A Grief Journey

When a spouse dies, we often question what our next move is. When a spouse dies suddenly, that question may be the first thing you ask. In this episode of the podcast series, A Grief Journey, we hear from Cindy Nitschke about her experience when her husband of 19 1/2 years died suddenly and the steps she took to forge a path forward, including raising her daughters, starting a new career and eventually creating a new life.

A New Year requires New Year's resolutions, or does it? How do you make New Year's resolutions when you are in the throes of grief? In this episode, I discuss the challenges of remaking your life after a spouse dies as you question everything about your life, yourself and your direction. Listen to how a life list and working to redefine your life can help you move through the grief and into a New Year.

After a loved one dies, facing the holidays can be difficult. In this episode, I talk about how I coped with the first holiday season after Terry died. Whether you are deep in grief, as I was that first holiday season, or you have lived through many holidays without your loved one, I hope you search for joy, as I did, that first holiday season alone.

Oftentimes, when we are experiencing grief, we say and do things that are unusual. We also feel ways that we may not have felt before, which leads us to ask the question: Is This Grief? In this episode of A Grief Journey, I talk with the Rev. Karen Calafat about what grief is and some ways we can learn to cope with our grief.

In this episode, I discuss identity after the death of a spouse, specifically about use of the word widow. If you are struggling with your own identity, listen to my discussion with Katie Sherrod where we tease out the some of the issues you might be facing, particularly as it relates to use of the word widow.

Sometimes we don't know what to say to people who are in grief, so we fall back on what we've heard other people say. That can be good, but at other times, that can be very bad when what we've heard people say in the past is hurtful to those who are already hurting. In this episode, I discuss three platitudes people sometimes use when talking with those in grief: I talk about why these remarks are hurtful and what might be helpful to say instead.

The first year after Terry died, I created a Dia de los Muertos altar in my apartment and added to it throughout the last part of October. It really gave me a sense of peace to see the altar every day in my home office. In this episode, I discuss the practices associated with Dia de los Muertos with Dr. Regina Marchi, an associate professor of media studies at Rutgers University. She has recently re-released a revised version of her award-winning book Day of the Dead in the USA: The Migration and Transformation of a Cultural Phenomenon. She offers some tips on how you can create your own altar to commemorate and celebrate your loved one.

In this introductory episode, I describe to you why I’ve started this podcast series and how grief has impacted my life through the deaths of my grandfather, father, mother and most recently, my spouse in 2019. I encourage you to walk with me in this journey as we explore ways to work through grief.