🎙️ Episode Summary: In this deeply personal episode of Grieve That Sh!t, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker opens her heart about the painful truths she learned after the death of her son, Austin.

She shares the moments she wishes she had faced differently—the pretending, the resisting, and the avoiding—and how each of those choices kept her trapped in silence. Through raw honesty and reflection, Sharon reveals what she's learned about strength, vulnerability, and what real healing actually requires.

If you've ever felt like you had to be strong for everyone else… or that your tears made you weak… this episode will meet you right where you are.

You'll hear the truth about why hiding your pain doesn't protect you—it just delays the healing.

🧠 Key Points Discussed:

• What "being strong" really cost Sharon after her son's death

• The difference between surviving grief and processing it

• How pretending you're okay teaches everyone around you to do the same

• The danger of waiting for time to heal what needs to be faced

• What happens when grief becomes silence inside a family

• How to begin sharing your pain safely—with honesty, not performance

• Why feeling your grief doesn't make you weak, it makes you real

📓 Journal Questions for Reflection:

• Where in my life am I pretending to be strong?

• What would it look like to show up honestly in my grief?

• Who might be learning from the way I'm handling my pain?

• What's one thing I wish I had said—or still want to say—to my person?

• What kind of support would feel safe for me right now?

🩶 Conclusion: Grief doesn't need you to be strong. It needs you to be honest.

You don't have to hide your pain, smile through it, or wait for time to fix it. Healing begins the moment you stop resisting what hurts and start letting yourself feel it.

Because pretending keeps you stuck— but honesty opens the door to peace.

📬 Contact Us: Want to go deeper or get live support as you heal? Join Sharon Brubaker inside The Grief School community:

📝 Grief Study Hall – every Wednesday @ 7PM CST 📍 Live in The Grief School Facebook Group (link in comments)

🎤 Surviving the Holidays Masterclass – Now Open for Registration Learn how to move through this season with care, peace, and a plan for your heart. 👉 thegriefschool.life/holidays2025

📧 Contact: [email protected] 📲 TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram: @thegriefschool