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Madelyn Agostini is 22 years old—and in the last several years, she has experienced an extraordinary amount of loss.

She has lost nine young people in her extended circle, along with my husband Jon, her uncle and godfather. Some were close friends. Some were classmates. Some were people she knew through the people she loved. But each loss became another reminder that life can change in an instant.

So what does that do to a young person?

For Madelyn, surprisingly, it hasn't made her more cautious.

It's given her a mantra for life: YOLO, baby!

Instead of spending her life worrying about what might happen, Madelyn has decided to live in the present. She's studied abroad twice, wants to see the world, is considering becoming a flight attendant, and is determined to have a life filled with experiences.

But getting to that place hasn't been easy.

In this episode, Madelyn and I talk about growing up around so much loss, the impact it had on her mental health, the importance of therapy, and how she learned to recognize when she needed help. We also talk about the incredible friends who simply showed up—sometimes with a hug, sometimes with food, and sometimes by sitting beside her in silence.

And we talk about something that matters deeply to me: how we keep people alive after they're gone.

Madelyn has learned that talking about the person, sharing the funny stories, sending the song that reminds you of them, and telling someone about a memory isn't “bringing up the sad stuff.”

It's remembering the whole person.

Because death is sad. But the relationships we had with those people aren't.

Madelyn also shares the little things that have helped her keep moving forward: affirmations, stretching, getting outside, reaching out to friends, and taking life one small step at a time.

This is a conversation about grief, mental health, young people and loss—but it's also about choosing to live.

And Madelyn's message is one I hope every young person who has experienced loss hears:

You don't have to figure everything out. You don't have to pretend you're fine. You just have to keep taking the next little step.

🎙️ Listen to The Lost Love Stories with Madelyn Agostini wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/alIRfcnc1B0

#TheLostLoveStories #YoungGrief #GriefJourney #LifeAfterLoss #GriefAndHealing #MentalHealthAwareness #YoungAdults #LossAndGrief #HealingAfterLoss #LivingInThePresent #FindingJoy #Resilience #GriefSupport #RememberingLovedOnes #KeepLiving
#yolo #youarenotalone

Email thelostlovestories@gmail.com with comments, questions or to be considered as a guest on show.

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Katherine Hanniford and I didn't know each other before widowhood. Now, she's one of those friendships I consider a silver lining of losing our husbands.

In this episode, Katherine shares the story of her 29-year marriage to Ken, the devastating cardiac arrest that left him with a severe brain injury at just 54, and the six years she spent caring for him while working full-time and raising their two daughters.

We talk about the realities of caregiving, the importance of preserving dignity, the role hospice played in caring for the entire family, and how Katherine learned to navigate the complicated emotions of anticipatory grief and loss.

But this conversation is about much more than what happened to Ken.

It's about what happened to Katherine afterward.

We talk about finding your village, giving yourself grace, letting go of the "shoulda, coulda, woulda" game, and learning that there is no single right way to grieve. Katherine also shares how grief support, journaling, and community helped her process her loss.

And then there's the part I absolutely love: Katherine's next chapter.

Six years after Ken's death, she decided she didn't want to stay stuck in the life she'd known. She played the Zillow game, rediscovered her love of the ocean, moved from Georgia to Delaware, retired, and built a completely new life—one filled with tennis, pickleball, golf, book clubs, friends, beach days, and a whole lot of joy.

Her message?

Your life is yours.

You are allowed to pivot.
You are allowed to change your mind.
You are allowed to find joy again.

And perhaps most importantly, you can move forward without leaving your person behind.

Katherine also shares some beautiful advice for those supporting someone through loss: be the person. Be the one who checks in, asks about their loved one, sits with them, and gives them a safe place to talk.

This is a conversation about grief, but it's also a conversation about grace, friendship, resilience, and building a life you actually want to live.

Links to Katherine's resources:

Understanding Your Grief: https://www.centerforloss.com/bookstore/understanding-your-grief-2/

Center for Loss: https://www.centerforloss.com

Grief Observed: https://epicreads.com/products/a-grief-observed?variant=54825052733731

🎧 Listen to The Lost Love Stories with Katherine Hanniford and her husband Ken wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/X60TtUHyH4Q

#TheLostLoveStories #GriefJourney #LifeAfterLoss #HealingAfterLoss #Widowhood #CaregivingJourney #GriefAndHealing #LossOfASpouse #FindingJoyAfterLoss #HopeAfterLoss #LivingWithGrief #StartingOver #Resilience #GriefSupport #LifeAfterGrief

Email thelostlovestories@gmail.com with comments, questions or to be considered as a guest on show.

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After a little bit of a podcast hiatus, The Lost Love Stories is back! And I couldn't think of a better person to return with than my dear friend, Bob Hope.

And yes… that Bob Hope. 😉
Well, not that Bob Hope—but if you've known him for more than five minutes, you understand why everyone loves this Bob Hope, too.

Bob and his wife, Susan, were married for 46 years. Their story was one of deep love, friendship, adventure, family, service, and a whole lot of Georgia football.

When Susan was diagnosed with stage-four liver cancer, everything changed. But throughout her 26-month battle, Susan continued to live with an extraordinary sense of optimism, generosity, and hope.

In this deeply personal conversation, Bob shares the story of their life together, Susan's final months, the people who surrounded them with love, and the remarkable legacy she left behind.

We talk about the strange and beautiful ways our loved ones remain with us after they're gone—the dreams, the memories, the mannerisms we recognize in their children and grandchildren, and those little moments when you think, "That's Susan."

We also talk about something especially meaningful to me: how Bob helped me find my own way back to joy after losing Jon.

After Jon died, Bob became what I jokingly call my "grief guardian angel." He checked on me, understood where I was because he'd already walked the road I was just beginning, and eventually gave me the nudge that changed the trajectory of my own grief journey:

"You need Honduras, and Honduras needs you."

That trip became a turning point for me—and it all started with Bob and Susan's connection to Honduras and the work they helped build there.

In this episode, we talk about:

❤️ A 46-year love story and how Bob and Susan first met
❤️ The hilarious story of Bob trying to win Susan over—including an opera date she definitely didn't forget!
❤️ Susan's diagnosis and the 26 months that followed
❤️ Why hope mattered so much during Susan's illness
❤️ The powerful moment when hospice helped Bob give Susan permission to let go
❤️ The ways Susan's generosity continues through her children and grandchildren
❤️ How her love of Georgia football became part of her legacy
❤️ The importance of celebrating someone's life while they're still here
❤️ Bob's unexpected role in my own journey back to joy after Jon's death
❤️ The story behind the Honduras outreach and the HAVE Foundation
❤️ Why service, friendship, and community can change our lives after loss
❤️ What happens when you begin imagining the rest of your life after losing your person

One of the most beautiful themes in our conversation is that loss doesn't erase the life that came before it.

This is a conversation about grief, but it's also a conversation about hope.

About finding your way forward without leaving your person behind.

And about discovering that joy can come back in ways you never expected.

I'm so grateful to Bob for sharing Susan's story with me—and with all of you.

Welcome back to The Lost Love Stories. 🤍

Listen & Subscribe

If you've lost someone you love, I hope this episode reminds you that you don't have to "move on" from them.

You can move forward with them.

Listen to The Lost Love Stories wherever you get your podcasts—and if this episode touches you, please share it with someone who might need a little hope today.

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/zpxJwXjr1b8

#TheLostLoveStories
#GriefJourney
#LifeAfterLoss
#HealingAfterLoss
#GriefAndLoss
#Widowhood
#LossOfASpouse
#GriefSupport
#FindingJoyAfterLoss
#HopeAfterLoss
#LegacyOfLove
#LoveAfterLoss
#StoriesOfLoss
#GriefPodcast
#PodcastRecommendations

Email thelostlovestories@gmail.com with comments, questions or to be considered as a guest on show.