Grief, Gratitude, and the Chapter Nobody Prepares You For

What if grief wasn’t something to “get over,” but something we learn how to carry — together?

This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele open up about a chapter of life many of us enter quietly and unprepared: losing our parents. Over the past year, both have navigated profound loss while continuing to show up for work, family, friendships, and this very podcast.

They talk honestly about what grief actually looks like in real life — not just in the immediate aftermath, but in the months that follow. The empty chairs at holidays. The moments you instinctively reach for the phone to call someone who isn’t there anymore. The strange comfort of talking to loved ones after they’re gone, and the different ways faith, spirituality, science, and belief can help us make sense of it all.

Liz shares reflections on caregiving, anticipatory grief, and how loss reshaped her perspective on happiness, travel, and time. Michele reflects on losing both parents in the same year, finding comfort in signs, conversations, and legacy — including a powerful reminder to “Be Roberta,” honoring a beloved caregiver whose kindness left a lasting mark.

Together, they explore not just grief, but gratitude. Not just loss, but the light that can still exist alongside it. And they begin a larger conversation about how we prepare — or don’t — for aging, caregiving, and the end of life.

If you’re navigating grief, caring for aging parents, or simply feeling the weight of this chapter of life, this conversation is for you.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

-Why midlife often becomes the season of losing parents — and why it can feel so disorienting
-What grief looks like after the funeral, in everyday moments and quiet spaces
-Different ways people stay connected to loved ones after they’re gone
-How faith, spirituality, science, or personal belief can coexist in grief
-Why the “firsts” after loss — holidays, traditions, routines — can be especially hard
-How caregiving and anticipatory grief quietly shape our emotional lives
-Why talking about death, aging, and planning ahead can actually be an act of love
-How honoring someone’s legacy can become a daily practice (“Be Roberta”)
-A powerful perspective shift: letting grief deepen gratitude instead of diminishing joy


Keep Sparking
If this conversation resonated with you:

-Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode
-Share this episode with a friend navigating loss, caregiving, or a changing family dynamic
-Leave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the show
-Tag ⁠@sparkmepodcast⁠ on Instagram when you’re listening and tell us: What has helped you navigate grief or honor someone you’ve lost?