Giving Grief Grace, a Grief Podcast for the Sandwich Generation

Loss changes everything. But it doesn't have to have the last word. Giving Grief Grace is a podcast dedicated to those in the throes of caregiving and loss with honest, compassionate conversations about grief, healing, and what it means to keep living after loss. Hosted by Lisa Hartung, a speaker, HR professional, and fellow griever, each episode creates space for the stories we don't always know how to tell. From disenfranchised and hidden grief, to grieving while parenting, to the ways men experience loss differently, to the unexpected power of creativity and legacy, this show covers grief in all its forms. Featuring expert guests, real stories, and practical tools you can use right now. If you've lost someone you love or are in the throes of caregiving, you belong here. New episodes drop every Sunday. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Giving Grief Grace, a Grief Podcast for the Sandwich Generation is a health podcast hosted by Lisa Hartung, with 69 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Lisa Hartung hosts Giving Grief Grace, a Grief Podcast for the Sandwich Generation, a health show with 69 episodes published.

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  Episode #67

  Episode 67 - You Never Know If It's the Last Goodbye: Make Every Farewell Count

  Aug 16, 202614 minS2

  In this solo episode, Lisa tunes in from her family's camp in Maine — a place where her mom's presence still lingers in the woodland gardens, the lake air, and the memories tucked into every corner. Between a midsummer garden party at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens , a visit to her mom's memorial bench there, and celebrating her 97-year-old grandfather's "oldest citizen in town" award, Lisa found herself surrounded by generations of family in one place and got choked up saying goodbye, because you never really know if it's the last one. This episode is a gentle but honest nudge to think about how you leave your relationships — the phone call, the text message, the hug at the door. Lisa shares why every goodbye deserves a little more intention, especially with aging or ill loved ones. She opens up about noticing early signs of decline in her own father's health this trip and why showing up in person matters more than any phone check-in ever could. Takeaways: Every goodbye — a phone call, a text, an in-person visit — deserves to be left with love, because we rarely know in advance which one will be the last If something was left unsaid or unresolved, it's never too late to say "I'm sorry" or "I love you," even after someone is gone Being physically present with aging loved ones reveals what phone calls and texts can hide — if you can make the trip, do it, you won't regret it Grief and new life can coexist — love after loss is possible, and moving forward doesn't mean leaving someone behind A goodbye said with intention — an extra squeeze, an "I love you" — is a gift you can give yourself as much as the other person "Whenever I say goodbye, it's not goodbye — it's I'll see you later, because maybe we'll see them on the other side." - LH If this episode moved you or made you think of someone you haven't said "I love you" to in a while, share it with them. Tell them you heard something that made you think of them, and give them the extra squeeze next time you say goodbye. Follow Giving Grief Grace on Instagram @GivingGriefGrace for more, and if this episode helped you, please subscribe and leave a review — it helps this show reach the next person who needs it. Send us Fan Mail Thanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you! Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone. Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week! Special thanks to: Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music Podcast Music Good_B_Music

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  Episode #66

  Episode 66 - Turning Grief Into Growth: Ksenia Merck on Creative Expression Through Art, Loss, & Ghost Flower

  Aug 9, 202645 minS2

  What happens when the person you built your life with leaves behind an unfinished manuscript? In this episode, artist and architect Ksenia Merck joins us to talk about turning grief into growth. We learn how she picked up her late husband Bill's final book, Ghost Flower , and finished it through her illustrations, transforming an act of mourning into a lifelong creative collaboration that continues past death. Ksenia walks us through her caregiving journey. She discusses the heartbreaking loss of her father who was her biggest cheerleader. Ksenia was the primary caregiver for her mother Eva, who lived with Ksenia and Bill for 14 years, and then for Bill himself through a prostate cancer diagnosis that led to a grueling hospital stay. She shares how creativity became her processing ground for grief: illustrating Ghost Flower , building its companion journal from her own sketches and reflections, and discovering that healing doesn't follow a timeline, it follows its own pace, one brushstroke or drawing at a time. In this episode, you'll learn: How Ksenia turned illustrating Bill's unfinished novel into an act of healing and continued connection What caregiving for a parent and a spouse taught her about self-care Why she believes creative work can hold grief in ways words alone can't How the Ghost Flower Companion Journal became a way to help others process their own loss Why healing at your own pace matters more than following anyone else's timeline Heal at your own pace, rather than following a timeline someone else set for you. If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to Giving Grief Grace and share it with someone who's grieving. Explore Ksenia's work at merckiipress.com, and follow @merck2press for more on her art and Ghost Flower journey. Website: https://www.merckiipress.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ksenia-merck-44525514/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merck2press Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/merck2press/ Send us Fan Mail Thanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you! Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone. Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week! Special thanks to: Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music Podcast Music Good_B_Music

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  Episode #65

  Episode 65 - What Is Your Handicap? Choosing Joy, Presence, & What Really Matters After Loss

