E1: Trailer
Welcome to Dear Grief Guide, a podcast where each week I answer one anonymous letter from a grieving person feeling lost, stuck, heartbroken, or overwhelmed after a devastating loss.
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Episode Transcript:
Ten years ago today, my mother took her last breath on this earth. It upended my life, demolished who I was and the dreams I held for my future, and thrust me into a world of pain and heartache I had never experienced before.
In the darkness of grief, I ached for a kind, knowing voice to be there with me, to reassure me everything truly would turn out alright. I knew I couldn’t go back to my life before loss, but I wanted some glimmer of hope, however small, that I wouldn’t always feel this way. I needed a guide to show me I was not alone.
Ten years later, I am that guide—for myself and for so many others feeling lost, stuck, and overwhelmed in life after loss. I’ve helped scores of grieving people through my books, workshops, live events, and online courses build lives they wholeheartedly love from the lives loss forced them to live. My inbox is full of questions about how to cope with the devastation and isolation of grief.
Dear Grief Guide is the place where I’ll respond to those questions. Not with a singular, one-size-fits-all answer—because grief doesn’t work that way—but with empathy, compassion, stories, tools, and most of all, presence. Because sometimes the very best way to heal from grief is to sit inside of it and allow it to speak.
I believe that grief is one of life’s greatest teachers, and when we give ourselves permission to tune into it, we gain wisdom that enriches our lives with meaning, depth, purpose, hope, love, and sometimes… even joy.
So join me every Wednesday as I answer a letter from someone looking for guidance and a kind, compassionate voice in the midst of their grief. The letters take various forms. Some are compilations on a common theme, some are read exactly as they arrive in my inbox with only the names changed to respect their privacy. All are searching for ways to feel connected, move forward, and find hope in lives they never wanted to be true.
Whether you’re navigating grief yourself or looking to better understand a grieving person in your life, you’re in the right place. I’m Shelby Forsythia, and I’ll be your grief guide. Until next time, I see you. I’m proud of you and the work you’re doing in the world, and I love you. Because even through grief, we are growing.
To get even more grief support from me, join Life After Loss Academy, my online course + community that helps you move forward after devastating loss.
Submit your anonymous letter for Dear Grief Guide here.
