Sep 9, 2021
Your hosts, Tara Hedman and Diane Thompson, welcome you to another episode of Examine Your Hedman Podcast. Today, they are joined by Brian Nelson for the second part of this insightful conversation.
In this episode, Brian shares about his parents' decision to adopt four children after Beau passed away, his grieving journey through the years, and how his perspective about the loss of his little brother continues to change as he faces the different phases of life. Brian talks in-depth about what has helped (and what didn’t) in his healing process, and how others might support someone transiting the hard path of grief.
Life really can suck less, so examine your head, man!
Key Takeaways:
[1:20] Brian talks about his parents deciding to adopt a year after Beau passed away.
[4:41] What was the biggest scar for Brian?
[5:31] Brian shares how the grief still shows up today.
[7:25] Brian talks about how his loss has helped him empathize with others who’ve also gone through the loss of a loved one.
[9:10] Brian talks about how he likes to remember his brother.
[10:02] Brian speaks to parents who have lost a child about how to support their living children.
[14:45] Brian shares how he sees things differently now, being a parent himself.
[17:51] Brian shares ways in which people can show up for those who have experienced a serious loss.
[19:04] Brian talks about their first Thanksgiving without Beau.
[22:32] Grief is inconsistent.
[23:42] Brian shares a conversation with Beau’s teacher many years after he passed away.
[25:14] What helped Brian the most at the hardest times of his grieving curve?
[29:07] Tara shares about Diane’s house burning down two years ago.
[33:10] Tara, Diane and Brian talk about where the real trauma lies.
[38:00] They talk about how no one really knows about the suffering you are going through, every person struggles in their own way and under unique circumstances.
[40:34] Tara talks about how grieving without shame and fear is difficult in this country.
[41:38] Brian shares how it feels for him to talk about the loss of his brother.
[45:19] Brian shares the healing moment when he realized that it was ok for him to keep on living his life.
Mentioned in this episode:
Visit Examine Your Hedman
Contact Brian Nelson at: bnels73@sbcglobal.net
This podcast is not a substitute for a therapeutic relationship with a mental health professional