Giving Space to Grieve Honestly

In this heartfelt episode, Jay shares a vulnerable and honest conversation around the well-meaning but often painful things people say to those who are grieving. Drawing from personal experience, he offers real-life examples, simple responses, and a call to compassion.

More than a list of what not to say, this episode is an invitation—to walk gently with the grieving, to give them space to feel, and to resist the urge to “fix” what can’t be fixed. Jay also speaks candidly about what it means to move forward in grief while still deeply feeling the weight of loss—and how sadness and faith can live side by side.

Whether you’re grieving or supporting someone who is, this episode offers grace, understanding, and practical insight for the journey.

In this deeply personal episode, Jay explores the often-overlooked emotional terrain of grief—especially for men. Through raw honesty and spiritual reflection, he unpacks how emotions aren’t enemies to conquer, but messengers to learn from. Jay shares how he uses his pain as fuel for healing, creativity, and worship, offering practical ways to process sorrow without shame. From quiet tears to riverbank outbursts, this episode is a powerful reminder that regulating emotions is not weakness—it’s worship.

Whether you’re grieving or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers hope, direction, and space to feel.

In this special post-Easter edition of the NEXT Podcast, Jay shares raw, honest reflections recorded the day after Resurrection Sunday. After taking time away to intentionally reflect on Holy Week, Jay opens up about where he is in his grief journey—five years, four months, and six days after Christine’s passing.

This “Current Mood” episode explores themes of resilience over recovery, how love—not just faith—has carried him through the darkest seasons, and why choosing life each day is an act of worship.

Jay also shares a deeply personal story about Christine’s childhood dream of becoming a ballerina, how she lived out that dream in grace and spirit, and what that means for those of us learning to dance with grief.

If you’ve ever wondered how to hold both sorrow and joy, how to walk in resurrection power even when your heart is breaking—this episode is for you.

https://jaycookingham.com

In this episode of the NEXT Podcast, we continue exploring the myths surrounding grief—especially the pressure to “move on,” or “find closure,” and the belief that time alone brings healing.

I share honestly about what it means to live with loss beyond the first year, the unexpected ways pain deepens over time and how embracing that pain with God’s presence can actually grow your capacity for joy.

This episode is raw, reflective, and rooted in hope. If you’ve ever felt like your grief doesn’t fit a timeline, this conversation is for you.

Grief doesn’t follow the rulebook. In this episode of the NEXT podcast, host Jay Cookingham unpacks one of the biggest myths about grief—the idea that it moves in predictable stages. Society tells us we should process loss in a neat, orderly way, but real grief is messy, unpredictable, and deeply personal. Jay shares his own journey, challenging the common misconceptions that hold us back from healing and offering a perspective rooted in faith and hope. If you’ve ever felt like you’re “grieving wrong,” this episode is for you.

Grief isn’t just about losing a spouse—it’s about losing all the roles they filled in your life. One of the deepest losses I’ve faced is losing Christine not only as my wife, but as my sister in Christ—the one who prayed with me, encouraged me, and challenged me in my faith.

In this episode, I reflect on:

• How Christine’s faith and friendship shaped our marriage

• Why losing a spouse changes every other relationship in your life

• The struggle of missing spiritual intimacy and deep conversations

• How grief unravels us—but how God is knitting something new together

• What it means to bring this kind of loss to Jesus and worship Him there

For those who have lost a spouse, a best friend, or a spiritual companion, I see you. You don’t have to carry this grief alone. Join me as I process this layer of loss and seek hope in the presence of God.

Listen now and take the next step forward in your grief journey.

Grief is layered. It’s not just about losing a spouse—it’s about losing all the roles they filled in your life. And one of the deepest losses for a widower is the loss of intimacy.

But intimacy isn’t just physical. It’s conversational, relational, and spiritual. It’s the connection that makes you feel known, chosen, and truly at home. And when that’s suddenly gone, the silence it leaves behind is overwhelming.

In this episode, I share:

• What intimacy looks like and why its absence is so painful

• How losing a spouse affects a widower’s identity, confidence, and sense of belonging

• Why some grieve not just the love they had, but the love they never fully experienced

• Why practical steps don’t always work—and what we truly need instead

• How God meets us in the loneliness and grief, even when answers don’t come easily

Grief isn’t something we move past—it’s something we learn to carry. But we don’t have to carry it alone.

Listen now and take the next step forward in your journey.

Grief is layered. When we lose someone we love, especially a spouse, we’re not just mourning one loss, but many. There are different levels of grief that unfold over time, and each one requires space to process.

In this episode, I reflect on my own grief journey, the stories of widowers I met at a recent men’s conference, and the deep impact of losing not just a spouse, but a best friend. Christine was my greatest encourager, my safe place, my confidant—and losing that level of friendship left a void I never could have prepared for.

I’ll share:

• The layers of grief we experience after losing a spouse

• Why friendship is the fuel of marriage and what happens when that’s gone

• How grief, loneliness, and faith intersect—and how God meets us in the ache

• Why pressing into God is the first step to healing and moving forward

• How to honor your loved one by keeping their story alive

Grief is not something we "get over"—it's something we learn to carry. But in that journey, we are never alone.

Listen now and take the next step forward in your grief journey.