Giving Grief Grace, a Grief Podcast for the Sandwich Generation

Lisa Hartung
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  • Mental Health

Loss changes everything. But it doesn't have to have the last word. Giving Grief Grace is a podcast dedicated to those in the throes of caregiving and loss with honest, compassionate conversations about grief, healing, and what it means to keep living after loss. Hosted by Lisa Hartung, a speaker, HR professional, and fellow griever, each episode creates space for the stories we don't always know how to tell. From disenfranchised and hidden grief, to grieving while parenting, to the ways men experience loss differently, to the unexpected power of creativity and legacy,  this show covers grief in all its forms. Featuring expert guests, real stories, and practical tools you can use right now. If you've lost someone you love or are in the throes of caregiving, you belong here. New episodes drop every Sunday. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

  1. 4 days ago

    When Your Pet Is Nearing the End: Jenny Gott on Pet Hospice, Family & Giving Yourself Grace (Episode 77)

    When a beloved pet is nearing the end of life, it often happens alongside everything else: children, work, and aging parents, with far less support than a human loss would bring. Jenny Gott, founder of Animal Intuition and creator of the Emily’s Path pet hospice program, shares what she learned caring for her own rescue pitbull, Emily, and walking with families through this final chapter. Together we talk about staying present, making room for both guilt and relief, bringing children into the conversation, and honoring a pet after saying goodbye. Takeaways Ask what still brings your pet joy. Jenny’s lens for quality of life is whether anything is left on the list that brings them joy, or whether they are “just surviving.” She notes there’s often no single exact moment, but quiet shifts: less interest in favorite things, less appetite, more sleep, or pulling away.Make the time left count, together. Plan small, doable moments (a popcorn movie night, family photos, a walk), include children in ways that fit their age, and decide how you’d like to honor your pet, whether a letter, a special space at home, or a celebration of life.Lower the load on yourself. Use the energy-percentage check-in Jenny describes to decide what truly has to happen tonight. Accept help (even a freezer meal), and keep your support in place after your pet has crossed. “How do we stay here with them? How do we give them the best quality of life while they’re still here?” — Jenny Gott Connect with Jenny Gott Website (phone, text, email, social links, newsletter sign-up): www.animal-intuition.comEmily’s Path Pet Hospice Program: https://animal-intuition.com/pet-hospice-program/Facebook: Animal.IntuitionInstagram: animalintuitionmnSubscribe to her newsletter for upcoming events and to hear when she releases her online course for pet families!Her blog on signs of pain in dogs: https://animal-intuition.com/top-signs-your-dog-is-in-pain/More from Giving Grief Grace Our three-part series on talking to children about death with Carrie Silver of A Haven, a child and family grief center: Episode 45, 49, and 50Share your story or a topic you’d like us to cover: hello@lisahartung.com. Tell me about a pet who changed your family.Send us Fan Mail 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 Podcast Music Good_B_Music

    When Your Pet Is Nearing the End: Jenny Gott on Pet Hospice, Family & Giving Yourself Grace (Episode 77)

  2. 18 Oct

    Who Am I Now? Jennifer Zona on Finding Yourself After a Life Transition (Episode 76)

    After more than two decades in public education, Jennifer Zona found herself in what she calls "the desert": the old self gone, the new one not yet here, and no one bringing a casserole. In this conversation, she shares what sitting with hospice patients taught her about not waiting to live, how grief hides behind “I’m fine," and the moment she realized the grief she’d carried for her daughter’s imagined future was actually her own. Ask yourself, “Who do you want this for?” In this episode, Lisa also discusses her father's recent Alzheimer's diagnosis and caregiving for him. Key takeaways Some losses come with no funeral and no announcement, like a career that ends, a house gone quiet, or a pregnancy that ends at 11 weeks. Jennifer’s first step is to stop measuring and say out loud, “this is a loss;” it doesn’t have to be worse than anyone else’s to be real. Then mark it with a ritual such as lighting a candle, watching it burn, and snuffing it out while naming what is ending in one sentence.When you’re grieving a parent while raising kids, grief can go underground and resurface as anger such as snapping over a sock on the floor. Kids are observant and learn how to grieve from adults around them. Jennifer suggests letting children see adults grieve in constructive ways, saving the rage and anger for when the adult is alone. Ask yourself, “Who do I want it for?” Jennifer realized after 18 years that the grief she held for her daughter’s imagined future was her own. Next time you hear yourself say “I’m fine,” ask yourself: what is the truest response and why? “Learning to carry the grief is hard work. But it’s also beautiful. And you don’t have to carry it alone.” — Jennifer Zona Take the next step Work with Jennifer: book a free 30-minute call (no prep needed) for her threshold sessions at notreallyfine.com. Learn more about Jennifer’s practice: La Loba Soul Support at lalobasoulsupport.com, her Substack at lalobasoulsupport.substack.com, and Instagram @lalobasoulsupport.Mentioned in this episode: Many Winters: Prose and Poerty of the Pueblos by Nancy Wood, the book Jennifer’s closing poem comes from.Share your advice with Lisa: if you’ve cared for a parent with Alzheimer’s and have words of wisdom, links, articles, books, or resources to share, please email Lisa at hello@lisahartung.com or send a DM on Instagram @GivingGriefGrace.Pass it on: send this episode to one person who is naviagting a life change. You never know how words can help them! Wherever you are in the in-between, give yourself some grace. You don’t have to carry it alone. Send us Fan Mail 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 Podcast Music Good_B_Music

