We read your letters! Thank you for writing in.
In the middle of our break, Tracy and I decided to check in with you all — our beautiful, weird community of grief navigators. This week’s episode felt like sitting down with a cup of tea (Celestial Seasonings… or is it Celestial Seasons? Discuss.), wrapping ourselves in a blanket, and wading into the deep waters of your stories. And let me just say, your letters reminded me why this podcast exists: to hold space for the strange, complex, and often contradictory experience of grief.
The Gifts in Your Stories
One listener’s letter hit me like a freight train. They shared the weight of losing both a sister and a mother, navigating the BRCA1 mutation, and the constant tension between health anxiety and resilience. It was a profound reminder that grief is rarely a tidy, single-layered thing—it stacks and twists, pulling in fears, hopes, and even our very DNA. Tracy and I both resonated deeply with the letter-writer’s efforts to make sense of these layered losses while grappling with their own mortality. Their story illuminated how grief doesn’t just live in the past but shapes how we move through the present and imagine the future.
And then there was Marco, who shared the quiet heartbreak of watching his daughter build a life far from home. Grief, in this case, wasn’t about a death—it was about the loss of a dream. His honesty cracked open such an important conversation about how grief shows up in the spaces we least expect, like between the lines of a happy moment. Sometimes, we grieve not just for what’s gone but for what we hoped might someday be.
And let’s not forget the woo-woo. One listener found solace and healing through a life-changing connection with someone who bridges this world and the next. Tracy and I are huge fans of stories like this because they remind us how vast and mysterious the human experience is. Plus, we might now be on the hunt for someone who can teach us how to connect with the other side. (Applications are open!)
We also heard from a listener who wrote in about the tender losses that sometimes follow a death - when we have to give up someone’s beloved things because we don’t have room for them. There is a special ache that comes from being able to handle someone’s books, or clothes, or favorite kitchen gadgets after they’re gone, and there’s a special pain that comes from having to let any of these things go.
Announce! Announce!
With the holiday season barreling toward us like a runaway gravy boat, we also took some time to tackle the unique challenges grief brings to this time of year. Many of you shared how the holidays magnify loss, dredging up a mix of anticipation and dread. You’re not alone in feeling this tension—it’s okay to want the warmth and magic of the season while also bracing for the ways it won’t be the same.
If you’re someone who struggles with the holiday season for any reason - grief, loneliness, or anything else. I know how easy it is to pour all your energy into crafting the “perfect” celebration, as though a beautifully decorated table might somehow fill the empty chairs around it. Spoiler: It won’t. What it can do, though, is leave you exhausted and disconnected.
We have help!
First of all, we have put together an online community for you! It’s called the Hope Circuit and in this space we have live zoom meetings, workshops, and resources to help you through any moment in your life - griefy or otherwise. Here’s what you get if you sign up:
2 open forum sessions a month
2 movie nights a month
2 journal sessions a month
4 accountability meetings with Tracy a month
What are you waiting for? Sign up here: https://hopecircuit.circle.so/checkout/all-access
As a part of the Hope Circuit, we also hold pop up workshops. Tracy and I are teaming up for a live holiday survival workshop on December 14th to help you build a holiday toolkit—practical tips for boundaries, connection, and finding moments of joy amidst the hard stuff. Sign up here: https://hopecircuit.circle.so/c/holiday-survival-toolkit-workshop/?sort=asc and bring your favorite cozy beverage!
Let’s Keep Grief Weird Together
The letters you’ve shared with us are a testament to the messy, beautiful truth of grief: It’s never just one thing. It’s everything, all at once. And that’s what makes it so deeply human.
If this episode resonated with you—or if you have your own story, question, or woo-woo experience to share—drop us a line. We’re building Season 2 as a space to dive even deeper into the uncharted territory of grief. Let us know what you want to hear, learn, or explore, and we’ll make it happen.
Until then, keep grieving weirdly and wonderfully. And maybe bake those cookies in the freezer before it’s too late.
With love and a healthy dose of weirdness,
Thank you for listening, sharing, and grieving with us.
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!
For our paid subscribers, here’s the video version of our podcast!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
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