Comedian Keith Chase
Where's The Grief?
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 you want to do is sit on your couch. Follow Kieth on and ...
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Author Earla Dawn Legault - "Living With Sibling Grief - Imagining A Way Forward."
Where's The Grief?
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 a book about their experiences and struggles...
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Author Jonathan Foster - "indigo: the color of grief"
Where's The Grief?
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 talk about the ways that we adapt the permanence of absence as we...
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Comedian Benny Blue - "Live From My Mother's Funeral"
Where's The Grief?
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 don't always acknowledge. Benny's show combines aspects of...
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Author Chris Cochran - "What's Good About Today?"
Where's The Grief?
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. Follow Chris at Get the book, "
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Author Annie Sklaver Orenstein - "Always A Siblling"
Where's The Grief?
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 there. We...
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Comedian Brian Rabadeau
Where's The Grief?
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 If you're in the New Orleans area when this...
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Author, Musician and Sound Healer Jeralyn Glass
Where's The Grief?
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 and the healing power of music bring us...
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Chef Dan Budd
Where's The Grief?
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, July 6th. Laura's death to a rare brain tumor changed the...
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Author and Therapist Dr. Sara Glass
Where's The Grief?
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 trauma,...
info_outlineIn 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 different ways we can forgive ourselves and others for past resentments. We also talk about the healing power of writing and the strength it takes to ask for help.
Follow Kelly on Twitter @KellyS_Thompson
Learn more about Kelly and where to get the book at https://kellysthompson.com