Behind every war hero lies an untold story of pain and resilience—join Becky Ellis as she breaks decades of silence in her unforgettable memoir.

In this episode, I'm joined by the author Becky Ellis who talks about her memoir, Little Avalanches. A daughter of a highly decorated combat veteran, Becky refers to herself as a “veteran of the war fought at home.” Her work highlights the often-overlooked impact of war trauma on veterans’ families, capturing the silent struggles and resilience required to navigate life alongside a loved one carrying deep, unspoken scars.

Throughout this episode, Becky describes her book Little Avalanches as a deeply personal account of living with a war-scarred father who carried a lifetime of unspoken trauma. She shares her journey of breaking through his silence to reveal his harrowing experiences and how, at the end of his life, open conversations helped them both heal. Her father, who never spoke about his past, finally relayed memories with fresh intensity and pain, showing the persistent psychological scars of war. Becky also provides practical advice on having empathetic conversations with veterans, emphasizing a personal approach and understanding the complexities of their experiences. Her unique perspective and advocacy offer a voice to families touched by trauma and a bridge to understanding for those seeking to connect more deeply with the experiences of veterans.

Tune in and listen to episode 282 of Grief and Happiness to explore the hidden impact of war trauma on families and discover how compassionate conversations can open pathways to healing and understanding.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The legacy of war trauma on families (1:58)
• Breaking through silence and the power of healing conversations (4:11)
• Understanding war and childhood trauma: A personal and emotional account (6:26)
• Connecting with veterans: Tips for a meaningful conversations (17:18)
• Encouragement to Confront Painful Histories and Cultivate Compassion (23:39)

Connect with Becky Ellis:

• Website
• Instagram
• Get Becky Ellis’ book!

Let's Connect:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• The Grief and Happiness Alliance
• Book: Emily Thiroux Threatt - Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief

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What are your memories of celebrating the lives of your loved ones? How would you like to be remembered?

Let's Connect:

• You can join the Grief and Happiness Alliance which meets weekly on Sundays by clicking here
• You can order the International Best Selling The Grief and Happiness Guide by clicking here.
• You can order Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief by clicking here at Amazon:
• You can listen to my podcast, Grief and Happiness, by clicking here
• Request your Awaken Your Happiness Journaling Guide here

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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Could the lessons from a rescue dog transform how we handle grief and gratitude?

In this episode, I'm joined by the Author, Speaker, and Consultant Leslie Yerkes. Leslie is a best-selling business book author with six books translated into dozens of languages and worldwide sales. In recent years her journey of rescuing and caring for dogs led her to write children's books that address themes of love, commitment, and grief.

Throughout this episode, Leslie recounts her story of rescuing a South African Mastiff, how the dog transformed her life, and the grief she faced when she lost both her dog and her mother in a short span of time. She speaks about how these experiences inspired her to write books aimed at helping children and families understand loss, especially the loss of pets. Leslie advocates for using stories to teach children about grief, love, and the importance of keeping promises. Her message highlights the power of animals as healers and companions, the importance of staying open to love even in the face of loss, and the role of grief as a natural and essential part of life.

Tune in and listen to episode 280 of Grief and Happiness, and discover Leslie Yerkes’ deeply personal experiences with grief, love, and healing through her relationships with animals.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• From business to children's books (1:10)
• A dog rescue that changed everything (2:37)
• Finding peace after loss (7:36)
• Navigating grief through writing (12:04)
• Lessons from animals on grief and love (15:02)
• Revisit the love that the sorrow reflects (19:01)
• Advocating for rescue (23:27)

Connect with Leslie Yerkes:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Get Leslie’s books!

Let's Connect:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• The Grief and Happiness Alliance
• Book: Emily Thiroux Threatt - Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You never know when your last conversation will be with a loved one, so be sure in each conversation you have to make it filled with love.

Let's Connect:

• You can join the Grief and Happiness Alliance which meets weekly on Sundays by clicking here
• You can order the International Best Selling The Grief and Happiness Guide by clicking here.
• You can order Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief by clicking here at Amazon:
• You can listen to my podcast, Grief and Happiness, by clicking here
• Request your Awaken Your Happiness Journaling Guide here

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if grief was more than just sadness—what if it was a spectrum of emotions as rich and varied as a 152-color crayon box?

