If you’ve ever wondered what truly helps someone in grief, episode 402 of Grief and Happiness is for you. Mindset coach and certified grief educator Kathleen Quinn shares how losing her husband during COVID reshaped her view of grief as something we live with, not move past. Through moments like freezing in a grocery store parking lot and the power of saying a loved one’s name, she shows why presence matters more than words.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

(00:55) How loss led Kathleen Quinn to grief education

(03:46) Why grief doesn’t end—and how we live with it

(04:40) Why saying the person’s name matters

(06:50) Questions that help grievers feel seen

(08:57) Losing a spouse during COVID and anticipatory grief

(12:10) Finding purpose after profound loss

(15:07) Why listening matters more than fixing

(17:50) The arc of grief: anticipatory to mature

(19:30) Why capable people freeze in early grief

(22:16) How journaling supports healing over time

Kathleen Quinn is a mindset coach, grief educator, and speaker based in Madison, Wisconsin. With more than 30 years of experience in university leadership and development, she brings deep listening skills and a grounded, compassionate approach to her work. After losing her husband during the height of the COVID pandemic, Kathleen became a certified grief educator through training with renowned grief expert David Kessler, integrating grief literacy into her coaching practice. Today, she helps individuals navigate loss, life transitions, boundaries, and self-worth with clarity, presence, and humanity.

In Episode 402, Kathleen offers a thoughtful and deeply human perspective on grief, shaped by both personal loss and professional experience. She reframes grief as something we learn to live with rather than “move on” from, emphasizing the importance of presence, listening, and naming those who have died. Kathleen introduces key ideas such as grief literacy, secondary losses, and the natural arc of grief—from anticipatory grief to a stage where love outweighs pain. Through practical examples, she shows how small, intentional acts of listening and asking better questions can help grieving people feel truly seen and supported, reminding listeners that compassion often matters more than words.

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Book: Emily Thiroux Threatt - Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief

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If you’ve ever wondered how loss can open the door to unexpected purpose, episode 400 of the Grief and Happiness podcast is for you. Artist and author Marcie Shrewsbury Lopez shares how caring for her husband through his final days—and facing the grief that followed—sparked a powerful new creative chapter. From unexpected signs on the beach to the healing pull of art and animals, Marcie shows how even deep sorrow can guide you toward meaning and renewal.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

(01:07) Rebuilding life through art, friends, and horses

(01:57) How horses create emotional breakthroughs in grief

(03:45) The equine-therapy moment that unlocked years of tears

(06:13) Why art helps access and heal deeper emotions

(07:41) The dream, the meeting, and the love story that changed everything

(16:06) How a 46-year age difference led to a joyful, adventurous marriage

(23:00) The sacred lessons she learned while caregiving

(26:06) The beach signs that continue to comfort her

(27:10) How grief opened the door to her strongest creative work yet

Marcie Shrewsbury Lopez is an artist, author, and storyteller whose work explores love, loss, and transformation. After the passing of her husband Adrian, she stepped more fully into her creative path, developing a body of artwork that reflects deep emotional truth. Her paintings have been featured in exhibitions across New Jersey, and her memoir shares the remarkable love story and spiritual journey that shaped her life. Marcie continues to inspire others through her art, writing, and the meaningful connections she builds around grief and healing.

In this episode, Marcie reflects on the profound impact of her 20–year marriage and the ways grief opened new doors to healing. She shares how reconnecting with horses offered unexpected comfort, emotional release, and a grounding presence during mourning, and how her art became a powerful way to access and process her feelings. Marcie also recounts the extraordinary way she met and married Adrian, their life of adventure and unconditional love, and the sacred experience of caregiving at the end of his life. Her insights highlight how creativity, animals, spiritual signs, and continued bonds can gently guide us forward after loss.

Connect with Marcie Shrewsbury Lopez:

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Book: Marcie Shrewsbury Lopez - A PLACE OF PROMISE

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The Grief and Happiness Alliance

Book: Emily Thiroux Threatt - Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief

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