There are people in our lives who, because of biology or proximity, we would expect to show up for us in our times of need, and it can be especially painful when they don’t. In this episode, Justin and Allison talk about the grief and disappointment when people close to us don’t show up, but also the beauty when other, less expected connections, do.
We will all experience grief in our lives, but there are unique and extra layers of emotions often felt by the person who had been the caregiver for the one who has passed. In this episode, we talk with Aisha Adkins, caregiver for her parents, about the loss of her mother and Eric Schlueter, caregiver for his wife, about his experience with grief since her passing.
As caregivers, we have a front row seat to the suffering of our loved ones. We are often the only people who see them in their hardest moments. In this episode, Justin and Allison talk about what that’s like, the impact it has on them, and how supporters can help.
There are things that we may grieve even before they happen. The death of a loved one is one such event, but it's certainly not the only. In this episode, Justin and Allison discuss the role this type of grief plays in their lives and how supporters can help.
One of the few things we can count on in this life is death and yet our culture is not good at talking about or preparing us for it. In this episode, Justin and Allison speak with Jane Whitlock, an end of life doula and former spousal caregiver, about her role, the stages of death, and the questions we can start asking and conversations we can start having now about this important and inevitable topic.
Caregivers experience multiple kinds of grief on a regular day, but at the holidays these feelings can be exacerbated. In this episode, Allison and Justin discuss the various forms of grief that may emerge this time of year, what caregivers can do to get through this season, and how supporters can help.
The celebration of Justin’s 40th birthday led him to reflect on where he thought he would be at this time in his life versus where he is. In this episode, he and Allison talk about how becoming caregivers changed their trajectories, how they are trying to claim the role without losing themselves in it, and how to remember and focus on who they are, not just what they do.
Allison and Justin talk about the difficult reality of being a caregiver for someone with a lifelong chronic illness. They discuss how things felt at the beginning, how they keep going, as well as how people can better support those in these long term caregiving situations.
Justin and Allison dig into what it feels like to be the physically healthy partner in their relationships, including the grief and struggle they experience when they are able to do things that their spouses cannot.
In this episode, Justin and Allison talk about how Covid being a worldwide phenomenon provides an opportunity for all of us to talk about and work through our grief around it more easily, using our common language and experiences. They dig into how these moments can be used as a practice ground for having conversations about and processing hard things, as well as making room and time to celebrate amidst it all.