The Grief Advice Nobody Gives You, According to Lisa Woolery: It's OK to Be a Mess, and It's OK to Laugh About It

The Grief Advice Nobody Gives You, According to Lisa Woolery: It's OK to Be a Mess, and It's OK to Laugh About It

From Grief & Happiness by Emily Thiroux Threatt

May 19, 2026 · 25 min · Episode 430

About this episode

Lisa Woolery discusses the unfiltered reality of grief and the importance of laughter in the healing process.

If you've ever felt pressure to hold it together after loss, Episode 430 of the Grief and Happiness podcast is for you. Widow, author, and mentor Lisa Woolery shares the unfiltered reality of grief — from bank meltdowns to ill-fated dating attempts — and makes a compelling case for why laughter is one of the most powerful healing tools available. Giving yourself permission to be a hot mess, she says, is the first step toward your comeback. In This Episode, You Will Learn: (00:52) From Southern California to Kansas City: the sudden loss that changed everything (03:42) Why most grief books fall short and what Lisa did differently (05:11) Writing funny chapters about grief's most painful moments (07:46) Why laughing without guilt is a powerful grief recovery tool (10:12) Dating as a widow: sharing her lowest moments so others feel less alone (13:22) Emily's story: finding love again after swearing she never would (14:01) The dream that gave Lisa permission to move forward (16:55) Why widows must stop judging each other's grief journeys (18:35) What not to say to a widow — and what actually helps (19:55) You can handle anything, but you don't have to do it all (22:50) Why Lisa keeps…

People in this episode

Host: Emily Thiroux Threatt

Guest: Lisa Woolery

Topics covered

  • grief
  • healing
  • laughter
  • loss
  • widowhood
  • dating
  • self-acceptance

Keywords

  • grief advice
  • healing tools
  • laughter
  • widow
  • dating after loss
  • self-acceptance
  • grief journey

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Southern California, Kansas City

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