Good Grief: Life After Loss

Ron Jackenthal: Turning Loss Into Legacy

In this deeply personal episode, Skylar sits down with her dad, Ron Jackenthal, for an honest conversation about grief, purpose, and what it means to rebuild a life after unimaginable loss.
After the sudden death of his son Sam, Ron’s world was completely reshaped. Once focused on a successful career in sales, he made the life-altering decision to step away and dedicate himself fully to creating the Live Like Sam Foundation—an organization committed to honoring Sam’s life and supporting others navigating grief.
In this episode, Ron reflects on who he was before the loss, how grief changed him as a father and as a person, and the moment he realized he needed to do something with his pain. Together, he and Skylar explore how loss transformed their relationship, the complexities of parenting after tragedy, and the balance of carrying both deep grief and deep love.
This conversation offers a powerful perspective for anyone navigating loss—especially parents—and for those searching for meaning, purpose, and connection in the aftermath of heartbreak.
Contact & Resources:
Livelikesam.org
Email: ron@livelikesam.org 
Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe!
Follow Good Grief: Life After Loss on Instagram@goodgrief.pod
If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org  
Follow Be the change. Media Network on Instagram@bethechangemedianetwork
The views and opinions expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network or its partners.

How to Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Heart

In this episode, Skylar explores the powerful shift that can happen when we move out of our heads and into our hearts.
After losing her brother, Sam, Skylar began to notice something unexpected — other people experiencing loss started coming to her for guidance, comfort, and connection. What started as conversations with fellow grievers eventually grew into the work she does today through the Live Like Sam Foundation and this podcast.
In this episode, Skylar reflects on the role grievers can play in the world and why helping others has been one of the most meaningful parts of her own healing journey. She shares how service — in big ways and small — can bring purpose to loss, ease the heaviness of grief, and remind us that the love we still carry for someone can continue to impact others.
Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe!
Follow Good Grief: Life After Loss on Instagram@goodgrief.pod
If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org  
Follow Be the change. Media Network on Instagram@bethechangemedianetwork
The views and opinions expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network or its partners.

The Reality of Being a Young Griever

Young grief isn’t as rare as it sometimes seems — but it’s still something most people your age haven’t lived through. By age 18, only about 1 in 14 children will experience the death of a parent or sibling.
In this episode, Skylar explores the statistics around early loss and what they reveal about why being a young griever can feel so isolating. She discusses how losing someone in your teens or twenties changes you, accelerates your perspective, and makes you aware of fragility in rooms where most people still feel invincible.
This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like they grew up too fast or carried more life experience than their peers.
Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe!
Follow Good Grief: Life After Loss on Instagram@goodgrief.pod
If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org  
Follow Be the change. Media Network on Instagram@bethechangemedianetwork
The views and opinions expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network or its partners.

Life After Life: A Peek Into the Afterlife with Maureen Hancock

In this episode of Good Grief, Skylar sits down with Maureen Hancock—one of New England’s most well-known spirit mediums and lovingly known as the “Comedian Medium.” Together, they talk about grief, the afterlife, and the many ways our loved ones continue to show up after they’re gone.
Maureen shares her own near-death experience, how she became an evidential medium, what the moment of passing is really like, and why signs like songs, numbers, birds, chills, and dreams might not be coincidences after all. They also unpack skepticism, fear around mediumship, and how staying open doesn’t mean abandoning logic—it means leading with curiosity.
This conversation is comforting, honest, sometimes funny, and deeply grounding, especially for anyone missing someone they love and wondering if they’re still near.
Contact & Resources:
Maureen’s Website
The Medium Next Door: Adventures of a Real-Life Ghost Whisperer
Facebook
Get in contact with Maureen via email: maureen@maureenhancock.com 
Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe!
Follow Good Grief: Life After Loss on Instagram@goodgrief.pod
If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org  
Follow Be the change. Media Network on Instagram@bethechangemedianetwork
The views and opinions expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network or its partners.

Can We Laugh About This? Dark Humor & Grief

Grief doesn’t always look like tears and silence — sometimes it looks like dark humor.
In this episode, Skylar explores why joking after loss feels healing for some people and deeply uncomfortable for others. Through personal reflection and psychology, she breaks down dark humor as a coping mechanism, why some grievers lean into laughter, and why others avoid it altogether.
Whether you cope with loss through laughter, tears, or both, this episode reminds you there’s no right way to grieve.
Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe!
Follow Good Grief: Life After Loss on Instagram@goodgrief.pod
If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org 
Follow Be the change. Media Network on Instagram@bethechangemedianetwork
The views and opinions expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network or its partners.

