Good Grief: Life After Loss

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.
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If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org 
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.

Thanksgiving with an Empty Chair

In this episode, Skylar talks about what Thanksgiving feels like when someone you love is missing. The pressure to be “grateful,” the empty-chair moments, and the weird mix of emotions that hit on a holiday like this. She also shares a few simple things that can help you get through the day and ways to quietly honor your person. It’s a soft, supportive episode for anyone who needs a little company today.
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 Night a Medium Said, “Your Brother Is Here.”

In last week’s episode, we talked all about signs from the other side — and this week, Skylar finally had the chance to experience one up close. She went to see Maureen Hancock, a well-known medium, hoping (and honestly begging) to hear from her brother Sam.
What happened that night surprised her, overwhelmed her, and cracked something open in her grief that she didn’t expect. In this episode, Skylar shares the full story: the moment Sam came through, the messages he gave, the things that lined up in ways she can’t explain, and the lessons she walked away with.
Whether you believe in mediums or are just curious, this is the story of what it feels like when love, loss, and hope collide in one room
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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
Learn more about Maureen Hancock and find a show near you! 
https://linktr.ee/maureenhancock 

Signs from the Other Side

Everyone talks about signs, but no one talks about how personal, confusing, comforting, and sometimes painful they can be. This week, Skylar shares the signs she’s gotten from her brother Sam, dives into the science behind why they hit so hard, and opens up about what it feels like when they don’t come at all. Plus, she’s gearing up to see a medium—and spiraling (in the best way). Comment below if you’ve ever received a sign from the other side.
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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

I Don’t Have the Energy to Grieve Right Now

In this quick episode, Skylar gets honest about what it’s like to love her podcast, and still feel exhausted by the constant weight of grief. She talks about the pressure of always being the “grieving one,” the emotional fatigue that comes with sharing her story, and the guilt of sometimes wanting a break from it all. It’s a candid, unfiltered reflection on how healing can coexist with burnout, and why it’s okay to not have the energy to grieve right now.
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Follow Good Grief: Life After Loss on Instagram @goodgrief.pod
Follow Be the change. Media Network on Instagram @bethechangemedianetwork
If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org

​​Why I Think Everyone I Love Is Going to Die

Skylar opens up about how losing someone suddenly changed the way she sees safety and love. In this episode, she talks about the quiet fear grief leaves behind — the way she catastrophizes everything, from panicking when someone doesn’t text back to imagining what she’d do if the people she loves most suddenly died. She shares how this fear shows up in her daily life and what she’s noticed in others who have experienced loss as well. Skylar reflects on how grief rewires the brain to expect danger, what it means to love people after loss, and how she’s learning to live with the fear without letting it take over
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Follow Good Grief: Life After Loss on Instagram @goodgrief.pod
Follow Be the change. Media Network on Instagram @bethechangemedianetwork
If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org .

The Weird Ways We Cope

Ten years after losing her brother Sam, Skylar can finally see how her grief showed up in ways she never recognized at the time. From shopping sprees and impulsive haircuts to quitting everything she once loved, this episode dives into all the weird, messy, and very human ways she coped after loss — the kind that didn’t feel like grief back then, but absolutely were.
If your coping has ever looked “unhealthy” or confusing, this one’s for you.
Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe!
Follow Good Grief: Life After Loss on Instagram @goodgrief.pod
Follow Be the change. Media Network on Instagram @bethechangemedianetwork
If you have any questions please email Skylar Jackenthal atskylar@livelikesam.org