  Aug 2, 202620 minS2

  In this solo episode, Lisa opens up about a bittersweet wave of grief triggered by an old photo memory of a day spent with her mom exploring Maine — and turns it into a gentle teaching moment on how to live with grief rather than wait for it to disappear. Leaning on a favorite passage from Melody Beattie's Journey to the Heart , she introduces the idea of grief as a personal "handicap": not something to overcome, but something to carry with grace while still choosing to live a full, joyful life. Along the way, Lisa shares an intimate ritual — pulling tarot cards from a deck she and her mom used together during her mom's pancreatic cancer diagnosis — and reflects on the card she drew that day and what it meant to her. She closes with a reminder, inspired by a Michael Josephson's What Will Matter poem reflection on legacy, that what matters most isn't what we accumulated, but what we gave, taught, and how we made others feel. Takeaways: Grief triggers (like social media memories) aren't something to dread — they're often a gift in disguise You don't "get over" grief; you learn to live with it and around it, like a handicap Rituals — even small ones — can be powerful ways to stay connected to a loved one who's passed Choosing joy and presence isn't a betrayal of grief; it's part of honoring the life your loved one wanted for you What we're remembered for has far more to do with character and compassion than achievement If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone in their own season of grief — and if you'd like Lisa to pull a tarot card for you and your loved one, send her a message on Instagram @GivingGriefGrace or hello@lisahartung.com. New episodes of Giving Grief Grace drop weekly, because grief was never meant to be carried alone. Send us Fan Mail Thanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you! Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone. Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week! Special thanks to: Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music Podcast Music Good_B_Music

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  Episode #64

  Episode 64 - Moments Matter: What I'd Do Again Caregiving for Mom and Her Terminal Diagnosis

  Jul 26, 202628 minS2

  When someone you love receives a terminal diagnosis, time suddenly feels different — heavier, more precious, and impossible to plan around. In this solo episode, Lisa shares what caregiving through her mom's stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis taught her about making the most of uncertain time. She walks listeners through practical logistics like assembling a care team and navigating the shift into hospice, to the small daily choices that turned hard days into meaningful ones: a favorite ice cream, a beloved TV show, a spontaneous stop at a small-town shop. This is the caregiving guidance Lisa wishes she'd had going in, and the moments, both big and small, she'd choose again in a heartbeat. Whether you're newly navigating a diagnosis, deep in the trenches of caregiving, or supporting someone who is, this episode offers both practical tools and permission to find real joy alongside the hard days. Key Take-Aways: Build a care team early and broadly — beyond doctors, consider nutritionists, therapists, hospice, and community/illness-specific organizations; don't be afraid to ask for help. Keep a notebook or recording of appointments — the fog of caregiving makes details easy to lose, and a log helps you (and your care team) stay grounded. Enrolling in hospice is a mindset shift, not a defeat — it moves the focus from preserving life to preserving comfort and dignity. Protect small daily joys — a favorite food, a familiar show, a beauty ritual — they matter as much as the big milestones. Say yes to spontaneous adventures, even tiny ones close to home; the ones that stick with you aren't always the big bucket-list trips. If you are caregiving for a parent or loved one right now, we see you, and we are so glad you are here. Subscribe so you don't miss next week's episode, and if this one resonated with you, please share it with someone else in the thick of it — you don't have to carry this alone. Send us Fan Mail Thanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you! Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone. Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week! Special thanks to: Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music Podcast Music Good_B_Music

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  Episode #63

  Episode 63 - Grief at Work: A Compassionate Guide for Employees, Managers & HR Practitioners

  Jul 19, 202636 minS2

  Grief doesn't clock out when the workday starts. In this solo episode, Lisa draws on her own experience as an HR practitioner and a griever, from caregiving for her mother through stage 4 pancreatic cancer to losing her grandmother while sitting alone in an office. She walks through what it actually looks like to navigate grief at work, from every seat at the table. Lisa breaks down anticipatory grief, caregiving exhaustion, and delayed grief that resurfaces around anniversaries and holidays, and offers concrete guidance for employees on communicating needs, understanding FMLA and bereavement leave, and knowing when to lean on an EAP or short-term disability. For managers and HR practitioners, she shares what compassionate support really looks like from checking in privately, marking anniversary dates, avoiding empty platitudes, to building flexibility into policy rather than just offering it as an afterthought. Key Takeaways : Grief has no timeline- anticipatory, delayed, and disenfranchised grief all deserve space at work, not just the days immediately following a loss Employees : be transparent early with your manager, understand your FMLA and bereavement rights, and don't wait too long to take leave Managers : lead with presence over policy, check in privately, mark important dates, and never assume grief ends when leave does HR practitioners : EAPs, PTO donation programs, and flexible leave policies can make a life-changing difference for grieving employees No one should have to carry grief alone at work or anywhere else If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Maybe that's a grieving coworker, a manager who doesn't know what to say, or an HR practitioner building a more compassionate workplace. Subscribe to Giving Grief Grace wherever you listen. Send us Fan Mail Thanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you! Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone. Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week! Special thanks to: Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music Podcast Music Good_B_Music

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