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What if, instead of expecting ourselves and those around us to move on from the loss of a loved one, we made space for loss to become part of the new life being created? This is a very exciting episode as it is our very first live episode recorded at our annual gala! We are joined by the incredible grief educator and motivational speaker, Hannah Stonehouse Hudson, to discuss how she navigated the loss of an infant and her husband in the light of publicity that followed a viral photograph she took. Listening in to this potentially triggering emotional discussion, you’ll hear all about the shocking premonition Hannah’s husband had about his death (and how it prepared her), the beautiful photo Hannah took that went viral, why her husband’s death was public and how she handled it, and how she was inspired to use the internet to help others with their grief. Grief is like a fingerprint, unique to each and every individual, and today Hannah encourages us to refrain from judging ourselves in our grieving process and rather give ourselves ‘time, grace, and space.’ We also discuss how Hannah has gotten through difficulties before looking into how to support people through loss, why nobody actually knows what to do or say, and how allowing people to feel and experience things in their own way is impactful. Finally, she shares some research she has done on grief and leaves us with the powerful comfort that our loved ones are always with us. Please note that this podcast carries a trigger warning for death and grief so please listen with care. To hear this beautiful conversation, press play now!

Key Points from This Episode:

  • Welcome to our very first live episode of Haven the Podcast!
  • Introducing today’s guest, Hannah Stonehouse Hudson.
  • The importance of talking about hard things and how her husband prepared her for his death.
  • All about Hannah’s viral photograph.
  • How she used her husband’s public death to help people handle tragedy through the internet.
  • Why there is no wrong way to grieve and why you cannot judge yourself and how you grieve.
  • How to get in the habit of practicing healthy self-talk: time, grace, and space.
  • How Hannah has made it through such difficult times and is still willing to talk about it.
  • The powerful impact we can make if we take time to allow people to experience hard things.
  • Why nobody knows what to say to somebody grieving a loss.
  • Why people who have lost someone want to talk about them and tell the stories.
  • Why the seven stages of grief have been denounced.
  • The research she has done on death and grief and some interesting findings she’s made.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Hannah Stonehouse Hudson

Hannah Stonehouse Hudson on LinkedIn

Hannah Stonehouse Hudson on Twitter

Hannah Stonehouse Hudson on Instagram

Hannah Stonehouse Hudson on Facebook

Hannah’s Viral Photograph and Huffington Post Article