When Life Changes in an Instant | Lisa Appelo on Grief, Faith & Finding Joy Again

URL - GodofComfortBook.com Life can change in a single moment—and somehow, even after unimaginable loss, it can become good again. When Lisa Appelo's husband, Dan, died suddenly from cardiac arrest, she found herself grieving the man she had loved since high school while simultaneously helping their seven children navigate a loss none of them were prepared for. In this deeply moving episode of Moms Like Me, Lisa joins Jordan Arogeti to share what those first days of grief really looked like, what she wishes she had known about trauma, and how she learned to keep showing up for herself and her children when life had been divided into a permanent "before" and "after." Lisa shares candidly about the different ways children experience grief, why trying to "fix" someone's pain often isn't what they need, the importance of allowing others to help, and the small gestures that can make someone who is hurting feel seen and loved. They also explore why grief isn't linear, how faith and daily rhythms helped Lisa find enough hope for the day in front of her, and what it means to discover joy and purpose again without leaving the person you lost behind. In this conversation: • Helping children grieve at different ages • The difference between grief and a trauma response • Why grieving people need permission to have less capacity • How to meaningfully support someone after a loss • Why community matters long after the initial crisis • Learning to receive help when you're used to giving it • Finding faith, hope, and purpose in the midst of pain • Why moving forward doesn't mean "getting over" grief • How Lisa transformed her experience into support for other widows and grieving women Lisa is the author of God of Comfort and has turned her own experience with devastating loss into a ministry of helping others discover that grief can remain part of your story without becoming the whole story. This is a conversation for anyone walking through loss—and for anyone who wants to know how to better walk alongside someone who is. 🎧 Listen now to Moms Like Me, powered by SupportNow.