Grief Is Not A Dirty Word
Grief Is Not A Dirty Word is a weekly podcast that brings honest, real-world conversations about grief, loss, trauma, healing, and mental health into the light. Hosted by Nick Gaylord, the show creates a safe, compassionate space for anyone navigating the complicated emotions that come with losing a parent, partner, child, friend, relationship, or former version of themselves.
Originally launched as Our Dead Dads, the podcast has evolved into a broader mission: to normalize grief and break the stigma around talking about it. Nick explores every corner of the grieving experience — from anticipatory grief and sudden loss to complicated family dynamics, unresolved anger, identity shifts, and the invisible pain people carry long after the world assumes they’re “fine.”
Each episode features powerful, unfiltered stories from guests who have lived through loss and rebuilt their lives in deeply personal ways. Through conversations centered on resilience, vulnerability, courage, and connection, the podcast helps listeners understand that grief isn’t something to hide — it’s something that deserves space, honesty, and community.
Whether your grief is fresh or decades old, whether it’s tied to death or to a different kind of ending, this show will help you feel seen, supported, and less alone. If you’re looking for meaningful discussions about healing, emotional wellbeing, and the human experience — you’re in the right place.
New episodes every Tuesday.
Listen on all major podcast platforms or at griefisnotadirtyword.com.
Grief Is Not A Dirty Word — because every story matters, every emotion belongs, and healing begins when we speak the truth.
Grief Is Not A Dirty Word
Cancer Loss, Widowhood, and Rediscovering Joy Through Grief with Jason & Kirsten Clawson - Episode 38
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WHO THIS EPISODE HELPS:
Anyone facing grief after losing a spouse, navigating widowhood, or struggling with remarriage after loss.
WHAT LISTENERS WILL GET:
Insight into healing after devastating cancer loss, the complexities of blending families, and the hope of rediscovering love while honoring the past.
DESCRIPTION:
In this episode, Nick Gaylord speaks with Jason and Kirsten Clawson, two remarkable individuals who both lost their spouses to cancer and found unexpected love through shared grief. Jason lost his wife Valerie to stage four colon cancer, leaving him to raise their sons while navigating unimaginable sorrow. Kirsten’s husband Cody died from acute myeloid leukemia during COVID, forcing her to face widowhood in isolation. Together, Jason and Kirsten share how grief brought them together, how they built a blended family, and how they continue to honor Valerie and Cody while building a future rooted in love and remembrance. They discuss breaking stigmas around remarriage after loss, raising children through grief, and supporting thousands through their platform, Light After Grief. This conversation is filled with authenticity, resilience, and proof that love and grief can coexist.
This episode answers:
- How do you navigate remarriage after losing a spouse to cancer?
- What is it like raising children through grief after widowhood?
- How can families honor loved ones who have passed while building new traditions?
- Why do so many feel stigma around finding love again after loss?
- How can social media grief communities create real healing connections?
Key Takeaways:
- Love and grief can coexist when honoring both past and present.
- Children process grief in different ways and need open conversations.
- Early engagement with grief work improves long-term healing.
- Remarriage after loss is not betrayal but an extension of love.
- Connection and service to others help transform grief into hope.
JASON & KIRSTEN'S LINKS:
LightAfterGrief Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/lightaftergrief/
FREE RESOURCES:
https://stan.store/lightaftergrief?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabVUJKaWuDEUzwwWlmy-FuVw11cKTksPYkf2l9nKc6fLJkWcP9tjUmYo3c_aem_Omca93YD9qruOv1SwsJ4zg
FIND JASON & KIRSTEN ON FACEBOOK:
Jason: https://www.facebook.com/jason.m.clawson
Kirsten: https://www.facebook.com/kirsten.olson.18
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