    Who Am I Now? Jennifer Zona on Finding Yourself After a Life Transition (Episode 76)

  3. 11 Oct

    Put the Fun Back in the Funeral: Tia Ma on Death with Dignity and Her Father’s Last Wishes (Episode 75)

    Content note: This episode includes an open conversation about medical aid in dying (death with dignity) and the death of Tia’s father. Please listen with care. When Tia Ma’s father, Richard Powers, was diagnosed with ALS at 82, he chose death with dignity, and then did what he did best: he planned a farewell with music, jokes, and even an intermission. Tia, a resilience coach, grief coach, and Shaolin Qigong instructor, shares the three-week countdown, the goodbye letters, and the strain of a family that grieves in very different ways. At the end of the episode, Tia leads listeners through simple Qigong-based movements to help grief and anger find somewhere to go, and notice what the body is saying. Three takeaways Talk about end-of-life wishes early. Tia and her brother fully supported their dad’s choice of death with dignity, but her dad spent energy wondering, because the family had never discussed it. Her advice: have these conversations today, not when things are pressing and no one is thinking clearly. We couldn't agree more! Honest conversations can bring you closer as you work to honor your loved one's wishes. A known timeline can make room for real goodbyes. In his final three weeks, Tia’s dad wrote about 45 letters telling people what they meant to him, and connected with his community through a CaringBridge site. Letting people know how they have influenced your life is an act of generosity and the stories become priceless mementos for surviving loved ones.Try a simple Qigong practice to befriend your nervous system. Hug your thumb, then pat down the inside of each arm and pet up the outside, with a longer exhale than inhale. Tia walks you through it near the end of the episode.“There’s something very awe-inspiring about death that we’ve been missing by keeping it hidden away.” — Tia Ma Connect and keep going Work with Tia (one-on-one coaching and speaking): https://www.tia-ma.com/Follow Tia’s travels and work on Instagram and Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/mz.tiama/Tia’s book about her father’s death with dignity is forthcoming, we hope to have her back on the show when it is available for purchase! Resources mentioned: Compassion & Choices - https://compassionandchoices.org/ and CaringBridge https://www.caringbridge.org/Tell Lisa which end-of-life conversation you’re hoping to start with your family, or what questions you’d like answered in a future episode: hello@lisahartung.comFollow @GivingGriefGrace on Instagram and subscribe wherever you listen.Wherever you are in your own goodbyes, past, present, or still ahead, give yourself grace. You were never meant to carry this alone. Send us Fan Mail 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 Podcast Music Good_B_Music

    Put the Fun Back in the Funeral: Tia Ma on Death with Dignity and Her Father’s Last Wishes (Episode 75)

  4. 5 Oct

    Grief Is Our Roommate, Not Our Enemy: Rebecca Feinglos on Founding Grieve Leave (Episode 74)

