Podcast

It truly shouldn't matter if you are 6 days or 6 months past the loss of someone special, your ability to reach out to your support system and ask for help does not have an expiration date. You may feel it's been too long to ask for help, but your friends and family feel differently. In fact, many are themselves, wondering how to reach out to you, how they can offer to help. I'm sure of it because I've heard it from my friends. This podcast explores my experience with asking for help and my personal thoughts on how you can still ask for help even months after your loss. 

The first days after a loss are never easy. There's no arguing that point. However, there can be moments of comfort seeded in the memories uncovered. Throughout the planning that will encompass much of the first week, I was able to find bright rays of sunshine in what I knew was my darkest days. Based on memories and stories shared by family and friends, this became the catalyst of how I pushed through those first days. I discovered many grateful moments while people gathered and shared story after story, lifting me up and displaying our love for everyone to experience. These are the gems of life that, if given the chance, can brighten those dark moments and provide for you a perspective of gratefulness to help you through. 

Through the loss of my wife to cancer, I've come to understand the most valuable asset my family and friends possess is the ability to lift me up when I've needed it most with the simplest of gestures. There is no perfect formula to help someone grieve, the being there, listening, and providing a slice of normal is often exactly what is needed. However, it's hard for some people to know and understand what their grieving friend is experiencing every day. The most difficult task for those on the outside is understanding the many facets of loss are indeed present most every single day. This podcast and blog exist to help us understand the process of loss with the help of those who are living it. In this episode, I introduce you to my story, my family's story. Come with me as I discuss what has inspired me to create this podcast, Journey to Grateful, and the hopes I have of building a community of support and resource for others who are navigating through their own loss. Understand the "why" of my journey and the plans for this growing community and my many contributors. Learn how you, too can become a voice in this community by sharing your story to help others. Invite friends and family who have experienced loss or know someone who has, and help them help others through this podcast and our stories on the website. Finally, help us to shape this podcast with your suggestions and build this community to become your community.