008: Loss of a child; Sunshine after the Storm with Alexa Bigwarfe
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Today I am thankful to have Alexa Bigwarfe on the show. Alexa is incredibly open about a topic that people don’t usually want to discuss, the loss of a child.
Alexa Bigwarfe is a freelance writer, author, and publisher. Her writing career began as a therapeutic journey after her infant daughter passed away at 2-days old. She has written and/or edited and published eight books, including Sunshine After the Storm: A Survival Guide for the Grieving Mother and Ditch the Fear and Just Write It! She uses that hard-earned publishing knowledge to support other writers and entrepreneurs at writepublishsell.co. She also owns the small hybrid-publishing company Kat Biggie Press (katbiggiepress.com), dedicated to sharing women’s works of inspiration and self-help.
Alexa is passionate about women’s, infant, and children’s health topics and has had more than 50 articles published in regional parenting magazines around the U.S. and Canada. She enjoys drinking wine, spending time with her husband and friends, traveling, playing with her 3 kids, and just because life isn’t full enough, hosting the “Lose the Cape!” podcast featuring inspirational mothers and women making a difference in the world.
In this episode, we’re talking about:
Alexa’s advice to grieving moms:
- Give yourself grace
- Give yourself time to grieve
- Even though it seems impossible, you will smile one day
- You will find a new normal
- Throw yourself into doing things for people. If you look at some of the most amazing things that have been done in our country and in our world, there are grieveing moms behind them.
Check out Alexa’s book called “Sunshine after the Storm,” and the service of the same name that sends free gift baskets to grieving moms
What TO do for someone who’s lost a child:
- Say you love them and you won’t forget there baby
- Honor the baby by talking about them/letting the mom talk about them
- Say, “I’m sorry”
- Tell them you love them & you’re here to listen
- Send gift cards for things like meals and housecleaning
What NOT to do to someone who has lost a child:
- Do NOT ignore them
- Say, “Just get over it”
- Say, “You can have another one”
- Ask them what they want you to do and expect them to be able to tell you. It’s hard for them to think about how to help you help them.
- Know that the average grieving time is 18-24 months
- If they are still struggling after 2 years, it’s time to get professional help
Alexa’s Superpower (it’s is also her kryptonite):
Her empathy for people and willingness & desire to help them in their time of need.
You can Find Alexa:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WritePublishSellLLC/
Twitter https://twitter.com/katbiggie
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/writepublishsell/
Host, The Women in Publishing Summit
Author Support Services, WritePublishSell.co
Independent Publisher, Kat Biggie Press
Start your writing journey with her free 30-days of simple strategies to start writing at http://bit.ly/write30days.
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Special thanks to Alexa for joining me this week
Our music is “A New Day,” by Scott Holmes
This episode is sponsored by the book, “The Sick Mom’s Guide to Having Fun Again: If I can do it, you can too!” available on Amazon, and all major online booksellers.