Giving Grief Grace, a Grief Podcast for the Sandwich Generation

Episode 61 - Scriptotherapy: The Healing Power of Writing Through Grief

Writing has been a thread running through Lisa's grief journey long before she had a name for it. In this mini-sode, she introduces "scriptotherapy" — a term coined by Suzette Henke, researched by James Pennebaker — and explores why putting pen (or pencil!) to paper is one of the most accessible, intimate tools we have for processing loss. Lisa shares why writing is helpful because it externalizes feelings, reduces stress, and brings clarity. She reflects on journaling nightly while caring for her mom, and opens up a toolbox of ways writing can take shape: morning pages, letters, postcards, post-it notes, poems, and even prayers. She tells the story of a post-it note her father-in-law left before he died suddenly and now it is framed and seen every day.  In this episode, you'll learn: * What "scriptotherapy" is and why it works for grief * A dozen simple forms writing can take, from morning pages to postcards * What to do with your writing once it's on the page such as keep it, burn it, mail it, or release it to the wild * Why you don't need to be a "writer", all you need to do is write one sentence Lisa closes by reading part of a letter she wrote to her mom this week, remembering their Fourth of July traditions together. Writing Prompt: write one sentence to your loved one, starting with the best meal you ever shared together.  "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" — sometimes healing isn't in keeping what you write. Sometimes it's in setting it free. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2499142/fan_mail/new] Thanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you!  Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone. Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week!  Special thanks to: Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music [https://pinkstarmusic.com/] Podcast Music Good_B_Music [https://pixabay.com/users/good_b_music-22836301/]

Episode 60 - Vacation Starts Now: How to Stop Waiting to Really Live

What does a Zanzibar vacation have in common with a terminal diagnosis? More than you'd think. In this solo episode, Lisa reflects on a pattern she noticed during her recent trip to Tanzania — every single day for five days, there was one more thing to finish before vacation could really begin. Sound familiar? That "one more thing" mindset doesn't just follow us on trips. It follows us through caregiving, grief, and even into our final days. When a family friend recently received a difficult prognosis, it brought Lisa back to her mother Emily's stage four pancreatic cancer diagnosis — and the profound work of helping her unravel from daily life with intention and grace. In this episode, Lisa explores three ways to embrace the truth that presence is a decision, not a destination: 1. Get Clear on What Matters Who do you want to spend your time with? What actually fills your cup? Whether you're on vacation or navigating a terminal diagnosis, getting honest about your priorities is the first act of presence. 2. Prioritize and Delegate the Rest There will always be a to-do list. The question is: which one thing on it truly matters today? Stepping back from boards, volunteer roles, and professional commitments isn't failure, it's freedom. 3. Have the Conversations You Keep Postponing Tell people how they've impacted your life. Ask what they're most proud of. Share stories. Don't wait for the right moment, the right moment is now. Lisa also shares a practical legacy tool: the list of 10 loves and 10 dislikes, and why it matters more than you might think. (And references the Mary McGreevy Tips from Dead People Episode 53 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2499142/episodes/19152136] for more on that.) Listener Challenge: Text or call one person today. Tell them one specific thing you're grateful for about them or how they have made a positive impact on your life. You never know how it will brighten their day!  🔗 More at podcast.lisahartung.com | hello@lisahartung.com [hello@lisahartung.com] | @GivingGriefGrace Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2499142/fan_mail/new] Thanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you!  Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone. Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week!  Special thanks to: Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music [https://pinkstarmusic.com/] Podcast Music Good_B_Music [https://pixabay.com/users/good_b_music-22836301/]