    Rebecca Feinglos, certified grief support specialist, founder of Grieve Leave, and host of Grief'd Up podcast, shares how losing both parents and ending her marriage led to a year-long "grief sabbatical" and a movement to make grief a normal part of life and work. Rebecca was five when her mom was diagnosed with glioblastoma. After treatment and clinical trials, Rebecca's mom passed away when she was 13. In 2020, her dad died suddenly on the first day of COVID lockdowns, and Rebecca got the call while at work. Her dad was her best friend and Rebecca's world changed instantly. In this conversation, Rebecca discusses how grieving during COVID was especially challenging without the usual rituals or support, and how her "Year of Grieve Leave" grew into a global movement and community. In this episode, you'll learn: Grief doesn't only look sad. Rebecca explains the dual process model of grief and why joy, distraction, and a Duke basketball game can be part of healing.Grief doesn't stay home when you go to work. Rebecca had no bereavement leave when her dad died. She later helped win 40 hours of paid bereavement leave for most North Carolina state employees.Loss isn't only about death. Divorce, changing careers, and becoming a different person after loss all deserve the time and space to be grieved. "Grief is our roommate, not our enemy." — Rebecca Feinglos Connect with Rebecca and Grieve Leave: Website and blog: grieveleave.com and grieveleave.com/blogInstagram: @grieveleave and Rebecca's personal account @rfeinglosSad Hours: grieveleave.com/sad-hourGrief'd Up podcast: grieveleave.com/podcastWorkplace training: grieveleave.com/workplace-trainingCelebrating a loved one on their special day? Download Lisa's free one-pager of ideas at lisahartung.com, or email her at hello@lisahartung.com.  Whatever your grief looks like today, give yourself grace. Send us Fan Mail 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 Podcast Music Good_B_Music

    Grief Is Our Roommate, Not Our Enemy: Rebecca Feinglos on Founding Grieve Leave (Episode 74)

  5. 27 Sept

    Healing the Unseen: Nicole Mixdorf on Akashic Records, Grief & Ancestral Wounds (Episode 73)

    Nicole Mixdorf spent 15 years chasing a chronic illness through 60+ healing modalities before she found the piece no doctor could give her: the grief she never let herself feel. In this episode, the transformational healer and Akashic Records practitioner shares how losing her dad just months after her premature son's birth became the doorway to her own healing. Nicole discusses how her father's love helped guide her through challenging motherhood moments after his passing. Additionally, Nicole digs into her five layers of healing (physical, mental, emotional, energetic, and spiritual), what actually happens in an Akashic Records session, and how ancestral wounds can travel through a family line. She closes the conversation with a live group healing session for anyone listening who is open to receive it. Takeaways: Grief we don't process doesn't disappear. Nicole believes it can settle into the body and show up as physical illness years later.The Akashic Records aren't about predicting the future; Nicole uses them to trace a symptom or pattern back to its emotional or ancestral root.Healing isn't one-size-fits-all. Nicole's "five layers" (physical, mental, emotional, energetic, spiritual) offer a way to ask where an issue is actually stuck.Visit Nicole Mixdorf's website and check out her podcast HEALED with Nicole Mixdorf wherever you get your podcasts.  Wherever you are in your own grief journey, we hope this conversation offers you a new perspective and a little more grace. If it resonates, share it with someone who needs it, and reach out any time at hello@lisahartung.com. Send us Fan Mail 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 Podcast Music Good_B_Music

    Healing the Unseen: Nicole Mixdorf on Akashic Records, Grief & Ancestral Wounds (Episode 73)

  6. 20 Sept

    I Play Solitaire with My Dead Mom and Eat Chocolate for Both of Us (Episode 72)

    This week, Lisa discusses running a half marathon on the anniversary of her mom's death and getting get news at work, and all she wants to do is pick up the phone and call her mom. Instead, she communicates with her mom through what her mom did best: playing solitaire and eating chocolate. This is a solo episode about how grief shows up in life's best moments, not just its hardest ones, and the small rituals that keep our loved ones close. Along the way, a bedtime moment with her five-year-old daughter reveals just how quietly those rituals get passed down. Takeaways: Grief doesn't wait for sad anniversaries. Grief shows up in celebrations and big wins too.Small, specific rituals (a card game, a saved piece of candy) can be a real way of communicating with and celebrating someone you've lost.Kids absorb how we cope, so be aware! Our actions are often mirrored by our children. As Lisa says, grief shows up in every day, in every way and it is how we choose to carry it that matters. If this episode resonated, share it with someone who's learning their own way of saying “I miss you” to a person they've lost. Have a ritual of your own? Email hello@lisahartung.com and tell Lisa about it or find the full show and community at podcast.lisahartung.com. Grief was never meant to be carried alone, you are welcome here.  Cultivate What Matters PowerSheets can be found here through January 2027. How to Number Your Days - Lara Casey's podcast episode.  Send us Fan Mail 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 Podcast Music Good_B_Music

    I Play Solitaire with My Dead Mom and Eat Chocolate for Both of Us (Episode 72)

