Navigating the Grief Journey-Tom Rose- Author of Book Balloon In a Box Discusses His Journey + Helping Others

Today's guest is one that will warm your heart. He warmed ours and was truly the spark in our lives that we needed. Our guest is Tom Rose. Tom Rose is an author, public speaker, advocate, and cook. Tom and his wife Joyce coauthored two cookbooks, "Cooking Together Chinese Style" and "Cooking Together Quick and Easy". They also hosted a cooking segment on their local Fox TV affiliate for 13 years. When his wife Joyce passed away from Breast Cancer in August of 2019, Tom began writing the story of his grief journey. That story became his most recent book, “Balloon in a Box” - a book for anyone who is grieving. It is not only a beautiful book about love but also a book following Tom through his journey of grief as he and others share their memories, good and bad. His book will help you learn how to control the “balloon in your box” and move forward in life with your loved ones, not without them. We chat with Tom Rose about: The writing process of his grief and how it began. Three needs of the griever: find the words, say the words aloud, and know the words have been heard. The gap in resources when it comes to grief- many are too clinical and not enough emotional. Loss is loss. How many people say the wrong things when addressing someone experiencing grief? What should you say? The journey of grief, and how Tom handled the ups and downs. Pragma love and its relation to the grief process. Tom's experiences speaking to groups about loss, and how he has become an expert on a topic he may not have wanted to become an expert on. Tom answers our fast-five questions, and the most important question, "What does a life well lived mean to you?" Episode resources: To find Tom Rose and to purchase his book, "Balloon in a Box" or "Cooking Together Revisited" Get in touch with Tom Rose For the full show notes for this episode. Sign-up to be “in the know” with our upcoming podcast guest list. You can always find us on our blog or Instagram.  Please let us know your thoughts on this episode or others. Your feedback means the world to us, so please send us a message and tell us what you think. Thank you! Thank you so much for listening. We are so honored that you’re here. If you loved this podcast, we would be so grateful if you could leave us a 5-star review. That way we can be inspired, inspire others, and continue to create more content! It means more than you know! :)