Episode 59 - This is Your Permission Slip: A Guided Meditation from Zanzibar

What does it look like to give yourself permission — really, truly, no-guilt permission to rest, restore, and fill your own cup? In this special field note episode, Lisa calls in live from her balcony in Zanzibar, Tanzania.  In this intimate, meditative episode, Lisa leads listeners through a guided visualization with waves, warm sand, a fancy drink with a little umbrella and gently names what so many in the Sandwich Generation know too well: when the quiet finally comes, sometimes so does the grief. Lisa opens up about her own struggle to fully receive rest without her family, and how thinking of her late mother Emily gave her the reframe she needed: She'd want me here. Enjoying the beach. Feeling fully alive. This episode is part field note, part permission slip and it's for the mom who hasn't taken a minute for herself in longer than she can remember. In this episode, Lisa explores: * Why filling your cup isn't selfish, it's survival * How grief can surface in the quiet, and what to do when it does * The "yes, and" mindset for Sandwich Generation caregivers * Simple ways to reclaim yourself today, even without a trip to Zanzibar * What your loved one would actually want for you right now Whether you're breastfeeding and depleted, drowning in the school drop-off loop, or simply haven't stopped moving in months — this episode is for you. Your mom would give you the permission slip, and Lisa does too. Go for it because grief was never meant to be carried alone. You're worth it.  Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2499142/fan_mail/new] Thanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you!  Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone. Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week!  Special thanks to: Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music [https://pinkstarmusic.com/] Podcast Music Good_B_Music [https://pixabay.com/users/good_b_music-22836301/]

Episode 58 - Grief, Joy, and Clean Water: A Field Note From Tanzania

In this field-recorded episode, Lisa broadcasts live from rural Tanzania during a work trip with her day job with a water nonprofit. Visiting communities at different stages of clean water access, she finds an unexpected throughline: grief, love, and motherhood look remarkably similar across cultures and continents — and joy and grief can coexist in the very same moment. What You'll Hear: * How clean water access transforms the lives of women and children in rural Tanzania * Conversations with Tanzanian women about losing spouses and parents, and how community carries them through * Cultural and religious perspectives on death, mourning, and the afterlife — including a 40-day Muslim mourning tradition * A home visit, shared meal, and the simple beauty of communal cooking and connection * A surprise women's drumming circle that becomes an unexpected, full-circle connection to Lisa's late mother * Reflections on being away from her breastfeeding 17-month-old son while doing meaningful work in the field * Why "joy is the other side of grief" — and how both can live in the same moment What is one happy memory with your mom that you could write down or share with someone this week? Mentioned in This Episode: * Lisa's day job in water access advocacy with a global water nonprofit * The Sandwich Generation experience of caregiving while grieving * Cross-cultural grief traditions (Christian and Muslim practices in Tanzania) Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2499142/fan_mail/new] Thanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you!  Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone. Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week!  Special thanks to: Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music [https://pinkstarmusic.com/] Podcast Music Good_B_Music [https://pixabay.com/users/good_b_music-22836301/]

Episode 57 - What No One Tells You About Grieving Your Mom and How She Still Shows Up

Grief doesn't wait for a convenient moment. Sometimes it finds you mid-walk, while packing for a trip, or when you are stressed, missing the woman who would have been your first call. In this solo episode, Lisa shares what she's learned about grieving her mother, Emily, while still choosing to live fully. She discusses the tradition she's not ready to bring back yet, the ordinary moments where absence hits hardest, and the quiet, unexpected way her mom showed up while unpacking her work bag. If you've lost your mom and wondered why her absence feels loudest in your most alive, most unbridled moments, this episode is for you. In this episode: * Why grief surfaces during joy and tenderness, not just sorrow. Lisa speaks about how your mom can show up while breastfeeding, reading to your children, and wondering how did she do it all? * The girls' week tradition Lisa held with her mom, mother-in-law, sister-in-laws, and their friends. How generations of women were letting their hair down, truly resting, and celebrating every season of motherhood together — and why she's giving herself grace around when to bring it back * The "Bring a Buddy" practice: how Lisa invites her mom into ordinary moments such as a drive across town, an ice cream date with mom, already knowing she'd want the chocolate dip top * How a rose quartz heart became a moment of presence across distance and loss, showing up when Lisa needed her mom most Reflection question for listeners: Where or how has your mother shown up for you in an unexpected way since her passing? What ordinary moment do you most wish you could share with her? Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2499142/fan_mail/new] Thanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you!  Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone. Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week!  Special thanks to: Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music [https://pinkstarmusic.com/] Podcast Music Good_B_Music [https://pixabay.com/users/good_b_music-22836301/]