Shelby Forsythia's Blog, page 3

Why Poetry Speaks to Grief and Loss—and Opens the Door to Healing

From “grief brain” to finding the words, poems are a balm after lossPhoto by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

When loss rips through our lives, we often search for words comprehensive enough to encapsulate what we feel.

A lot of times, the cliché, positivity-oriented language of condolence cards—”They’re in a better place,” “Time heals all wounds,” “You’ll get through this”—doesn’t do our grief justice, and only deepens the ache. Even more therapeutic phrases that we pick up on a counselor’s couch or from...

5 Weird Grief Coping Strategies That Actually Work

From playing video games to wearing the same pair of sweatpants on repeat, there’s logic to these “odd” behaviors.Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

There’s a societal script for “respectable grief” and it goes something like this: Cry a little. Go to therapy. Meditate, maybe. Journal about your feelings. Get “back to normal” around the one-year mark, if everything is operating “as it should.”

But what about the ways grief actually shows up?

Despite what movies, TV shows, music, and social media po...

How to Write a Death Announcement for Facebook, Instagram, and Other Social Media, Step-by-Step

Because these days everything—including death—gets shared online.Photo by Rendy Novantino on Unsplash

When someone you love dies, the last thing you want to think about is social media.

And yet—if you’re active on platforms like Facebook or Instagram, logging on after a death can feel strange. The world keeps spinning. People are posting vacation photos, news articles, and memes. Meanwhile, your world has shattered.

Recently, I came across this Reddit post from a grieving parent who had just lost t...

The 9 Most-Loved Episodes of the Grief Seeds Podcast

When I launched Grief Seeds in March 2021, the world was still deep in the uncertainty and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Grievers everywhere were carrying compounding losses—of loved ones, of routines, of connection, of the lives they thought they’d be living. I created Grief Seeds to meet that moment. Not with quick fixes or overly polished advice, but with thoughtful, grounded reflections on grief.

Each episode was rooted in personal truth, emotional honesty, and the hope that naming what...

Loss, Bereavement, Grief, and Mourning: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters

Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash

If you’ve experienced a life-altering loss—whether through death, divorce, diagnosis, or another major transition—you’ve likely heard terms like “grief,” “mourning,” “bereavement,” and “loss” tossed around, often interchangeably.

People say things like, “I’m so sorry for your loss,” or “Are you still in mourning?” or “He took bereavement leave,” without really thinking about what those words mean—or how different they actually are.

But the truth is: each of these wo...

5 Years Into the Pandemic: Grief Is Still Here, Even Though the World Has Moved On

Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash

In March 2020, the world as we knew it permanently changed.

We masked up and sheltered in place. We waved to loved ones through glass. We moved work, school, and socializing largely online. We applauded (and overworked) essential workers. We commemorated milestones like weddings, new births, graduations, and deaths from a distance. We said our goodbyes over FaceTime.

Yet five years later, much of the world has “gone back to normal,” as if the pandemic nev...

7 Journaling Prompts for Grief When You’re Staring at a Blank Page

They’ll help you start writing when you don’t know where to begin.Photo by Nils Stahl on Unsplash

There’s something uniquely haunting about a blank page when you’re grieving.

It’s not just the absence of words-it’s the pressure to somehow explain the unexplainable, to make sense of a shattered world with nothing but a pen and a piece of paper. They seem like such little tools in the face of something monstrous.

See if this sounds like you: You sit down to write, hoping that journaling about what yo...

Growing Around Grief

How to Grow Through Grief Instead of “Getting Over It”Photo by Elaine Casap on Unsplash

Society treats grief like an inconvenience.

From the moment loss enters our lives, we’re met with the pressure to “move on,” “find closure,” and “let go.” People offer well-meaning but hurtful advice like “They wouldn’t want you to be sad,” or “You have to be strong and keep going.” Workplaces grant a handful of bereavement days, as if our grief can be neatly packaged into a long weekend. Friends and family che...

The Top 6 Listener-Favorite Episodes of Dear Grief Guide Advice Podcast

I launched Dear Grief Guide on a deeply personal day—the 10-year anniversary of my mom’s death.

Inspired by advice podcasts like Dear Sugars and The Savage Lovecast and newspaper advice columns like Dear Abby and Dear Prudence, I created Dear Grief Guide as an intentional space where grievers could write in with their hardest, messiest, and most vulnerable questions-and receive both heartfelt wisdom and practical tools in response.

Each episode is less than 30 minutes, making it easy to listen whi...

How To Feel Less Alone In Grief

Three comforting tools for times when no one understandsPhoto by Noah Silliman on Unsplash

Grief can be one of the loneliest experiences in the world.

Even when you’re surrounded by people, it can feel like no one truly sees what you’re carrying. And if your grief isn’t obvious to others—ie. if you’re not crying in public or talking about it often—it can be even easier to feel invisible.

But here’s something important to remember: Even in hardest, darkest seasons of grief, you are not alone. And if...