I Play Solitaire with My Dead Mom and Eat Chocolate for Both of Us (Episode 72) Artwork

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.

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Giving Grief Grace, a Grief Podcast for the Sandwich Generation

I Play Solitaire with My Dead Mom and Eat Chocolate for Both of Us (Episode 72)

September 20, 2026 • Lisa Hartung • Season 2 • Episode 72

0:00 | 19:22

This week, Lisa discusses running a half marathon on the anniversary of her mom's death and getting get news at work, and all she wants to do is pick up the phone and call her mom. Instead, she communicates with her mom through what her mom did best: playing solitaire and eating chocolate. This is a solo episode about how grief shows up in life's best moments, not just its hardest ones, and the small rituals that keep our loved ones close. Along the way, a bedtime moment with her five-year-old daughter reveals just how quietly those rituals get passed down.

Takeaways:

Grief doesn't wait for sad anniversaries. Grief shows up in celebrations and big wins too.
Small, specific rituals (a card game, a saved piece of candy) can be a real way of communicating with and celebrating someone you've lost.
Kids absorb how we cope, so be aware! Our actions are often mirrored by our children.

As Lisa says, grief shows up in every day, in every way and it is how we choose to carry it that matters. If this episode resonated, share it with someone who's learning their own way of saying “I miss you” to a person they've lost. Have a ritual of your own? Email hello@lisahartung.com and tell Lisa about it or find the full show and community at podcast.lisahartung.com. Grief was never meant to be carried alone, you are welcome here.

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