70. Friend-Loss is a Disenfranchised Grief: with Rebecca Feinglos

Today I chat with Rebecca Feinglos, grief expert and founder of Grieve Leave. Rebecca is a certified grief support specialist, startup founder, and former state and local policy advisor. Rebecca founded Grieve Leave in 2021 as a way to document her experience on a year-long grief sabbatical, and process her own grief and loss— she lost her mother in her teens, her father suddenly in 2020, and her marriage in a drawn-out divorce. Grieve Leave has grown into a global community of 30,000 with online reach well into the millions that provides tangible takeaways, resources, and a healthy dose of humor, creating an entire movement around taking intentional time to grieve.

 

Rebecca and I chat about:

• How friend-loss is a disenfranchised grief, and how that affects our grieving process
• Rebecca’s dear friend Courtney, who died 3 weeks before recording this episode – the complexity of the grief, Courtney’s celebration of life, and more
• The state of bereavement leave in workplaces (spoiler alert: it’s not great), and how it could be better
• If you’re unsure whether or not you should attend the funeral – attend the funeral!
• Grief is not logical
• The limit to grief (and love) do not exist!
• How grief can coexist with joy
• And more!

 

Resources:

To get in touch with Rebecca or learn more about her, check out her website, podcast, and socials!

Website: Grieveleave.com

Podcast: Grief'd Up The Podcast

Socials: @grieveleave

 

Rebecca’s book recommendation:

Grief is Love by Marisa Renee Lee

 

Some of my fave quotes from this episode:

“Grief will suffocate you if you don't make room for it.”

“We need more grief-informed workplaces.”

“Grief and love are totally intertwined.”

“Always go to the funeral.”

“Grief isn't logical.”

“Your grief is valid, no matter the relationship.”

“The limit to grief does not exist.” (catch the Mean Girls reference here?)

“A life well lived is full of grief.”

“You have built close relationships with people if you are grieving.”

“The grief that we feel is totally parallel to the amount of joy we’ve experienced in our lives.”

 

Get in touch:

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If you’re interested in being a part of a friend-grief group, fill out the interest form at friendsmissingfriends.com/griefgroup

 

Email: [e-mail]

Instagram: @friendsmissingfriends

Website: friendsmissingfriends.com

Spotify for Podcasts page: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/friendsmissingfriends

Leave a VM at FMF’s google voice number: 312-291-1781

 

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