Being a Griever in a Grieving Nation

In this episode of Good Grief: Life After Loss, Skylar explores what it means to live with personal grief in a moment of collective national pain. As political unrest, violence, and injustice continue to shape life in America, many people are feeling overwhelmed, distracted, numb, or emotionally exhausted.
This episode discusses collective grief, desensitization, numbness as a survival response, and the balance between protecting your heart and staying engaged with the world. Tune in to talk about grief, mental health, emotional overwhelm, and how to keep living — and caring — during a time that feels heavy for so many.
Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe!
Follow Good Grief: Life After Loss on Instagram@goodgrief.pod
If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org 
Follow Be the change. Media Network on Instagram@bethechangemedianetwork
The views and opinions expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network or its partners.

Holding Both: Grief and Joy This Christmas

In this special Christmas episode, Skylar reflects on holding both grief and joy during the holidays. She shares a heartwarming moment when she and her mom discovered a mysterious origami rabbit under the dining room table, a small, unexpected sign from Sam.
This episode is for anyone missing someone, celebrating someone, or navigating the mix of emotions the holidays can bring. It’s a gentle reminder that however you feel today, it’s okay.
Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe!
Follow Good Grief: Life After Loss on Instagram@goodgrief.pod
If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org 
Follow Be the change. Media Network on Instagram@bethechangemedianetwork
The views and opinions expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network or its partners.

When Traditions Don’t Survive the Holidays

In this episode, Skylar reflects on how the holidays change after a loved one is gone. She shares personal memories of Christmas with her brother Sam, from playful childhood moments to the magic of traditions that can’t be recreated. Skylar explores the challenges of navigating family celebrations as an only child, the awkwardness and pressures that come with gift-giving, and the bittersweet process of honoring old traditions while creating new ones. Through candid stories and reflections, she invites listeners to sit with their own experiences of loss and the ways the holiday season can feel both familiar and profoundly different.
Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe!
Follow Good Grief: Life After Loss on Instagram@goodgrief.pod
If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org 
Follow Be the change. Media Network on Instagram@bethechangemedianetwork
The views and opinions expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network or its partners.

Scrolling Through December: Social Media & Grief

This week, we’re talking about why social media hits so much harder during the holiday season.From the matching pajamas and “best Christmas ever!” captions… to the TikTok gift guides for moms, brothers, and partners you may no longer have… scrolling can feel like walking through a minefield when you’re grieving.
In this episode, Skylar breaks down:
Why holiday comparison hurts more than ordinary days
How the highlight reel can steal joy from even the strongest people
How grief gets amplified by TikTok, Instagram, and the algorithm
Practical boundaries that protect your heart without deleting everything
How to stop doom-scrolling before it starts
If you’re grieving and struggling with social media this December, this episode will help you feel seen, grounded, and less alone.
Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe!
Follow Good Grief: Life After Loss on Instagram@goodgrief.pod
If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org 
Follow Be the change. Media Network on Instagram@bethechangemedianetwork
The views and opinions expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network or its partners.

Holiday Gifts for Someone Who Is Grieving

Not sure what to get someone who’s grieving this holiday season? This episode walks through meaningful and gentle gift ideas for anyone missing someone — whether their loss was recent or decades ago. Skylar shares thoughtful categories, what to avoid, and simple ways to give a gift that truly supports a grieving heart.
Links to buy the gifts mentioned in this episode 
Memory Gifts
Custom watercolor house sketch
Handwriting necklace
Framed recipe with photo
Symbolic Gifts
Butterfly ornament
Ski pole wind chime
Remembrance candle
Cozy Gifts
Project Repat blanket
Comfrt sweat set
Weighted blanket
Grief-Journey Gifts
Grief…Reminders for Healing book
Memory box
Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe!
Follow Good Grief: Life After Loss on Instagram@goodgrief.pod
If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org 
Follow Be the change. Media Network on Instagram@bethechangemedianetwork
The views and opinions expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network or its partners.