Author Kristin Meekhof Reflects on Losing Her Dad at Age 5

I had such a great discussion with Kristin Meekhof for this episode. Kristin is an author, and I invited her on the show because she is both widowed herself and is someone who lost a parent at a young age. Plus, this week we have a giveaway, where one lucky winner will get signed copies of both Kristin’s book, A Widow’s Guide to Healing, and my own book, Future Widow. If you’re listening around the time this episode is released, you can enter now through June 11, 2022, at jennylisk.com/giveaway.

Some topics Kristin and I discuss include:

• Being born in Korea and adopted by an American family as an infant;

• Growing up with her dad having cancer;

• Her dad dying when she was almost 5 years old;

• That first time her class was making Father’s Day cards;

• Her mom getting remarried when she was seven, and being adopted by her step-dad;

• Having her last name change to her step-dad’s name, which was her third last name as a young child;

• How disorienting and damaging it was for her as a child that her mother refused to talk her father’s death;

• Getting to know her father through her uncle and grandmother;

• Being afraid as a child that her mother would die, too;

• Her own husband dying of cancer when she was 33, and how isolating this experience was;

• Why she decided to interview over 100 widowed people and write a book for newly widowed people; and

• Why sharing our stories is so important to our healing.

I hope you enjoy my discussion with Kristin Meekhof.

Links & resources for this episode

• Download Kristin’s checklist

• Kristin’s website

• Katie Couric interview with Kristin Meekhof

• A Widow's Guide to Healing, by Kristin Meekhof

• Article by Kristin for Katie Couric Media: What to Do Immediately After the Death of a Loved One

More links for listeners

• Download: Kids & Grief: What You Need to Know

• Article: I’m a Widowed Mom: Here Are My 3 Tips for COVID-19 Widows

• Book: Widowed Parents Unite: 52 Tips to Get Through the First Year, from One Widowed Parent to Another

Thank you sponsors & partners:

Help Texts - Grief support text messaging service. Tips and support delivered all year long, personalized based on your loss. Listeners get $10 off: https://helptexts.com/jennylisk

BetterHelp - Talk with a licensed, professional therapist online. Get 10% off your first month: betterhelp.com/widowedparent

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