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 64 - Moments Matter: What I'd Do Again Caregiving for Mom and Her Terminal Diagnosis
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When someone you love receives a terminal diagnosis, time suddenly feels different — heavier, more precious, and impossible to plan around. In this solo episode, Lisa shares what caregiving through her mom's stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis taught her about making the most of uncertain time. She walks listeners through practical logistics like assembling a care team and navigating the shift into hospice, to the small daily choices that turned hard days into meaningful ones: a favorite ice cream, a beloved TV show, a spontaneous stop at a small-town shop. This is the caregiving guidance Lisa wishes she'd had going in, and the moments, both big and small, she'd choose again in a heartbeat.
Whether you're newly navigating a diagnosis, deep in the trenches of caregiving, or supporting someone who is, this episode offers both practical tools and permission to find real joy alongside the hard days.
Key Take-Aways:
- Build a care team early and broadly — beyond doctors, consider nutritionists, therapists, hospice, and community/illness-specific organizations; don't be afraid to ask for help.
- Keep a notebook or recording of appointments — the fog of caregiving makes details easy to lose, and a log helps you (and your care team) stay grounded.
- Enrolling in hospice is a mindset shift, not a defeat — it moves the focus from preserving life to preserving comfort and dignity.
- Protect small daily joys — a favorite food, a familiar show, a beauty ritual — they matter as much as the big milestones.
- Say yes to spontaneous adventures, even tiny ones close to home; the ones that stick with you aren't always the big bucket-list trips.
If you are caregiving for a parent or loved one right now, we see you, and we are so glad you are here. Subscribe so you don't miss next week's episode, and if this one resonated with you, please share it with someone else in the thick of it — you don't have to carry this alone.
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.
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Special thanks to:
Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music
Podcast Music Good_B_Music