In this episode, I'm joined by the Poet, Biographer, and Memoirist Molly Peacock. Molly shares her experiences of how her husband’s long illness and widowhood have informed her work, particularly in her new book The Widow’s Crayon Box. After her husband’s death, she realized she was not living the received idea of a widow’s mauve existence but instead was experiencing life with all 152 colors of the crayon box.

Throughout this episode, Molly Peacock reflects on the societal expectations of grief being limited to a few emotions like sadness, but for her, it has been a complex and lively process. She highlights the transformative aspect of grief, where the mourner is not just in a state of loss but also in a state of personal evolution and rediscovering parts of themselves. She also reads a short excerpt from her poetry, illustrating how emotions in grief can be contradictory yet colorful. Finally, Molly touches on the importance of storytelling in the grieving process, both for processing one’s own emotions and for connecting with others who share similar experiences.

Tune in and listen to episode 278 of Grief and Happiness, and learn how Molly challenges the conventional view of grief, showing how it can lead to a deeper understanding of life, self, and the richness of human emotions.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Introduction to Molly and the metaphor of using a 152-color crayon box to represent the emotions of grief (01:19)
• Finding vibrancy in loss (05:42)
• The grieving person’s transformation and the reclamation of the self (10:12)
• The structure and content of "The Widow's Crayon Box" (20:06)
• The importance of storytelling and listening to the grief journeys of others (27:35)

Connect with Molly Peacock:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Get Molly Peacock’s Poetry on Amazon!
• Molly featured on CBC’s The Current in a documentary, What Can A Widow Be?

Let's Connect:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• The Grief and Happiness Alliance
• Book: Emily Thiroux Threatt - Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How you can help.

Let's Connect:

• You can join the Grief and Happiness Alliance which meets weekly on Sundays by clicking here
• You can order the International Best Selling The Grief and Happiness Guide by clicking here.
• You can order Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief by clicking here at Amazon:
• You can listen to my podcast, Grief and Happiness, by clicking here
• Request your Awaken Your Happiness Journaling Guide here

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grief does not only mean that someone has passed but it is also the loss of the path you thought you were going to take and the person you used to be but can not be anymore.

In this episode, I’m joined by the Writer, Author, and Freelance Journalist, Julie Fingersh. Julie found her way back to writing once her career as a stay-at-home mother of two ended. In her braided memoir, “Stay”, she weaves together three family stories in which the clear common thread is the presence of grief. The book is an exploration of the complexity of family, love, and the impact family secrets have on generations.

Throughout this episode, you will hear about how grief can stay hidden when mental illness or addiction is involved and what effects keeping secrets has on the well-being of the griever and the family. Julie also talks about the grief associated with letting go of kids for them to live their own lives and losing the job of a stay-at-home parent.

Plus, Julie discusses the balance between grief and happiness by sharing her journey of finding joy despite all the losses she endured.

Tune in and listen to episode 276 of Grief and Happiness, and explore types of grief beyond the obvious loss and how to find healing and support.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• What is Julie’s book about (4:33)
• Hidden grief when it involves mental illness and addiction (9:13)
• The grief of going from stage to stage in life (12:17)
• How grief is present in parenting (16:38)
• Finding healing and happiness in grief (22:13)
• How laughter and despair go hand in hand (26:50)

Connect with Julie Fingersh:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Get Julie's book!

Let's Connect:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• The Grief and Happiness Alliance
• Book: Emily Thiroux Threatt - Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Be sure to share your treasured life stories with the family and friends you know would love to have them.

Let's Connect:

• You can join the Grief and Happiness Alliance which meets weekly on Sundays by clicking here
• You can order the International Best Selling The Grief and Happiness Guide by clicking here.
• You can order Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief by clicking here at Amazon:
• You can listen to my podcast, Grief and Happiness, by clicking here
• Request your Awaken Your Happiness Journaling Guide here

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.