Avoid "Happy Mother's/Father's Day" for friends/family grieving

Avoid "Happy Mother's/Father's Day" for friends/family grieving

Holiday's of any kind, including birthdays, and cultural celebrations and even significant life events like graduations and weddings, aren't always happy for people grieving. In this episode, Dr. Sarah Elizabeth, certified grief coach, encourages friends and family of people grieving to be more sensitive to their loved ones, including "grief with a lower-case g" including less obvious, more hidden types of grief, like the grief after a miscarriage, even years later, that an acquaintance or new friend might not even know about. Like in episode 1, where Dr. Sarah reminds us that Grief is NOT Linear, and Grief is totally unique, and in episode 3 where recommendations are giving when supporting people grieving, this episode offers specific examples and food for thought for "holiday's" that may not only be happy for many.

The Edge of Grief in Gender Transition

In this episode, artist, educator and advocate, Nicklin Heap, shares the often overlooked aspects of grief that are part of the joyful transformation of gender transition. If you would like to support the Transgender community, you can do so through these organizations: TransEquality [https://transequality.org/ ] and/or Trans Life Line [https://give.translifeline.org/give/461718/#!/donation/checkout]. For more info about Nicklin's art and work, feel free to learn more here [linktr.ee/nicklinheap].

Ambiguous Loss - Child with Medically Complex Needs

In this episode, Dr. Sarah Elizabeth, Grief Support Specialist, talks with a mother of a young adult with complex medical needs and autism, who is also a social worker & therapist, and founder of No Apology Events [https://www.facebook.com/noapologyevents]. If you feel moved to make a small financial contribution towards spaces that are more inclusive for families and children/tweens/teens/young adults with unique abilities and special needs, please consider supporting this beautiful non-profit [https://www.instagram.com/Noapologyevents?fbclid=IwY2xjawRvV8ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETAxQldPcGtiS1lndmg5WmRsc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHtOAtJj3j4Mrj2Oe4PlmnHEjrU4_RGM38Vls4kmdpcfLgqUyfZecxOLcoWmb_aem_b9Uu1comf6BVQfDAFnrmbQ].Please feel free to join HealingTogether444 for one of two remaining HealingCircles (online) [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grief-healing-circles-may-2026-tickets-1987364940034?aff=oddtdtcreator] for May. THURSDAY May 14th, 7pm CST/8pm EST/5pm PST on ZOOM (90 min) for anyone divorced or getting divorced, or post breakup of a romantic partnership, or end/change of a familial relationship or platonic friendship, or death of a loved one (specifically a spouse/partner) THURSDAY May 27th, 7pm CST/8pm EST/5pm PST on ZOOM (90 min) for any kind of grief, including death of a pet, or person, job loss, relationship change, change with aging or accident, change with a child/young adult, etc.

Men & Grief, AND Anticipatory Grief

Men often grieve differently than women. This episode focuses on men's grief, citing Men & Grief [https://www.alibris.com/Men-Grief-Carol-Staudacher/book/29359387?matches=15], by the late Carol Staudacher, who was also the author of Beyond Grief [https://www.alibris.com/Beyond-Grief-Carol-Staudacher/book/11372654?matches=13], and welcomes a guest, Phillip, to share about his anticipatory grief about his father's impending death. Here's the link [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grief-healing-circles-may-2026-tickets-1987364940034?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwY2xjawRclWlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE3UmJvUWY2NlhRR2dzbHh5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmUCWhJ4apaQlaMLYda2wuXt1nLwpfuFOYjvvicWtMoXD8Akcx37bVGNMHEn_aem_MdMLNkRjFg13OYHl] for FIVE online Grief Healing Circles scheduled for May 2026. Here's the link [https://sites.google.com/view/gender-grief-gentleness/home] for the event for Men hosted by my dear friend, Daniel Roller.

Talking with Children/Tweens/Teens about Grief

Children, tweens, teens grieve, too. Death of a loved one, human or animal, grief after divorce, or other causes of grief are common. Many adults have little training about child development and strategies about talking with children about grief, and death. In this episode, Dr. Sarah Elizabeth, certified grief coach, shares some recommendations from: Motherless Mothers: How Losing a Mother Shapes the Parent You Become [https://www.alibris.com/Motherless-Mothers-How-Losing-a-Mother-Shapes-the-Parent-You-Become-Hope-Edelman/book/9970052?matches=34] by Hope Edelman How Do We Tell the Children?: A Step-By-Step Guide for Helping Children and Teens Cope When Someone Dies [https://www.alibris.com/How-Do-We-Tell-the-Children-A-Step-By-Step-Guide-for-Helping-Children-and-Teens-Cope-When-Someone-Dies-Dan-Schaefer-PhD/book/34363535?matches=15] by Dan Schaefer, Ph.D., & Christine Lyons A Parent's Guide to Raising Grieving Children: Rebuilding Your Family After the Death of a Loved One [https://www.alibris.com/booksearch?mtype=B&keyword=a+parent%27s+guide+to+raising+grieving+children&hs.x=0&hs.y=0] by Phyllis Rolfe Silverman, & Madelyn Kelly Five online Grief Healing Circles have been scheduled for May, targeted to different audiences, like people divorced, and women whose mothers have died. For information and registration, please visit: bit.ly/444HealingTogether [https://bit.ly/444HealingTogether]