#138. We're off on an Ozzie adventure! But, first things first, as promised, the all-important anonymous form: 👉 https://forms.gle/LmFrrd4xvvnEhG5R9 👈 (it'll make sense when you've listened to the episode!) Welcome to The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around grief, exploring if hope can be found in 101 different types of permanent loss. This episode is a little different, because we recorded in an unusual location about a very unusual topic! We (Chri...

#137. Can losing a friend be overlooked in our culture? What happens when the friend who knew you best is gone? And why are there so few resources to help with this kind of grief? This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to explore grief, asking if hope can be found in 101 different types of permanent loss. Loss #65 of 101: Loss of a friend In this episode, we meet Hannah Rumsey from Chicago. She's the founder of Friends Missing Friends, a community she created for people navigating t...

#136. (We'll... we've actually done 226 episodes in total. You'll hear me talk about the annoying decision around episode numbering in this 226th episode!) This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around grief, asking if hope can be found in 101 different types of permanent loss. This episode is a little different. No blog, no interview, no Chris, and no focus on loss. It’s just you and me, pulling back the curtain for a behind-the-scenes peek at how I create t...

#135. How do we accept, and live with, a life we never really wanted? Welcome to another My Why Blog episode - where I share the audio version of my latest blog post. But in this case, it’s actually a re-release of the most popular blog episode I’ve ever put out (to my surprise!). If you’ve been listening a while, you’ll know I usually pause podcasting in August to focus on writing and other projects. But this August is a little different, and I explain why in the intro. If you’d rather read ...

#134. Let's chat... about finding hope after feeling hopeless as a young widow. Welcome to another Let’s Chat episode, where instead of continuing our 101 Types of Loss list, I (Claire Sandys) sit down with guests who have expertise and personal insight into different aspects of loss. In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Rachel Powell from Colorado. She’s a life coach, speaker, author, and founder of Hope Speaker, where she supports widows in moving from a place of hopelessn...

#133. “Grief isn’t sad – because it reminds you to make the most of today.” Curious about how Richard has reached this conclusion after losing his wife? Hit play and find out. This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to explore grief, asking if hope can be found in 101 different types of permanent loss. Loss #64 of 101: Loss of a wife In this episode, we meet Richard Smith, whose wife Heather died of breast cancer in 2014, leaving him as a solo parent to their three children, ...

#132. Life is hectic. Sometimes we simply need to stop for a moment. And that’s what this short episode is all about. Oh, and the beautiful sounds of the Mediterranean Sea that I recorded when we were in Cyprus. Welcome to The Silent Why podcast, here to help you navigate loss and grief, and possibly... find hope. These very short, episodes will pop up every now and then to help you take a moment to check in and see how you're really feeling. Less than 7 minutes to...

#131. Let's chat... about where the love goes when someone dies. Can you still be 'in love' if it's not reciprocated? Does it eventually fade? Or die? Welcome to another Let’s Chat episode, where instead of continuing our 101 Types of Loss list, I (Claire Sandys) sit down with guests who have expertise and personal insight into different aspects of loss. In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with David Kelly from Hertfordshire, who works as a Community Engagement Coordinator at Ren...

#130. Not all losses are bereavements. Sometimes they follow a diagnosis and impact someone for the rest of their life, like with our guest in this episode. This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to explore grief, asking if hope can be found in 101 different types of permanent loss. Loss #63 of 101: Loss through chronic illness - Lupus In this episode, we meet Olivia Abousaid - a grief coach based in Los Angeles who lives with the autoimmune disease Lupus. Olivia shares the lesser-...

#129. What are the most valuable things we've learnt - or think really matter - after 20 years of marriage? This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around grief, exploring asking if hope can be found in 101 different types of permanent loss. On 26 May 2025, we celebrated 20 years of marriage! It's a big deal for us as we love being married and find we don't have that much to celebrate in life! So we decided to sit down and discuss what we've learnt over the pa...

