What NOT to Say At A Funeral - with Barbara Bowman

💬 message Denise Barbara Bowman - author, speaker, and real-life grief whisperer - is turning some of the most awkward, heart-wrenching moments around death into opportunities for connection, compassion, and deep humanity.She has lived through unimaginable loss, and instead of hardening...she softened. She stayed open. She paid attention. And she turned all of it into wisdom you can actually use - especially in those moments when you're fumbling for the right words, trying to show up for someone, or wondering if it’s better to just stay away.This conversation is equal parts hilarious (yes, we talk about the woman who wore a trampy dress to a funeral) and deeply healing. We get into the real stuff - like what not to say when someone’s grieving, how to avoid those well-meaning-but-damaging platitudes, and why “I know how you feel” is probably the worst thing you can say.Barbara shares so many lightbulb moments around how we show up for each other during life’s hardest times. This episode should honestly be required listening for all humans. Her heart, humor, and honesty are such a gift.You’ll hear us riff on:Why comparison is the quickest way to make someone feel unseen in their griefThe silent damage of “doing nothing”How to repair relationships when you feel like you messed it upWhy your awkwardness isn’t the problem - disappearing isAnd how you can be the person who shows up with compassion, presence, and love… even when you don’t have the perfect wordsBarbara’s guide What Not to Do at Funerals is a must-have. It’s short, punchy, and packed with grace (and a few spicy anecdotes). If you’ve ever wondered what to say, how to help, or how to not be remembered for the wrong reasons - get this book, like....yesterday.Listen in, take notes, and share this one with someone you care about. We all need this kind of wisdom in our back pocket.🎧 Barbara's book What Not to Do at Funerals is available on Amazon. ✨ To learn more or connect with Barbara, visit www.bowheart.com Thank you for spending time with me today on the Thrive After 45™ podcast! If this episode spoke to you, be sure to hit that follow button so you never miss one.November 2026, I will be hosting a live, in-person experience called IGNITE: The Inner Uprising™.It is a two-day immersive gathering for women in midlife — women who feel the quiet pull toward something more truthful, more embodied, more fully their own.IGNITE is an extension of these conversations.It’s where reflection becomes embodiment.Where insight becomes integration.Where women who have held so much for others gather to stand fully in their own sovereignty.If something in today’s conversation stirred you — if your body leaned in — that is NOT accidental.The waitlist is now open.If IGNITE feels like something your future self would thank you for, I invite you to add your name here. https://ignite2026.lovable.appThere is a place for us to gather.If you loved this episode, I’d be so grateful if you left a review - it helps more amazing women like you find this show!Your journey doesn’t stop here - let’s keep the conversation going! Connect with me at denisedrinkwalter.com, and follow ...