What I've Learned After 35 Years Without My Mom

What I've Learned After 35 Years Without My Mom

From The Tamsen Show by Tamsen Fadal

May 4, 2026 · 19 min · Episode 76

About this episode

Tamsen Fadal shares her personal journey of navigating life without her mother for 35 years and the lessons learned about grief and maternal love.

Mother's Day is not a simple day for everyone. If your mom is gone, or if your relationship with her is painful, complicated, or nonexistent, the world can make you feel incredibly alone in the middle of all of it. Like everyone else got something you didn't. Tamsen lost her mom at 20 years old. She has spent the last 35 years doing everything without her… her first job, her first apartment, her wedding, her divorce, finding Ira, writing a book, going through menopause without her mom's roadmap. In this honest and personal episode, Tamsen shares what she has actually learned after 35 years of carrying grief, including what she wishes someone had told her sooner. You'll hear: - Why grief doesn't move in a straight line and what to do when a wave hits you out of nowhere - The difference between moving on and moving forward and why it changes everything - What neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki said about grief that Tamsen thought about all weekend after she said it - The three essential elements of maternal love from Kelly McDaniel's book Mother Hunger and where to find them if you didn't get them - What to actually do this weekend if you're struggling You don't have to perform on Sunday…

People in this episode

Host: Tamsen Fadal

Topics covered

  • grief
  • motherhood
  • personal growth
  • loss
  • self-reflection

Keywords

  • grief
  • mother
  • loss
  • personal growth
  • self-improvement
  • motherhood
  • healing

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