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
Episode 56 - Crafting Through Grief: How Kenya McCarthy Turns Her Mom's Belongings Into Healing Gifts
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What do you do when grief meets a house full of craft supplies? For Kenya McCarthy, creator of @chronicallykenya and @k.carthydesigns, the answer was to start making things, sharing the process online, and building a strong grief community so people wouldn't feel alone.
Kenya's story is layered: she was already navigating a multiple sclerosis diagnosis when her mom Nikki suffered a sudden stroke. Kenya traveled cross-country from California to Virginia to spend the last nine days of her mom's life by her side. When it came time to pack up Nikki's home — a woman who could, as Kenya says, make anything out of anything — Kenya made a decision that would change everything: she would turn her mom's belongings into memorial gifts for the people who loved her.
In this episode, Kenya and Lisa discuss:
- Why crafting works as a grief tool and how Kenya assigns each project with a "spoon rating" so grievers can find a craft that matches their energy
- The story of her mom, Nikki: vibrant, feisty, and the inventor of the phrase "chuck it in the fuck it bucket"
- How Kenya hears her mom's voice as she problem-solves her way through every project
- The K. Carthy Designs story — the moment Kenya discovered her mom had written Kenya's abandoned fashion dream on the first page of her own goal journal
- Why Kenya grieves her mom publicly and honors her legacy by talking about her every day
If you are grieving, crafting, chronically ill, or trying to find a way to keep the people you've lost a little bit closer, this episode is for you.
Connect with Kenya:
- TikTok & Instagram: @chronicallykenya
- Designs: @k.carthydesigns
- Weekly series: Crafty Grieving (new episodes every Wednesday)
Connect with Lisa & Giving Grief Grace:
- Website: podcast.lisahartung.com
- Email: hello@lisahartung.com
- Instagram/Facebook: @givinggriefgrace
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
