Chris Punsalan on: grieving in public, caregiving, and honoring grandmother Anicia Manipon

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In this griefsense episode, I’m joined by multi-hyphenate creator and caregiver Chris Punsalan, known by millions for his viral videos caring for his grandmother, Anicia Manipon.

For nearly 8 years, Chris showed the world what love looked like in real time - through routines, folded napkins, shared meals, and the small sacred acts of caregiving. Some of you may know him from TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram, where over 6 million people followed their journey.

But when she passed, a new journey began - one with less guidance and fewer viewers: grief.

In this episode, we talk about:
🧡 grieving in public + not crying at the funeral
🧡 the identity shift after caregiving ends
🧡 anticipatory grief + emotional guilt
🧡 taking care of our health + nurturing our hobbies
🧡 honoring Anicia’s legacy through content and culture
🧡 navigating social media as a grieving creator

Whether you're a caregiver, griever, content creator / entrepreneur — or all three — this conversation will hold you where you are.

You don't have to carry this alone. The griefsense community is here for you.

related video: https://youtu.be/NMq8P1e_xgs?si=wBXb1CJX7jSvVxbd

Follow Chris on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube.

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Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Grief and Growth
02:38 Navigating Personal Grief Experiences
05:23 Honoring Legacies Through Grief
08:30 The Impact of Caregiving on Identity
11:15 Finding Purpose in Grief
13:43 Anticipatory Grief and Its Complexities
16:33 Reinventing Life After Loss
19:36 Creating Grief Homes and Outlets
22:26 Reframing Grief Perspectives
32:15 Moving Forward with Grief
35:11 The Need for Authenticity
37:16 Legacy and Purpose
42:03 Creating Meaningful Content
48:32 Giving People Their Flowers
51:16 Cultural Integration in Content
55:59 Navigating the Creative Journey
01:01:16 Navigating Comments on Social media
01:04:00 The Impact of Metrics on Content Creation
01:07:12 The Invisible Metrics of Engagement
01:12:07 Living Authentically and Purposefully
01:16:37 Self-Care as an Act of Love
01:19:44 The Power of Vulnerability in Storytelling
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