Grief & Happiness

Each grief experience is unique. Mourning the same person will take people on different ruts and even make them go on opposite paths. We all feel, process, and deal with pain in a particular way, and it is in that plurality that hundreds of healing techniques are born.In this episode, I'm joined by the Author, Speaker, Healer, and TV Host, Brenda L. Balding. Brenda's relationship with grief was always one of curiosity about how we heal from it, with emphasis on positive and reflective ways. Her background as a Registered Nurse adds a compelling yet little-discussed topic to the mix: the grief of the body parts we lose in surgeries.Throughout this episode, you'll hear about Brenda's unique approach to grief recovery, blending medical knowledge and creative, spiritual practices. Brenda also talks about the importance of addressing grief head-on, why relying on creative and artistic expressions to deal with bereavement is always a good idea, how to take care of spiritual and emotional energy during grief, and much more.Tune in and listen to episode 268 of Grief and Happiness, and discover how artistic expressions can help you balance feeling joy while still honoring your grief.In This Episode, You Will Learn:Brenda talks about the grief of missing body parts (2:50)About the emotional impact of medical procedures (4:30)How writing letters to those we mourn can help (7:10)Is it possible to use physical triggers for joy? (12:10)Brenda and Emily discuss happiness practices (13:20)Connect with Brenda L. Balding:WebsiteLinkedinFacebookGet Brenda's booksWatch Brenda on I Have Today with Diane FosterLet's Connect:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterPinterestThe Grief and Happiness AllianceBook: Emily Thiroux Threatt - Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief

What do you have or do now that helps you to feel better?Let's Connect:You can join the Grief and Happiness Alliance which meets weekly on Sundays by clicking hereYou can order the International Best Selling The Grief and Happiness Guide by clicking here.You can order Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief by clicking here at Amazon:You can listen to my podcast, Grief and Happiness, by clicking hereRequest your Awaken Your Happiness Journaling Guide here

Let's Connect:You can join the Grief and Happiness Alliance which meets weekly on Sundays by clicking hereYou can order the International Best Selling The Grief and Happiness Guide by clicking here.You can order Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief by clicking here at Amazon:You can listen to my podcast, Grief and Happiness, by clicking hereRequest your Awaken Your Happiness Journaling Guide hereSee acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is it possible to express the pain of losing a soulmate through words?In this episode, I'm joined by the Family Law Attorney and Writer Michael Sudman. Michael started writing health updates to family and friends when his soulmate, Sheryl, got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After Sheryl passed, Michael kept writing, yet he transformed those health updates into beautifully written poetry and (thankfully!) decided to keep sharing them. Using his incredible talent to resignify everyday observations into deep messages about life, love, grief, and healing, Michael shares his art with 240 people each day, and, through his spontaneous and heartfelt words, inspires others to find beauty, hope, and connection even in the darkest times.Throughout this episode, you'll hear about Michael's unique approach to coping with grief through daily writing and how he found solace, connection, and healing through his art. You'll also hear three beautiful poems written by Michael about optimism, life's unpredictability, and simplicity that represent perfectly how art, writing, and poetry are ideal tools for resignifying grief and much more.Tune in and listen to episode 264 of Grief and Happiness, and enjoy Michael's incredible talent to transform unique perspectives and ideas into a beautiful art form.In This Episode, You Will Learn:About how Michael's "Today's Thought" started (2:50)Three is golden in them (4:20)Michael's poem about life's unpredictability (6:00)Hopeful, happy, praying, peaceful, summer nights... (14:40)Michael talks about what writing these poems does for him (17:50)Connect with Michael Sudman:LinkedInBook: Michael Sudman - A 62-Day Journey: Love, Light, and GraceLet's Connect:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterPinterestThe Grief and Happiness AllianceBook: Emily Thiroux Threatt - Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief

Let's Connect:You can join the Grief and Happiness Alliance which meets weekly on Sundays by clicking hereYou can order the International Best Selling The Grief and Happiness Guide by clicking here.You can order Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief by clicking here at Amazon:You can listen to my podcast, Grief and Happiness, by clicking hereRequest your Awaken Your Happiness Journaling Guide hereSee acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Only those who have been in the process of making, loving, and losing family can talk about what it feels like, yet all of us can learn from it.In today's episode, I'm joined by the Author, Advocate, Speaker, and Podcaster Jessica Fein. Jessica's relationship with grief started when she lost her sister, who was only three years older, at the age of 27. Several years later, her daughter was diagnosed with a rare disease, taking Jessica and her family through a chaotic journey of heart-wrenching challenges, relentless battles, love, laughter, and lessons about life, grief, and the indomitable human spirit.Throughout this episode, you'll hear Jessica's thoughts on caring for loved ones with special needs and the significance of finding ways to include them in daily life. She also talks about Dalia, her daughter, who was diagnosed with MERRF syndrome, her family's life before and after the diagnosis, the deep connection between grief and creativity, and much more.Tune in and listen to episode 262 of Grief and Happiness, and learn more about Jessica's powerful journey through the profound joys and painful challenges of love and loss.In This Episode, You Will Learn:Jessica talks about the diagnosis that changed her and her family's lives (1:40)About Dalia's determination to BE in this world (5:10)Grief has many layers, and it is different for each one of us (10:00)Figuring out how to integrate losses (16:50)Self-care can be a two-edged sword (22:10)Creativity and grief go really well together (24:50)Connect with Jessica Fein:WebsiteInstagramBook: Jessica Fein - Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken GenesI Don't Know How You Do It podcastLet's Connect:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterPinterestThe Grief and Happiness AllianceBook: Emily Thiroux Threatt - Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief

Let's Connect:You can join the Grief and Happiness Alliance which meets weekly on Sundays by clicking hereYou can order the International Best Selling The Grief and Happiness Guide by clicking here.You can order Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief by clicking here at Amazon:You can listen to my podcast, Grief and Happiness, by clicking hereRequest your Awaken Your Happiness Journaling Guide hereSee acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What if you knew the exact moment you were going to die; would that knowledge change the way you live today?Meet Mark Dowie, Author of "Judith Letting Go," a book that tells the story of the beautiful friendship between him and Judith Tannenbaum, a poet who, after being diagnosed with an incurable disease that caused her a lot of pain, decided to transition on her own terms.In this episode, Mark shares details of his intimate experience with Judith and the deeply transformative experience of knowing when and where she would die. Mark is an Investigative Historian, a Journalist, one of the Founding Members of the Mesa Refuge board, a former publisher and editor of Mother Jones magazine, and the former editor-at-large of InterNation.Throughout this episode, you'll also hear about the revolutionizing concept of Death Cafe, where people gather to enjoy coffee, eat cake, and discuss death. Mark also shares his thoughts on the importance of confronting mortality as a way to enrich life, explore end-of-life options, and use those skills to provide comfort and reduce the fear of the inevitable.Tune in and listen to episode 260 of Grief and Happiness, and discover how one man's profound friendship with a terminally ill poet transformed his understanding of life and death.In This Episode, You Will Learn:About Mark, Judith, and the world's smallest Death Cafe (4:10)How Death Cafes can expand people's perception of transitioning (6:40)How did Mark and Judith's friendship start (7:50)About different approaches to end-of-life celebrations (11:00)Why Judith's death wasn't suicide (14:40)Death can teach us more about life than life itself (21:40)Connect with Mark Dowie:Book: Mark Dowie - Judith Letting Go: Six Months in the World's Smallest Death CafeGet Mark Dowie's booksLet's Connect:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterPinterestThe Grief and Happiness AllianceBook: Emily Thiroux Threatt - Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief