In Week 1 of the Ash Rose Project mini-series, Ian McCartor of the Ash Rose Foundation and Lisa Hartung begin the most emotionally intense part of the journey: honoring the past.

This episode centers on reflection. Of memories, values, rituals, and the everyday moments that continue to shape us after loss. As Ian begins the artistic process of creating an ash portrait, Lisa walks through the first week of journaling prompts designed to deepen connection with her mother and gently “till the soil” of grief.

Through vivid storytelling, Lisa shares cherished memories of painting with her mother "en plein air," a girl's trip to Italy, road trips through Maine, being in the garden with her mom, and the small daily routines she misses most such as bedtime rituals, phone calls, games, and laughter. Together, Lisa and Ian explore how memory transforms grief, how rituals can be carried forward into the next generation, and how reflection allows the past to inform hope for the future.

Week 1 is raw, messy, and sacred, just like sketching before a painting takes form or preparing the soil for planting seeds in the garden. This episode invites listeners to witness how grief can be honored, felt fully, and woven into the present with intention, beauty, and love.

To learn more about the Ash Rose Foundation, head to theashrose.org. You can sign up for your own Ash Rose Project in honor of a loved one!

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Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone.

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Special thanks to:

Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music

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This week we welcome back Ian McCartor, Founder and Executive Director of the Ash Rose Foundation, for a first-ever behind the scenes exploration of the Ash Rose Project.

This episode marks the kickoff of Lisa’s own Ash Rose Project, a sacred 30-day grief journey that culminates in the creation of a memorial portrait made using her mother’s ashes. Together, Lisa and Ian invite listeners into the intimate beginnings of this process, offering a rare glimpse into how art, ritual, reflection, and community can become powerful vehicles for healing.

Ian shares the philosophy behind the Ash Rose Project and its intentionally intimate, one-person/family-at-a-time approach. He invites Lisa to share about her mother who was an artist, teacher, gardener, and joy-bringer whose legacy lives on through water lilies, garden blooms, birds, heart rocks, and the magic of everyday beauty. From Monet’s garden to Maine summers, from chemo-chair sketches to planting a thousand flower bulbs, this conversation explores how love continues, transforms, and becomes something new as time passes.

If you’ve ever wondered what it might look like to honor grief creatively, to stay in relationship with someone who has died, or to witness healing rather than rush it, this episode is for you.

If you're interested in getting involved with the Ash Rose Foundation, or would like to honor your loved and continue your healing grief journey by partaking in your own 30-day Ash Rose Project, please visit theashrose.org.

We'll be back next week to review the questions and discuss the experience of Week 1 of the Project!

Send us a text

Thanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you!

Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone.

Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week!

Special thanks to:

Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music

Podcast Music Good_B_Music

What kind of support actually helps after loss—and what role does community play in healing? Everyone is different and has their own unique grief journey.

In this episode, the original Giving Grief Grace small grief group comes together for an honest conversation about the power of grief group support after losing a parent. Together, they explore how connection, vulnerability, and shared experience can create a healing space that feels both deeply personal and profoundly supportive.

Listeners get a behind-the-scenes look at what a small grief group truly offers—from weekly check-ins and grounding rituals to storytelling, breathwork, and the comfort of being understood without needing to explain. Members of the group just "get it" on a level few others understand. The group reflects on parenting while grieving, honoring loved ones through traditions and memories, navigating anniversaries and holidays, and learning to care for yourself in seasons when grief feels overwhelming.

This episode is for anyone wondering if a grief support group might help, feeling isolated in their loss, or longing for community that allows grief to be expressed honestly and held with compassion. This group is a safe space for all the feelings! You don’t have to have the right words, you just show up as you are.

While many participants have never met in real life (only online), you feel a sense of comfort and deep connection because you've been in the trenches together and worked through the emotions as a group.

When does the next small grief group start?

Tuesday, February 10 - March 17th (6 weeks, every Tuesday night)

8:30 - 9:30pm ET via Zoom

For listeners looking to join, send a DM to @givinggriefgrace on Instagram or email hello@lisahartung.com. You are not alone!

Send us a text

Thanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you!

Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone.

Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week!

Special thanks to:

Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music

Podcast Music Good_B_Music