How many of you have lost partners? My husband was a widower when I met him, and by the time I came in, his children were in their teen years and I was very interested in how to create a blended family. I found a way to talk about their mom, to become a part of the story, to make it clear that they didn’t have to make a choice.
My guest today is Christina Rasmussen, author of the new book Second Firsts: Live, Laugh, and Love Again. I first felt very connected to Christina’s story of love and loss, and her attitude about it was very intriguing and helpful.
Today we’re talking about life and love after loss: how do you do it? How do you give yourself permission to create that space? Christina has revolutionized the process of grieving. She believes that experiencing any kind of loss – a death, a divorce, the loss of a job, anything – that it can be an experience that either shatters you forever or that inspires you to live, love, and create more fiercely than ever. Which experience you have depends on the story you tell yourself and the actions that you are willing to take.
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“I ran away from the grief work at the time.” – Christina Rasmussen
Show Notes:
- Why she chose to study the stages of grief
- The coincidence of her life path
- How her transformation out of grief didn’t happen overnight
- Why you have to figure out what your life is about and how you want to spend it
- How she created a reentry model
“There is a dedication to living a life that is beyond anything you have every lived before.” – Christina Rasmussen
- Fear is sometimes bigger than grief
- How people deal with moving on romantically
- Why you have to enjoy the lessons you’ve learned from those who pass
- The importance of validation in grieving
- Why it’s so good to be seen
“We wait: we wait for time to heal us, we wait for something to happen. Millions of people have died in this waiting room.” – Christina Rasmussen
Links Mentioned:
- Get yourself a copy of Second Firsts
- Listen to the Holiday Blues episode of Hello Freedom
- Connect with Christina:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
“If they’re not validated, they can’t exit the waiting room, they can’t heal.” – Christina Rasmussen