Still Celebrating Them: How 5 Guests Honor Those Who Have Died
Still Celebrating Them: How 5 Guests Honor Those Who Have Died
Grief doesn't end the love. And for so many of us, it doesn't end the celebrating either.
One of the questions I get asked most in the grief community is — is it okay to still celebrate someone who has died? Their birthday. Their
favorite holiday. The little everyday moments that used to belong to them.
The answer is yes. Absolutely, beautifully, yes.
And on GRIEF Ladies: A Guide to What Comes Next, five of our incredible guests showed us exactly how they do it.
This Topic Is Deeply Personal to Me
I recently contributed Chapter 17 to The Ultimate Guide to Self-Healing, Volume 6 — a collaborative project with Brave Healer Productions. My chapter is titled Celebrate Their Life: Focusing on Gratitude, Connection, and What Still Remains.
In it, I share my own grief story. My mom died when I was 14. In November 2024, my dad died too. And learning to stay connected to them changed everything about how I experience grief. The chapter explores how grief and gratitude can coexist — and how honoring the life of someone we love can soften grief without any pressure to move on or let go.
"Grief doesn't ask us to let go of our loved ones — it invites us to find new ways to carry them forward."
I also created a meditation to go alongside the chapter. If you're looking for a gentle place to start, this is it. 💛
▶️ Watch the meditation here: https://youtu.be/ionQT1zRMAE?si=_WNsz0kdodVf-W_8
Check out the Ultimate Guide to Self Healing - Volume 6 at: https://a.co/d/03Wuh0hm
What Does It Mean to Celebrate Those Who Have Died?
Celebrating those who have died looks different for everyone. For some it's a ritual — lighting a candle, cooking their favorite meal, visiting a special place. For others it's showing up to their birthday with balloons and tears and laughter all at once. There is no right way.
There is only your way.
What I've learned from hosting GRIEF Ladies is that the people who find ways to keep celebrating those who have died often find it to be one of the most healing parts of their grief journey. Not because it makes the pain go away — but because it keeps the connection alive.
5 Guests. 5 Ways of Still Celebrating Them.
In this special highlights video, I pulled clips from five recent episodes where each guest shared how they continue to honor and celebrate those who have died.
💛 Featured guests:
- Kelly Myerson (Ep. 22)
- Kat Farace (Ep. 23)
- Charlotte Shuber (Ep. 24)
- Cori Myka (Ep. 25)
- April Hannah (Ep. 26)
Each of these guests brought something so real and so personal to their episode. Watching their clips together in one video is a reminder that grief is not one size fits all — and neither is celebrating those we love who have died.
Watch the Video
▶️ https://youtu.be/qEnbe_t6t3M
I hope this video gives you permission — if you needed it — to keep celebrating. To keep marking the days. To keep saying their name.
If any of these guests' stories resonated with you, I'd love for you to watch their full episodes. You can find them all linked below.
🎙️ Full Episodes:
- Kelly Myerson — Episode 22: https://youtu.be/Oj5HF0xuHhU?si=MU5oBHHuILkhZt6
- Kat Farace — Episode 23: https://youtu.be/xRevq_ZcDYo?si=9Pl3DTUQXpJa20Ww
- Charlotte Shuber — Episode 24: https://youtu.be/5OEe88S1Sk4?si=ZhPOnLbf6OJr0BXN
- Cori Myka — Episode 25: https://youtu.be/aiLqrtJuFI8?si=PuS0JThk4BY43s1m
- April Hannah — Episode 26: https://youtu.be/bTayMPCvKYY?si=gMWPaAyvhobg_VJH
Tell Me — How Do You Celebrate?
How do you celebrate those who have died in your life? Drop it in the comments on the video. This community always shows up for each other, and I know your answer might be exactly what someone else needed to read today.
And if you're not already part of our GRIEF Ladies Facebook community, come join us. It's one of the most real, supportive spaces on the
internet for people navigating grief. 👉 https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Ak735EmTo/
Growing Around Grief: Staying Connected While Moving Forward After Loss
Growing Around Grief: Staying Connected While Moving Forward After Loss with Guest Charlotte Shuber
Have you ever wondered if it's okay to still feel close to someone who has died? If holding onto their memory somehow means you're not healing — or moving on the "right" way?
You are not alone. And the answer might surprise you.
In this powerful episode (24) of the GRIEF Ladies Podcast, licensed clinical social worker Charlotte Shuber flips the script on what grief is supposed to look like — and gives grieving women permission to carry their loved ones with them, not leave them behind.
You Don't Have to Let Go to Move Forward
One of the most damaging myths about grief is that healing means detaching. That at some point, you pack up the memories, put them away, and "get back to normal."
Charlotte's message is the opposite: staying connected to someone who died is not only healthy — it's part of how we grow.
Rather than moving on, she invites us to move forward — with our loved ones woven into who we are becoming.
What You'll Take Away from This Episode
Why "letting go" is the wrong goal — and what to reach for instead
How to interact with your emotions and memories in ways that fuel healing, not avoidance
Charlotte's personal story of loss and how it shaped her clinical approach
Practical tools for maintaining a connection with a loved one while still fully living your life
Why grief is not a problem to solve — it's a relationship to tend
The GRIEF Framework: Interacting
This episode falls under the I — Interacting category of the GRIEF Framework, which focuses on how we engage with our inner world: our emotions, our memories, and the ongoing relationship we have with those we've lost.
Charlotte's approach reminds us that grief is not passive. It requires us to show up — to sit with what hurts, to speak the names of those we love, and to let that love continue to shape us.
About Charlotte Shuber
Charlotte Shuber is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in grief and loss. She works with children, teens, and adults, combining professional expertise with her own lived experience of loss. Charlotte is passionate about creating a compassionate space where people can explore grief openly, adapt to life changes, and discover meaningful ways to stay connected—with loved ones who have died, with others, and with themselves.
Connect with Charlotte: https://www.creatingspacetherapy.com/charlotte-shuber-lcsw
Ready to Listen?
🎙️ Tune in to this episode of the GRIEF Ladies Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts or on YouTube— and share it with someone who needs to hear that staying connected is not a weakness. It's wisdom.
Because you don't have to choose between honoring them and living fully. You were never meant to.
The GRIEF Ladies Podcast is dedicated to supporting grieving individuals through loss with real conversations, expert guidance, and community.
Finding: Transforming Grief Through Continued Bonds with Dave Roberts
GRIEF Ladies Podcast Episode #21 with Dave Roberts
New Podcast Episode: 2/11/26
In this episode of the GRIEF Ladies podcast, hosts Kelly Daugherty and Karyn Arnold welcome Dave Roberts to discuss the concept of continued bonds in grief.
They explore practical strategies for maintaining connections with deceased loved ones, the importance of shadow work, and how to find meaning in grief.
The conversation emphasizes the evolving nature of grief, the significance of celebrating the lives of loved ones, and offers practical advice for navigating the grief journey.
Listen on all major podcast platforms and YouTube at: https://youtu.be/enkLhjcheHk?si=lsfdQLSshEKasJjU