How Many Siblings Do You Have? Navigating Sibling Loss with Judy Lipson
Release Date: 02/15/2025
One Last Stroller Walk - Navigating Pet Loss
Grief Out Loud
Welcome to a special "podcast takeover" episode. This week, , creator of and , steps in to interview Jana. Their conversation centers on Jana's beloved Boston Terrier, Captain, who died in December 2024 at the age of 15. Lindsey understands this heartache well, as her own sweet dog, Birch, died in May 2022. As a skilled interviewer and a thoughtful friend in grief, Lindsey was the perfect person to explore Jana's experience of loving and grieving for Captain. Together, Lindsey and Jana delve into how Captain came into Jana's life, the complexities of caregiving for an aging...
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Grieving The Death Of A Child - Susie And Nick Shaw’s Story
Grief Out Loud
When Susie and Nick Shaw’s nine-year-old son William died in a skiing accident, their world shifted permanently. In the six years since that day, they've found ways to carry their grief and stay connected to William, while continuing to honor the boy who inspired so much good in their lives and in their community. In this deeply moving conversation, Susie and Nick reflect on William’s life—his empathy, his humor, and the motto he created for himself in the year before he died: “Be Yourself.” A simple but powerful phrase that inspired their nonprofit, . Together, we...
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“We Just Kept Going” - Two Sisters, Twenty Years After Their Mom Was Killed
Grief Out Loud
Jessie was 21. Molly was 11. Two days after their joint birthdays, their mom, Jill, was murdered by Molly’s father. In the hours, days, and years that followed, there was little room for grief. Jessie and Molly were expected to keep going — and they did. But that forward momentum came at a cost. It’s been nearly 20 years, and only recently have Jessie and Molly begun to revisit what happened and what it’s meant to live with unspoken grief and unacknowledged trauma. As part of that process, they discovered a manila envelope packed away in storage - inside were eight...
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It Opened Me Up To Love - Danielle LaRock
Grief Out Loud
How do you keep your heart open to love after it's been broken apart by grief? was just 19 when her father died of a heart attack. In 2022, her partner Ian died suddenly. Then, in 2024, her beloved dog Blue died, and with Blue went many shared memories of time spent with Ian. The experience of loving and being loved by Ian opened up places in Danielle's heart that had closed down after her father's death. That openness has stayed with her, even as she grieves for both Ian and Blue. That ongoing love and connection have shaped Danielle's grief and the ways she tries to support others who are...
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How They Died Matters, A Daughter's Story - Kari Lyons-Price, MSW
Grief Out Loud
Sometimes we can't really begin to understand grief - ours or anyone else's - if we don't have space to talk about the death. The context surrounding how someone died matters and can shape our grief in meaningful ways. This was true for who was a caregiver for her parents, Hal and Sylvia, for many years. They died three years apart, her dad in 2019 and her mom in 2022, and the circumstances of their deaths greatly impacted Kari and her grief. We discuss: How her parents lived - and how they each died Why their death stories matter when it comes to grief The anger and resentment in...
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The Longevity Of Grief
Grief Out Loud
In this episode, Camila returns to Grief Out Loud six years after her first appearance to share how grief continues to evolve. What began with the sudden loss of her mother at age 21 has now expanded to include the ongoing grief of caregiving for her father, who is living with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Camila discusses the unique challenges of long-distance caregiving, the differences between sudden loss and gradual decline, and how these two types of grief intersect in her life. She also discusses navigating major life milestones—including getting married during the...
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When Death Is Scheduled – Mark Chesnut On Grieving His Sister
Grief Out Loud
In this deeply personal episode, Mark Chesnut returns to Grief Out Loud to share his experience of losing his sister Glynn to ovarian cancer. Glynn chose medical aid in dying after nearly four years of treatment, giving Mark and his family the unusual experience of knowing when death would occur. This conversation explores the complexity of "scheduled death," the challenges of finding appropriate language to discuss medical aid in dying, and how knowing the date changed their family's grieving process. is a journalist, editor, public speaker, and the author of: Mark previously appeared...
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Closer In Grief - Building A Relationship After Someone Dies
Grief Out Loud
When someone dies, our relationship with them doesn't just disappear. Sometimes the relationship changes in ways we never expected, allowing us to feel closer to them than we did when they were alive. This can leave us learning to grieve not just for what we had, but for what never got the chance to have with them. In this episode we talk with Never Faull about grieving for their father, who died in 2018 from cirrhosis of the liver. Nev shares how their relationship with their father was distant during his life and how they've found ways to create a deeper connection with him after his...
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The Grief We Bury: Daria Burke on Childhood Loss, Collective Grief, & Estrangement
Grief Out Loud
is an author, executive, and healer-at-heart. She's also a grandchild grieving for her grandmother and a daughter estranged from her parents. In this episode, Daria shares the profound impact of losing her maternal grandmother at age seven and how that early loss reverberated through her life. This loss and grief exist alongside the immense healing she's done around growing up in poverty, childhood trauma, and her parents' absences, addictions, and the eventual estrangement from them. With the recent release of her memoir, , Daria opens up about the moment, decades later, that reawakened the...
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Going Beyond Words: Supporting Children With Autism Who Are Grieving - Jennifer Wiles, M.A., LMHC, BC-DMT, FT
Grief Out Loud
In this episode, we delve into the grief experiences of children and teens with autism. Our guest, - Director of the HEARTplay Program and a dance movement therapist with decades of experience - joins us to discuss how children with autism process grief and how parents and others in their lives can support them. Drawing on her background in both nonverbal forms of expression and grief support, Jennifer shares compassionate, practical insights rooted in her work with families. This conversation is both timely and essential, especially during , as it highlights the importance of expanding how...
info_outlineIn this episode, we talk with Judy Lipson, author of A Celebration of Sisters. Judy shares her journey of sibling loss, reflecting on the deaths of her sisters—Margie, who died of anorexia, and Jane, who died in a car crash—and how their absence shaped her identity. She opens up about the complexities of sibling grief, the impact of Margie's long battle with an eating disorder, and the moment when the grief she had pushed aside for so long finally caught up with her.
Through writing, ice skating, and organizing a fundraiser in their honor, Judy found ways to reconnect with her sisters and keep their memory alive. She also discusses the evolving landscape of sibling grief support and how sharing her story has helped others navigate their own losses.
We Discuss:
- Growing up as the middle of three sisters
- The shock of losing Jane when Judy was 25, and then Margie nine years later
- The challenges of grieving while balancing responsibilities
- How ice skating and philanthropy became outlets for her grief
- The changing landscape of sibling grief support
- What she’s most proud of in her grief process
Resources & Links:
- Judy Lipson’s Website: judylipson.org
- Subscribe to Judy’s Substack: judylipson.com
- Book: A Celebration of Sisters – Available on Amazon and local bookstores
- Dougy Center Resources: dougy.org