This week, we read your letters! We are so grateful that you’re listening, and even more grateful that you’re writing to us. Keep it coming! If you’d like to send us a letter or a question, email us at keepgriefweird@gmail.com.
Letter #1: Earla!
Earla wrote us expressing appreciation for the podcast, and went on to share personal reflections on the importance of swearing and anger in grieving, recounting how she used these expressions after her sister's death (fuck cancer). She humorously describes how crocheted "f-bombs" became a part of her grief process.
Earla’s F-bomb:
Letter #2: Rosie!
Rosie wrote us about the recent loss of her father and talked about how she is navigating the early stages of grief. As an oncology nurse, she was prepared for the physical aspects of death but was unprepared for the emotional aftermath.
Thank you for encouraging our F-bombs, Earla & Rosie! (Bev wouldn’t be happy about that) (sorry, Bev!)
Speaking of letters and online communities, Tracy and I both grew up in the halcyon days of America Online. Did you have AOL too?
AOL chatrooms were… well, they were a lot of things. I somehow made a friend who was twenty years older than me (and totally safe, totally platonic), and Tracy met a whole husband on there!
What were your favorite chat rooms? A/S/L?
Letter #3: Valerie!
Valerie recounts her experience growing up with a single mother and the complicated thing that it is to have a strong physical resemblance to her. Since her mother's passing, Valerie has struggled with seeing her own reflection, as it reminds her too much of her mother. While she has taken steps to differentiate her appearance, such as growing her hair longer and wearing makeup, she remains conflicted about her gray hair, which she loves but now finds painful. Valerie asks if we or the listeners have had similar struggles with appearance after the loss of a parent and expresses gratitude for your podcast's unique approach to grief.
Well Valerie, we are very familiar with this. See?
Tracy & Bev have the same hands:
Tracy and Bev might look alike but their sunglasses preferences were so different.
These are the glasses that were embarrassing as a young youth in the 80s.
It’s giving…
Here’s Suzanne in sunglasses, looking like an absolute boss:
And here’s MC:
Just kidding, that’s a bunny.
Here’s Suzanne (or, wait, is that MC?) in 1965.
Who took these photos? Where did they come from? What was hell week, Mom? And can I borrow that jacket?
And Tracy also has the added layer of having a son who looks a lot like her mom. It’s pretty wild to be raising your Mom.
We also talk about aging and how looking like an aging parent can be eerie. If we were better at grief, would we be better at aging? Here’s a rare picture of Bev with her grays showing.
Forever brunette!
Thank you Earla, Rosie and Valerie for writing to us!
We loved keeping grief weird with you.
We would love to hear from you! How’s your grief? Message us here or at keepgriefweird@gmail.com, and tag us on Instagram @keepgriefweird and use our hashtag- #keepgriefweird to share your weird griefy things!
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