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Erika Austin, PhD has taken life’s lemons and made the sweetest lemon cupcake. She’s suffered two devastating losses, her husband and her brother, and manages to have a beautiful outlook on death, grief, and the connection we can have to our loved ones who die. She opens up about her experience as a young window, recounting the painful shifts of how life changes when your partner is gone. Almost two decades later, she’s able to share what she wishes she knew then.
Tragedy struck again and the person who supported her through her husband’s death, her brother Frankie, was taken too soon. Erika knew what to expect and drew from the lessons she learned from her husband’s passing to grieve and celebrate gratitude simultaneously. Her work in the grief world counseling others through similar situations has continued to bring her peace.
She shares interesting ways to honor a loved one, and we discuss supermodel Iman’s newest way of honoring husband David Bowie– a fragrance called Love Memoir.
PLUS- a bit of a life update from me and a NON SPOILER recap of the new Sex and the City reboot on HBO Max, And Just Like That.
Episode Highlights:
- We discuss the idea of embracing death– the awkward, the taboo, the uncomfortable– to be able to embrace life. Grieving a significant person reminds you how special this life is and to not take any moments for granted
- The loss of her husband David at 26 years old to cancer
- Taking her graduate work down the path of working with grief and wellness
- The sudden loss of her brother Frankie– how the devastation was deep, but the prior experience gave her the confidence to push through
- Her recommendations for unique ways to honor a loved one
Connect with Erika on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drerikaaustin/?hl=en
**This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit www.BetterHelp.com/SSFYL for 10% off your first month of therapy**