  7. 13 Sept

    Grief and Marathon Running: Losing Your Mom While Raising Kids with Heather Morrison Mainville (Episode 71)

    Grief and life are a marathon, not a sprint. They are full of uphills, downhills, and unexpected turns. In this episode, recorded live on the fourth anniversary of Lisa’s mother Emily's passing (and just hours after finishing a half marathon together), Lisa sits down with her running partner and friend Heather Morrison Mainville to talk about what it really looks like to carry the loss of a mother for a decade and still keep moving forward, both literally and emotionally. Heather lost her mom, Tammy, to lung cancer ten years ago, in the middle of her own postpartum depression. Heather experienced overwhelming grief while caring for her 6-month-old. She and Lisa talk candidly about anticipatory grief, the ambush of unexpected triggers even a decade out, and what it's like to keep talking about her mom. Small rituals like texting updates during a Patriots game, wearing her mother’s apron, or seeing a ladybug on a run keep Heather’s mom Tammy’s legacy and memory alive. In this episode: Why Lisa calls grief "a marathon" of highs, lows, and unexpected turnsHeather's experience grieving her mom Tammy while in postpartum depression, and what it meant to "relive" that grief laterThe friendship, built on flag football, a ladybug towel, and a shared understanding of loss, that turned into a running partnershipMilestone grief: why the first year, the second year, and unexpected decade-markers hit differentlySmall, sustaining rituals — family recipes, Patriots traditions, and "signs" from moms who've passed — that keep a parent presentHeather's advice for someone newly grieving a mother: take it one day at a time, and it's okay to both wallow and celebrateIf this conversation resonated with you, share it with a friend who's carrying a loss of their own. Sometimes the biggest comfort is knowing you're not the only one still grieving. Sharing a story of their loved one with them also helps! Grief has no timeline.  Do you have a story about how your person shows up for you? Email Lisa at hello@lisahartung.com. We’d love to hear it!   Grief is not something you get over, it becomes something you carry.  Give yourself grace. Find Heather on TikTok: @heather.m.m512 Send us Fan Mail 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 Podcast Music Good_B_Music

    Grief and Marathon Running: Losing Your Mom While Raising Kids with Heather Morrison Mainville (Episode 71)

  8. 6 Sept

    The $200K Mistake Families Don't See Coming with Senior Transition Advisor Ryan Riggins

    There's a mistake hiding in almost every "we'll buy your house for cash" letter. These sometimes come when a family is most vulnerable as they prepare for or already have a loved one in a continuing care community. It can cost them $200,000 instead of $100,000, often after they've already given everything they have. Ryan Riggins knows this world having spent eight years as a house flipper. Eventually, he switched sides and created Riggins Strategic Solutions to help families know all their options instead of rushing to sell their home. In this episode he walks through the Medicaid five-year look-back trap, how to spot a fair cash offer, and how to tackle going through a lifetime of belongings. A few things you'll take away from this episode: Why the house is usually item 21 on a much longer and more urgent to-do listHow Medicaid's five-year look-back can turn a well-intentioned gift into a $200,000 mistakeHow to recognize a fair cash offer versus a wholesaler's letterA weekly two-bag approach to clearing out a parent's homeWhy aging in place only works if you plan for who your parent might be in five years, not just who they are todayIf you are considering next steps for your parent or grandparent, you don't have to have all the answers today. Ryan Riggins created a free Senior Transition Blueprint to walk you through next steps of what to consider, how to take action, and what to expect. You are not alone, lean on your community and specialists who work in this realm every day.  Book a free 20 minute call with Ryan Riggins.  Download the SeniorSafe App! Send us Fan Mail 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 Podcast Music Good_B_Music

    The $200K Mistake Families Don't See Coming with Senior Transition Advisor Ryan Riggins
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About

Loss changes everything. But it doesn't have to have the last word. Giving Grief Grace is a podcast dedicated to those in the throes of caregiving and loss with honest, compassionate conversations about grief, healing, and what it means to keep living after loss. Hosted by Lisa Hartung, a speaker, HR professional, and fellow griever, each episode creates space for the stories we don't always know how to tell. From disenfranchised and hidden grief, to grieving while parenting, to the ways men experience loss differently, to the unexpected power of creativity and legacy,  this show covers grief in all its forms. Featuring expert guests, real stories, and practical tools you can use right now. If you've lost someone you love or are in the throes of caregiving, you belong here. New episodes drop every Sunday. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

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