Resources
Welcome to our resources page. Here you will find a variety of resources to support your journey and practice of grief. This list is ever-changing as we discover new inspirations. We encourage you to be tender with yourself when exploring resources. Depending on where we are in our grief experience, resources can be helpful, inspiring and life-changing, but at times they be overwhelming, activating and exhausting. Take a breath and tune into what feels most supportive to you in the moment. This list is not going anywhere so take your time.
BOOKS
Books we LOVE.
Love Notes to Grievers
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This heartfelt book by our dear friend Angela Morris is summed up perfectly in the title - 'love notes.' Originally notes she wrote these messages to herself during the first year of deep grief, and later decided to share her reflections with others - and wow - we are so grateful! We love this book because it is easily digestible. You can take it in slowly, one page at a time, or breeze through all in one sitting. You can pick up this book in TGW shop or visit Angela's website to learn more about her and her writing ANGELA E MORRIS
After Your Person Dies
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"After Your Person Dies; Affirmations for Grief, Meaning Making, and Going On", is written and illustrated by Dr. Linda Shanti McCabe. We met Linda when she submitted a piece of art to TGW Community Art Initiative. When we discovered that she had created this gorgeous book we were felt called to do what we could to place this book into the hands of the bereaved. This book features the art and affirmations that Linda created in the first year after her husband's death. We love this book because it embraces the wild side of being human in this practice of grief, and guides readers to consider how to carry their grief with grace. You can pick up a copy of "After Your Person Dies" in TGW shop.
Prayers of Honouring Grief
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Written by Pixie Lighthorse, this book is a treasure - one that lives on our coffee tables! A book of guidance organized by season, the themes are relatable and nourishing, honouring the mystery that is around every corner along this journey of being human.
Fresh Paint
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Created by Flora Bowley & Lynzee Lynx, Fresh Paint is a beautiful collection of prompts and inspiration to discover and tease out your own unique creative style through the creation of 100 mixed - media paintings. The invitations are endless as you explore the gorgeous pages of this book - exploring through movement, intuition, body wisdom, individual preference, ancestry, and past experience. We have found so much inspiration through this process and are so grateful to have this guide. The creative process is a valued tool for our grief explorations and we invite you to step into this endless territory of curiosity.
Heartbreak, A Personal + Scientific Journey.
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Florence Williams writes about grief, heartbreak and loss in this beautiful memoir about her experience of the loss of a marriage through divorce and the journey to find herself, explore her heartbreak and everything in between. A deeply relatable share about the human experience of grief written by a scientist, who's mind drips with curiosity and wonder.
Bittersweet, How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole.
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Susan Cain, has given us another gift in Bittersweet. The reminder of being human and the deeply bittersweet experience it truly is to be alive, and how our culture has been so blind to the value and depth of living lives swimming in the ocean of a melancholy outlook. This book made us feel so seen!
Atlas of The Heart
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Brené Brown Most of us know her and love her. She has brought us so many gifts in the form of her books, her talks and her amazing podcasts. Atlas of the Heart is no disappointment. As lovers of language, Atlas of the Heart spoke to us in so many ways. This is a beautiful resource, a map of emotions, and a lot of clearing up confusion about what certain words/emotions actually mean! Well researched, and articulated this will remain a permanent fixture on our coffee tables.
Love and Salt Air
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Lisa Hartley is a wonderful human who works as a celebrant, officiating life's celebrations, transitions and goodbyes with a huge heart. This year Lisa released her first book, Love and Salt Air, the story of Lisa's experience of her mother's death to stomach cancer. Willow read this book in one sitting, tears streaming down her face and her heart exploding at the grace, gentleness and love that pours out through Lisa's sharing. This beautiful book is for anyone who has gone through the loss of a loved one, or anyone facing this reality currently. Lisa shares her knowledge gained from her years as a celebrant and the love and connection that is found when we approach these life experiences with an openness and the courage of wonder.
Grief is Love​
This gorgeous book offers wisdom, compassion and love to the complicated experience of grief and losses that happen along our journey as humans. Written by a person who knows many kinds of loss, Marisa guides the reader through the layers of loss and encourages us along our unique relationships with grief and how to honour ourselves and those losses in a way that is most authentic to us. “Grief is Love also explores the unique impact of grief on Black people and reveals the key factors that we all need for proper healing: permission, safety, care, grace and more”.
The Threshold Between Loss and Revelation
This is a book of aliveness and brilliance; a luminous synthesis of sacred, eloquent creativity; a unique collaboration between Rashani Réa and Francis Weller, two compassionate authorities known for their revolutionary work and healing presence.A "journaling edition" is also available, which contains 96 blank pages, for those who want to add their reflections and insights as they journey through this book.
The Smell of Rain on Dust​
Mary Oliver said to “Read carefully, and listen deeply” of this book. That really says it all. This book is an invitation from an indigenous Man who holds the wisdom that is much needed in our tame culture’s lack of approach to grief. Grief and Praise, these are the two that go hand in hand.
The Geography of Loss
We are feeling so held by this amazing resource. This book acknowledges that when we grieve, when we lose someone or something we love, we suddenly find ourselves alone in new territory. The invitation here is to explore these new landscapes with writing prompts and sketching. Using map imagery and embracing metaphors for grief helps readers to place themselves in these new lands and allow folks to chart their course, honouring what was, what is and what may lie ahead.
PODCASTS
There are SO many podcasts out there today! We will start out with a few we enjoy and add more as we discover.
