What if the hardest person to forgive after a loss is yourself?

Guilt and regret can begin long before someone dies. When someone we love is ill, we may feel exhausted, impatient, frightened, or even wish for a break--and then feel guilty for having those feelings at all.

After a death, those feelings can become even more powerful. We replay conversations, decisions, things we said, and things we wish we had said. The mind becomes filled with if onlys: If only I had known, If only I had done more, If only I had been there.

In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., explores the difference between guilt and regret, the painful trap of hindsight, caregiver guilt, and the complicated feelings that can come when a loved one's suffereing finally ends.

Most importantly, we talk about learning to look at the past with both honesty and compassion.

We judge yesterday's choices with today's knowledge.

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Support the show

Thank you for listening to Hope After Loss: Conversations on Grief.

If this episode spoke to you, please consider sharing it with someone who may need support and hope today.

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment.

If you have a question or a topic that you would like me to gently explore,
you’re welcome to email me at [your email].

While I’m not able to provide individual counseling through email,
I would be honored to hold your question and possibly share it in a future podcast, so others may feel less alone.

Thank you for allowing me to walk beside you. Until next time, be gentle with yourself. Learning to walk with this pain begins one day at a time, one choice at a time to love yourself.

Books by Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C.

For additional support, hope and healing, you can explore my books, including Lost No More: A Mother's Spiritual Journey Through Her Son's Addiction, Where Are You, God?, and Now I Lay Him Down To Rest.

View my books on Amazon

What happens when the funeral is over, the phone stops ringing, and everyone else seems to have returned to their lives—but you're still grieving?

Grief doesn't follow a timetable. Whether it has been one year, five years, or twenty years since the death of someone you love, unexpected waves of sadness, memories, anniversaries, songs, and even ordinary moments can bring grief rushing back.

In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., explores what it means to grieve long after the funeral. Drawing from nearly five decades of counseling experience and her own journey through profound loss, Marilyn discusses why grief can resurface years later, why there is no "right" timeline for healing, and how we can continue living without leaving the people we love behind.

You'll also hear about the difference between moving on and moving forward, why joy and grief can exist together, and how to give yourself permission to remember, love, laugh, and live again.

Love doesn't have an expiration date. Why should grief?

If you've ever wondered, "Shouldn't I be over this by now?" this episode is a gentle reminder that healing isn't about forgetting. It's about learning to carry love with you as you continue living.

Be gentle with yourself. And remember—there is always Hope After Loss.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Hope After Loss: Conversations on Grief.

If this episode spoke to you, please consider sharing it with someone who may need support and hope today.

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment.

If you have a question or a topic that you would like me to gently explore,
you’re welcome to email me at [your email].

While I’m not able to provide individual counseling through email,
I would be honored to hold your question and possibly share it in a future podcast, so others may feel less alone.

Thank you for allowing me to walk beside you. Until next time, be gentle with yourself. Learning to walk with this pain begins one day at a time, one choice at a time to love yourself.

Books by Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C.

For additional support, hope and healing, you can explore my books, including Lost No More: A Mother's Spiritual Journey Through Her Son's Addiction, Where Are You, God?, and Now I Lay Him Down To Rest.

View my books on Amazon

Episode 11: When Grief Becomes Your Greatest Teacher: How Loss Changes Your Life Forever

Grief changes us in ways we never expect. While none of us would choose the pain of losing someone we love, our losses can become some of life's greatest teachers.

In this episode, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., reflects on the unexpected lessons grief can bring—including deeper compassion, greater resilience, renewed purpose, and a fresh perspective on what truly matters. Drawing on nearly five decades as a licensed professional counselor, along with her own journey after the loss of her son, Marilyn shares heartfelt insights about how healing often grows alongside heartbreak.

If you've ever wondered why grief changes you, or questioned who you're becoming after the death of a loved one, this episode offers gentle encouragement and hope. You'll discover that while grief may always be part of your story, it can also shape your heart in meaningful and life-giving ways.

Whether your loss is recent or many years ago, may these reflections remind you that healing is not about forgetting—it's about allowing love, hope, and wisdom to guide your journey forward, one day at a time.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Hope After Loss: Conversations on Grief.

If this episode spoke to you, please consider sharing it with someone who may need support and hope today.

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment.

If you have a question or a topic that you would like me to gently explore,
you’re welcome to email me at [your email].

While I’m not able to provide individual counseling through email,
I would be honored to hold your question and possibly share it in a future podcast, so others may feel less alone.

Thank you for allowing me to walk beside you. Until next time, be gentle with yourself. Learning to walk with this pain begins one day at a time, one choice at a time to love yourself.

Books by Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C.

For additional support, hope and healing, you can explore my books, including Lost No More: A Mother's Spiritual Journey Through Her Son's Addiction, Where Are You, God?, and Now I Lay Him Down To Rest.

View my books on Amazon