Popping the ‘Grief Bubble’

In today’s episode, my friend Ruby and I speak about the recent loss of her wonderful dad, all the ups and downs she has experienced in the last year, family dynamics changing and the importance of not losing hope.

We share our experiences with the ‘grief bubble’ and how it manifested itself in different ways for each of us due to our different losses, how sudden loss has affected us and contradictions in grief.

We talk about:

• How we met and instantly bonded through our individual journeys with grief
• The ‘grief bubble’, what it is like and coming out of it
• How there is no rulebook to grief and it’s not linear so grieve how you want and need to grieve
• The impacts of sudden loss and the effects is has on everyday life and how you view it
• Contradictions in grief and how we have come to cope with them
• Different levels of grief which we refer to as ‘low and high level grief’, how they manifest in your everyday life and how we navigate them
• Your outlook on life changing and cherishing those around you
• Different outlets for your grief with Ruby’s being writing as she has started a grief blog (You can find this in my instagram highlights @lostandfoundwithfrankie)
• The importance of looking after yourself and not losing hope - allowing the good times to come along for the journey too

And so much more!

Links:

• Follow Lost & Found with Frankie on Instagram
• Follow Lost & Found with Frankie on TikTok
• Watch other episodes on YouTube

XMAS SOLO EP:

That time of year has rolled around again... and gosh is it a tricky, dark, overwhelming and weird one.

In this episode I talk through all the ways my family and I get Christmas - which involves a lot of laughter that's for sure!! - and how we honour our loved ones whilst trying to allow the joy of the day to creep back in!

How ever you get through this day is completely individual and up to you... there is no right way to grieve or do Christmas.

One step at a time... One day at a time... One Christmas at a time...

Sending you all a big squeeze xx

In today’s episode, I’m joined by a wonderful Bereavement Support Worker, Hannah, from Winston's Wish as we discuss all the wonderful services that they provide, their Christmas Appeal and how people like Hannah can help grieving children and young adults along their journey with Grief.

Winston’s Wish is a charity that provides free digital bereavement information and support for grieving children and young people across the UK. Their services are open to any bereaved young person up to the age of 25, regardless of who they are grieving or when they became bereaved. They also provide advice for adults supporting bereaved children and young people, including parents, family members, friends, teachers, and other professionals.

We talk about:

• Who Winston’s Wish are, what services they provide and who they support.

• Hannah’s role as a Bereavement Support Worker within Winston’s Wish, amongst all of the other services they provide such as live Chat/email, Phone calls, 1-1 counselling sessions, group peer sessions and a full website of information, support, advice and guidance.

• Their ‘Talk Grief’ website for 13-25s: an idea from grieving children and young adults to share their real voices and experiences.

• How people like Hannah can help you work with different emotions on your journey with grief as we give a slight example on how a conversation like this would go.

• Addressing the tricky emotions of guilt and jealousy - and how they sometimes exist hand in hand.

• Winston’s Wish’s continuous support - not a one stop shop - you can contact them at any time along your journey and as many times as you need!

• Different points of contact and access to support young bereaved people through parents, friends, teachers and other professionals

• Their Christmas Appeal: ‘Colour their Christmas’ - as we address just how tricky and dark this time of year can be, which is okay, but how their appeal can help to bring some joy back into the lives of grieving children and young people.

And so much more!

• Follow Lost & Found with Frankie on Instagram
• Follow Lost & Found with Frankie on TikTok
• Watch other episodes on YouTube

Time for another Solo Episode - today I tackle Uncomfortable Situations, Awkward Conversations and Tricky Questions.

For this week’s episode I asked over on my Instagram @lostandfoundwithfrankie for you all to ask your questions and share your experiences giving such a great insight and way to delve into the situations and questions so many of us experience that are hard to navigate in the world of grief.

As you can imagine there are a LOT of uncomfortable situations that arise whilst on your journey with grief that are no one’s fault but simply that of the art of small talk and general human curiosity.

So, today I give my advice and share my experience on situations such as people asking how your loved one passed away, when confronted with the question of ‘how are you’ and deciding on how honest to be, people imparting their opinion on personal decisions and so much more.

I hope you find some comfort in not feeling so alone in today’s episode, whether you’re someone grieving or someone wanting to comfort a friend, family member or loved one who is grieving as these situations arise for so many of us so… I guess…Let’s get on and talk about it!

In today’s episode, I’m joined by my best friend char as we discuss meeting new people and making new friends after losing a loved one, how to navigate that and how mistakes sometimes allow you to become better at supporting and being there for your friend.

Char also discusses her differing experiences with grief after losing two of her grandparents at different times in her life and her different relationships with them.

In this conversation, Char and I reminisce on our seven years of friendship, sharing the good times and the bad times, what we have both learnt about ourselves, each other and our friendship and how riding the wave with your friend can be the biggest comfort.

We talk about:

• How we met and how at that time we wouldn’t have imagined we would be where we are now in our friendship, but proving how mistakes can help you build a stronger and more understanding friendship.

• How mistakes in grief are sort of inevitable and that’s okay but just own them and learn from them.

• Some of the funny times we have had on our journey since we met accompanying my grief, showing that laughter can sometimes be necessary and cathartic - it’s okay to laugh at the terrible and hard times if it’s what makes you feel better and more connected to your friends.

• Friendship is a two way street and prioritising is key to be there for one another.

• Celebrating your loved one and helping new friends get to know them through you.

• Learning about grief through someone else and what they need is what to give!

• How tricky it can be a friend to support you in your journey with grief as there is no ‘fix’, but how important options and riding the wave are - just letting them know they aren’t alone and you are there no matter what.

And so much more!

• Follow Lost & Found with Frankie on Instagram
• Follow Lost & Found with Frankie on TikTok
• Watch other episodes on YouTube

Introduction to solo episodes with me!

I've decided to embark on incorporating some solo episodes into my podcasting journey as a way to further connect with you all.

Over on my instagram @lostandfoundwithfrankie I'll always be asking for your guys' questions, stories, experiences and opinions to then answer, share and relate with on these episodes.

I thought it would be a really nice time to answer any questions around grief, share some more of my experience where you can get to know me on a deeper level and share some advice on topics and situations on the tricky, confusing, all-encompassing journey that is grief.

On today's episode I tackle the topic of Anniversaries and Birthdays's (both yours and your loved ones) and how I have coped with each of these over the last 10 years.

I really hope this episode brings you comfort in knowing that there is no right, one way to approach these days, and that my experience and advice might help support you in feeling less alone.

Enjoy and any questions please reach out as this is not just my journey, but all of ours x

In today’s episode, I’m joined by my best friend Millie as we reminisce on our friendship of 20 years, the highs and lows that we’ve been through together, how we have learnt from one another along the way of not only how to be a good friend, but how to be a friend to someone who is grieving.

Millie and I met in nursery and have traveled through our entire lives together, meaning that along the way we have been there for each other in the darkest of times.

In this conversation Millie and I look back at the day when not only my life changed forever, but hers did too, when Matt passed away. We share our memories over the last 10 years, the lessons we have learnt along the way, discuss the different phases and emotions of grief and Millie gives wonderful guidance to anyone listening who is a friend of someone grieving.

We talk about:

• The day my brother passed away from both of our perspectives, acknowledging Millie's grief and emotions too!

• Our different school experiences, food as a love language and returning to life after loss.

• The different phases I went through and how Millie acknowledged and approached these along the way.

• Our travels around the world together, where this left me emotionally during and after and how to be there for someone in the darkest of moments.

• How Millie views grief, potential dos and don’ts, and warm advice of how to approach friendships after one of you has lost a loved one.

And so much more!

• Follow Lost & Found with Frankie on Instagram
• Follow Lost & Found with Frankie on TikTok
• Watch other episodes on YouTube

In today’s episode, I’m joined by my best friend Leah to discuss her recent experience of losing her nan. Leah and I have been friends for 13 years and so we’ve been through a lot together and witnessed each other’s highs and lows throughout the years.

Leah had a close and special relationship with her nan and sadly arrived home from travelling earlier this year to the devastating news that she had passed away.

In this conversation, Leah shares her story of her final goodbye with her nan, what it was like being away from her family while her nan was ill, what the months have been like since her nan passed, and some of the mindset shifts she has taken on to help her deal with this loss.

We talk about:

• Leah’s experience of being away from home travelling during her nan’s final weeks, and how she handled the sadness and worry alongside the contrasting experience of being away on a once-in-a-lifetime trip

• Arriving home to such devastating news and what the aftermath was like, including her heartache for her mum

• Funerals, how weird they can be, and both of our experiences of speaking and singing at funerals of loved ones we’ve lost, as well as not knowing how to act and how to balance the mourning of the lost person alongside celebrating their life

• Leah’s decision to go travelling again after her nan’s funeral, and how she’s shifted her mindset to positivity

And much more!

• Follow Lost & Found with Frankie on Instagram

• Follow Lost & Found with Frankie on TikTok

• Watch other episodes on YouTube