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Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 17: The Holidays After Loss

For anyone grieving, the holiday season doesn’t just bring lights and cheer—it brings shadows, silence, and reminders of what (and who) is missing. In this episode, Jamal and Dave get real about what it’s like to face your first holiday after losing someone you love—and every holiday after that.

Through personal stories of their first holidays post-loss, from potlucks that kept grief company to traditions that found new life, they reflect on how rituals can be both anchors and lifelines. They talk about honoring those who’ve passed, blending old traditions with new love, helping kids feel safe and seen, and keeping the holidays simple, sacred, and human. Whether you're a solo parent lighting a candle, a widow decorating the same tree, or a friend wondering how to show up—this one’s for you.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)
Music:
Grenada, "Treasure"
McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 16.5: Time Out - Still Getting Back Up

Ten episodes later, we’ve gone from the first morning alone to parenting through pain, rediscovering purpose, and opening our hearts to what comes next.

In this reflection episode, Jamal and Dave look back at where they’ve been—from telling the kids, facing funerals, and handling solo parenting, to navigating new love. They share the lessons that stuck, the moments that surprised them, and how they’re continuing to get back up—and where they are going next with the Getting Back Up Podcast.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)
Music:
Grenada, "Treasure"
McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 16: New Love On the Horizon

Falling in love again after loss is layered. In this episode, Jamal and Dave reflect on what it means to move forward while still honoring the past. Jamal shares how his connection with Jordan grew organically—through friendship, life experiences, and timing—and how stepping into a new relationship challenged him to lead with honesty, emotional clarity, and self-awareness. Dave offers a different but equally real perspective—on choosing not to move forward in a relationship that didn’t align with the season he was in, especially as a solo father still navigating grief.

Together, they explore the emotional reality of blending new love with old friendships, shifting family dynamics, and learning to date while parenting through loss. The key takeaways? Grieve first. Date when you’re ready—not when people think you should be. You don’t owe anyone explanations, but you do owe your future partner compassion and clarity. The right person will honor your past, not compete with it. The right harmony among your friends, family, and the proper connection to your children find balance in due time.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)
Music:
Grenada, "Treasure"
McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast