the loss of a loved one, and which runs camps in many locations across the US. Now, Karen is working with widowed people and others to reimagine love after loss. I had the pleasure of talking with her initially back in episode 51, and since dating and potentially looking for a “Chapter 2” is a topic that many...

I had such a great discussion with Maria Vassiliou for this episode. Maria lost her mom when she was just two years old. As an adult, she’s studied thanatology and started a podcast dedicated to exploring and expanding the conversation about death. Her podcast is called Philotimo Life. Some topics Maria and I discuss include: Maria and her dad moving in with her dad’s parents a few years after her mom died; Why she avoided talking about death or about her mom for many years growing up; How...

I had such a great discussion with Sherri Fisher for this episode. Sherri is a learning specialist who has worked both in schools and in private practice. I wanted to invite her to the show this week because she has so much wisdom and experience to share with us on the topic of support for kids who are struggling in school. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like the world of education has gotten more complicated than when I was growing up. This is one of those episodes that is not...

I had such a great discussion with Heather Stang for this episode. Heather is founder of the Mindfulness & Grief Institute, where she facilitates Awaken, a mindfulness-based online grief group, offers individual sessions, and hosts the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast. Even though we recorded this discussion some months back, I think it’s a great time right now, with the new year having just started, to have a listen, and consider learning a bit about mindfulness and perhaps even adopting...

I had such a great discussion with Katarina Salisbury for this episode. This is the second episode in a two-part series with the Salisbury family—Katarina is with us this week, and last week we spoke with her mom, Leila. I hope you had a chance to catch that discussion—listeners are telling me it was a powerful one. Katarina is just 15 years old, and she lost her dad when she was 5. She’s very articulate and she’s passionate about helping grieving kids and teens. [...]

I had such a great discussion with Leila Salisbury for this episode. This is the first episode of a two-part series with the Salisbury family – Leila is with us this week, and next week we’ll speak with her 15-year-old daughter, Katarina, for part two of the series. It’s going to be so great to hear from both of them, and hear their different perspectives and reflections on the loss of the same person: Leila’s husband and Katarina’s dad. [...]

I had such a great discussion with Lane Pease Hendricks and Nancy Kriseman from Kate’s Club for this episode. Lane and Nancy have a brand new book for widowed parents and others who are raising grieving kids. They are with Kate’s Club, a leading grief program for kids and families, so they really know their stuff. I am so excited to bring you this discussion to kick off this year’s Children’s Grief Awareness Month. [...]

I had such a great discussion with Joy Imboden Overstreet for this episode. Joy is a widowed parent, and is in fact the person who is farthest out from their loss that we’ve had on the show. She was widowed 47 years ago, when her kids were just 3 & 6 years old. I think it’s really helpful to hear her perspectives and reflections after many years. [...]

I had such a great discussion with Mari Marquez for this episode. It was so much fun talking to Mari twice over the course of a few days – once for her show, and once for mine. It really was lovely to connect with her and hear all about her experiences, and also her blog, podcast, and children’s book, all of which bring badly-needed resources to widowed parents. [...]

I had such a great discussion with Joanne Harpel for this episode. We talk about a really difficult topic today: coping after losing a loved one to suicide. It seems that many people are uncomfortable talking about death in general … and even more uncomfortable when talking about suicide. This is a topic we haven’t specifically covered yet on the show [...]

I had such a great discussion with Bryan Jung for this episode. Bryan’s dad died when Bryan was just shy of 11 years old. Bryan is in his 20’s now and has started a creative platform, This is Why, which offers people who lost a parent at a young age a place to tell their stories. [...]