Writing Through The Center Of It - Grief After The Sudden Death Of A Partner

When Emily Bolcik's boyfriend, Dan, died suddenly in 2021, her world split into before and after. In the before, she and Dan were on the precipice of exciting life adventures. In the after, Emily found herself navigating the shock of his death, the trauma of finding his body, and a world that seemed to expect her to move forward before she could even begin to understand what had happened.

Emily is the author of I Found My Boyfriend's Dead Body on the Floor and Then Tried to Be Polite and Never Bring It Up Again. In this conversation, she talks about the messy, complex, and often unexpected realities of grief: feeling embarrassed by the depth of her pain, finding connection with people who have experienced similar losses, and learning how to be present with someone else's grief without trying to fix it. She also reflects on how creativity, humor, spirituality, and her volunteer work at Dougy Center with children who are grieving continue to shape her life.

We Discuss:

• The shock of sudden loss and the experience of finding Dan's body
• Connecting with people who have experienced a similar loss
• Why it can be hard to talk openly about the circumstances of a death
• The complicated feelings of shame and embarrassment that can accompany grief
• What it means to support someone who is grieving, even when you don't know what to say
• How writing, creativity, humor, and spirituality have helped Emily navigate life after loss
• Emily's experience volunteering at Dougy Center and supporting children who are grieving
• The importance of continuing to look for the people, resources, and spaces that feel supportive

Emily's book is available through the link in her Instagram bio (@emilybolcik).