Navigating Grief and Motherhood

A reflection from my heart to yours – Episode 16 of the Jennifer Kwapis Podcast; Grief, Gratitude, and the Long Goodbye: Losing my Mom to Cancer.

My Beautiful Mom and Me

This one was hard to record.

I sat down behind the mic with a full heart and misty eyes, ready to open up about something I don’t talk about often: losing my mom to cancer, and how that loss continues to shape my life—especially as a mother myself.

Grief has been a quiet companion in my life for years now. Sometimes it sits silently in the corner. Other times, it shows up out of nowhere—like when I catch myself wanting to call her, just to ask if I’m doing this motherhood thing right. Or when my kids do something I know she’d find hilarious, and I feel the ache of her absence all over again.

This episode is for anyone who’s grieving—especially if you're trying to navigate parenthood while carrying that grief. I see you. I am you.

What I’ve Learned Along the Way

• Everyone grieves differently. And however you're doing it—you're doing it right.

• Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you're human.

• You don’t have to hold it all together. Some days are just heavy.

• Take the photo. Record the voice. Say the words. Don’t wait.

• Let people love you through your pain. You don’t have to go it alone.

• Being a mom without your own mom is a specific kind of hard. Give yourself grace.

• Grief doesn’t go away, but it shifts. It softens. It teaches.

• Gratitude can sit alongside grief. They don’t cancel each other out.

If you're in the middle of missing someone right now—especially during the quiet moments—I hope this conversation feels like a soft place to land.

Thank you for letting me share this piece of my heart. I hope it makes you feel a little less alone in yours.

With love, Jennifer

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