End of Life Conversations: Normalizing Talk About Death, Dying, and Grief

Why We Grieve More Than Death: Relationships, Health, Identity & Loss | Dr. Janice Lundy

Rev Annalouiza Armendariz & Rev Wakil David Matthews & Dr Jan Lundy Season 8 Episode 18

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We often think of grief as something that follows death. But what about the end of a relationship, a major change in health, losing a home or beloved pet, leaving behind an identity, or mourning a future we once imagined?

Dr. Janice Lundy returns to explore grief and loss beyond death, offering a broader and deeply compassionate understanding of what it means to grieve. She shares how creating a personal loss-history timeline helped her recognize grief she had previously minimized, and how acknowledging those losses can open a path toward greater compassion, love, meaning, and presence.

Janice also introduces the practice of grief companionship: learning how to accompany people through grief rather than trying to fix, explain, or rush them through it.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why grief isn't limited to death
• The connection between grief and spirituality
• How non-death losses can shape our lives
• Why Janice describes grief as “soul work”
• How to create a personal grief or loss-history timeline
• What it means to develop a “grief lens”
• How mindfulness and spiritual care can support us through loss
• What grief companionship is and how it differs from trying to fix someone's pain
• How to support someone who is grieving while remaining grounded and resourced yourself
• Finding meaning and connection without rushing the grieving process

Whether you're grieving a death, relationship, change in health, loss of identity, or another meaningful part of your life, this conversation offers a spacious way to understand what you're carrying and how we can become better companions to one another.

The Metta Center's podcast: "Little Losses Everywhere (and some big ones too)." Found here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2445951

The Metta Center offers Certification in Grief Companionship twice yearly (Fall and Winter). Please contact us for enrollment details through their website: www.GriefCompanionTraining.com

 Spiritual Guidance, Education & Counseling www.JanLundy.com

Keywords: grief and loss, grief that isn't about death, grief and spirituality, spiritual grief, non-death losses, grief companionship, grief companion, supporting someone who is grieving, grief healing, grief education, grief as soul work, meaning after loss, mindfulness and grief.

Support the show

We very much want to hear your thoughts. Please join us on Substack for our community chat.

This podcast helps anyone dealing with loss. It can guide you with end-of-life planning and death-positive resources. 

Check out our introductory episode to learn more about Annalouiza, Wakil, and our vision/mission to normalize and destigmatize conversations about death, dying, grief, and loss.

You can find us on SubStack, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one-on-one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

We want to be transparent that we use AI tools to help us with titles, show notes, editing, and introductions.



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