Grief Out Loud
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Have you ever felt dismissed when you talk about grief? Discomfort rising in another leading people to change the subject or excuse themselves from the conversation? Perhaps you have even cleared a room? Well no need to worry about scaring host Jana DeCristofaro away. Produced by The Dougy Center, Grief Out Loud is creating space for this often avoided conversation because grief is hard enough without having to go through it alone. Grief Out Loud brings you a mix of personal stories, tips for supporting children, teens, and yourself as well as interviews with professionals. Platitude and cliché-free, we promise!
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Griefcast is a podcast that examines the human experience of grief and death - but with comedians, so it’s cheerier than it sounds.
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Everything Happens with Kate Bowler
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Life isn't always bright and shiny, as Kate Bowler knows. In, warm, insightful, often funny conversations, Kate talks with people about what they have learned in dark times. Kate teaches at Duke Divinity school and is the author of Everything Happens for a Reason (And Other Lies I've Loved) and No Cure for Being Human (And Other Truths I need to Hear). This podcast will make you laugh, cry, wonder and feel seen as the human you are.
Honest answers to the question “How are you?”
A friend of TGW, Kumi is an EOL Doula and office worker who generously shares her tender and devistating story of loss over short digestable episodes. As an act of service and healing Kumi effortlessly weaves grief literacy and education intot her story in real time. Each Episode is in English and Japanese to offer support to her Japanese community. While we dont speak Japanese, we found listening to the Japanese portion very soothing as we were able to listen and be soothed while we matabalized the Grief that Kumi so gracefully shares. Linked here to spotify, but also available on many other podcast services.
All There is with Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper takes us on a deeply personal exploration of loss and grief. He starts recording while packing up the apartment of his late mother Gloria Vanderbilt. Going through her journals and keepsakes, as well as things left behind by his father and brother, Cooper begins a series of emotional and moving conversations about the people we lose, the things they leave behind, and how to live on - with loss, with laughter, and with love.
We highly recommend all of the Breathing Wind EPs but this miniseries with Naila Francis is a gem for the heart.
Sex, Birth, Trauma, with Kimberly Ann Johnson
EP 135: Spirit Work, Conspiracies, Elderhood and Grief with Stephen Jenkinson, Part One
EP 135: Spirit Work, Conspiracies, Elderhood and Grief with Stephen Jenkinson, Part Two
Kimberly and Stephen look at what happens when we normalize these uniquely troubled times, as well as how we got here. Together they wonder about grief, parenting, elderhood, me-first culture and conspiracies in times of crisis.
VIDEOS
As Grievers this video really supported all that we are about here at TGW, Normalization, Humanizing, we feel seen here, maybe you will too.
How to Lose Everything is an Indigenous series of animated short films that explore personal stories of loss. The five films’ stories span nations, languages, and perspectives on heartache.
Are you Still There? A short film about grief.
A real and beautiful film featuring an every day situation that will bring up all the layers of loss as we navigate life without our people.
Made in 2012, Good Grief has screened at 19 festivals worldwide and won numerous awards. Inspired by the loss of her own mother and the grief that ensued, director Fiona Dalwood went about finding out how the experience of loss transforms us. With a shoestring budget and months of hard work, she made Good Grief, a beautiful short film that has been described as “adorable and heartfelt”. Accessible to children and adults alike, it is being used in educational programs as a starting point to discuss the process of grief and what some of the positive outcomes of grief can be.
PEOPLE
Below some folks that provide further education and grief support.
Grief & Resiliency - offering education, facilitation and mentorship.
Clea Jonquil Hargreaves, MAS, E-RYT-500+, Archivist, Grief Counsellor, Movement Instructor, Trauma Informed.
ARTICLES
Below is a list of articles we find useful.
Estrangement Grief
Grieving in the Age of Estrangement and Division- Written by Emily Palmer
Click on the title to read this impactful article. When Tracy sent me (Willow) this article It opened something in me, I felt seen. This is the power of sharing our experiences in action. I will forever be grateful to Emily for writing this piece and offering a new lens to see my grief through.
Angela E. Morris Blog
One of our favorite writers on grief is Angela E. Morris. She writes regular articles about all things grief, the nuances, her personal reflections on her lived experiences and wonderings. Check out her blog here. Her most recent piece on Ring Theory, a wonderful approach to how to show up for your loved ones who are grieving.
ORGANIZATIONS
Below is an expanding offering of folks and organizations that normalize grief through love and witnessing.
This incredible organization has many projects and incredible resourcing for artists!
The Grief Deck Projects
ONLINE GRIEF DECK
YOUTH GRIEF DECK
The Grief Deck Projects are an original resource, featuring two decks; one for adults and one for youth. Decks are available for purchase and you can access a free online deck that is continuously growing.The cards feature an image created by an artist and a prompt for exploring grief practice and support.
The Artists’ Grief Deck is an outcome of ALI’s work with the NYC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NYCVOAD) beginning in the early Spring of 2020 when Covid-19 hit the US. It was produced in collaboration with artist Adriene Jenik, and the project was completed in partnership with the National Hospice Cooperative.
Our dear friend Megan Sheldon and her husband Johan Hoglund, at Be Ceremonial have created a user friendly platform that empowers users with a framework to follow, inspire and support accessibility to crafting our own universal rituals and ceremony to mark just about any transition we travel through in life. New rituals and ceremonies are added frequently and there is an ever growing collection of real life stories from folks who use this offering personally and professionally. Ritual and ceremony can support us as to engage with grief. The simplicity of offering ourselves ritual and ceremony allows us to intentionally engage in order to discover meaning through times of transition.
Beautifully curated gift boxes to specifically support children and teens. Our youth grieve differently, and support for them is often overlooked, or not offered because the adults in their lives don't know how. With supportive resources and curated or a la carte offerings, we just love what the women of With love are doing.
You don't have to grieve alone. What's Your Grief is a place for sharing, support, resources, & more.
Some things cannot be fixed. They can only be carried.