#128. Did you know you can build mental muscles, as well as physical ones? And that you can start that any time - no matter how weak you might feel? Welcome to another My Why from Claire Sandys (co-host of The Silent Why podcast). My Why episodes are audio versions of my latest blog post. If you'd prefer to read it, you can find it here: https://www.thesilentwhy.com/post/how-to-build-mental-muscles-when-you-re-feeling-weak Flexing your mental muscles is like training your body - it takes ...

#127. What hidden losses and unexpected grief accompany menopause? And how do they differ when menopause is triggered surgically? This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around grief, exploring asking if hope can be found in 101 different types of permanent loss. Loss #62 of 101: Loss through menopause In this episode, we welcome Diane Danzebrink, advocate, educator, and author of Making Menopause Matter. Diane experienced surgical menopause fol...

#124. Let's Chat... about seeing grief as an adventure. Welcome to another Let’s Chat episode, where instead of continuing our 101 Types of Loss list, I sit down with guests who have expertise and personal insight into different aspects of loss. In this episode, I (Claire) have the pleasure of talking with Bianca Neumann, the Assistant Director of Bereavement at Sue Ryder – a charity dedicated to providing the right support, at the right time, for people who are end of life or grieving. We ...

#125. What impact can possessions have on grief? The lack of them, the loss of them, too many of them etc. This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around grief, exploring asking if hope can be found in 101 different types of permanent loss. Loss #61 of 101: Loss of possessions In this episode we welcome Naomi Westerman, a playwright, screenwriter, and author from South East London. Naomi's experienced profound loss from a young age, and with that, the difficul...

#124. Let's Chat... about how writing and running can help us through grief. Welcome to another Let’s Chat episode, where instead of continuing our 101 Types of Loss list, I sit down with guests who have personal insight into different aspects of loss. In this episode, I (Claire) have the pleasure of talking with fellow podcaster and writer, Justin Creps. Justin is a teacher based in Ohio and co-hosts the podcast Writing in Progress, which is how I first discovered him. Justin and I share ...

#123. Can hope be found in 101 different types of loss? We're well on our way to finding out, as we reach another milestone! We've hit loss number 60 on our mission to explore 101 different types of permanent loss, meaning we only have 41 (!) to go. Now over halfway to our goal. In this episode, we (Chris & Claire Sandys) pause briefly to discuss life in general (something new we thought we'd try!), the last batch of losses (51-60), and what nuggets of wisdom we've taken from...

#122. Let's Chat... about how the Covid pandemic reshaped important death rituals. These 'Let’s Chat' episodes are conversations with guests who have experience/expertise in a particular area of loss. In this episode, I (Claire Sandys) chat to Natasha Mikles who is an assistant professor at Texas State University. Natasha is a scholar of stories about death and what happens next, and researches traditions related to death and grief around the world (especially in Tibet and the Americ...

#121. Go on, be honest, can you understand why someone who's getting remarried, or celebrating a miracle pregnancy, or beginning a new job, might be experiencing some unhappiness alongside the cheer? This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around grief, exploring whether hope can be found in 101 different types of permanent loss. Loss #60 of 101: Loss in happy life transitions In this episode, we meet Bex Eyles from Berkshire in England. She's a professional...

#120. Well, after our 'looking ahead to Christmas' episode, how did it go? Were our festive hearts filled with joy? Or were there tears?! This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to open up conversations around grief, to see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss, and we're Chris & Claire Sandys, your childless hosts. Every year, we dedicate an episode to sharing our thoughts and feelings about the Christmas season - before, and after, it happens. Now that the holiday...

#119. Life is hectic. Sometimes we simply need to stop for a moment. And that’s what this short episode is all about. Oh, and the beautiful sounds of a distant thunderstorm that I recorded in Belgium. Welcome to The Silent Why podcast, here to help you navigate loss and grief, and possibly... find hope. These very short, episodes will pop up every now and then to help you take a moment to check in and see how you're really feeling. Less than 7 minutes total, including 2 m...