Grief Is Not A Dirty Word Living With Grief, Chronic Illness, and Caregiving with Jacob Kendall
CONTACT JACOB:
Personal website: https://www.jacobevanskendall.com/
Business website: https://4Daging.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobevanskendall/
WHO THIS EPISODE HELPS:
People navigating grief, caregiving, chronic illness, and anticipatory grief after the loss of a parent
WHAT LISTENERS WILL GET:
An honest, grounded conversation about grief, caregiving burnout, mortality, and finding meaning after loss
DESCRIPTION:
Nick Gaylord sits down with Jacob Kendall, a grief-informed advocate, health educator, and caregiver whose life has been shaped by chronic illness, anticipatory grief, and the sudden loss of his father. Jacob shares the deeply personal story of caregiving after his father suffered a stroke and heart attack shortly after Jacob’s wedding, and what it meant to lose him only months later. Together, Nick and Jacob explore how grief changes shape over time, why caregiving can be emotionally and physically exhausting, and how anticipatory grief complicates both loss and love. Jacob also opens up about living with a mechanical heart valve, confronting his own mortality, and managing anxiety born from repeated medical trauma. This conversation weaves together grief, health advocacy, and the importance of not carrying illness or loss alone. It is an honest reflection on grief, resilience, and how suffering can inform meaningful work without defining a life.
THIS EPISODE ANSWERS:
- What does anticipatory grief feel like when illness changes everything?
- How does caregiving impact grief after a parent dies?
- Why doesn’t grief ever fully go away after losing a parent?
- How do chronic illness and mortality anxiety shape daily life?
- What helps caregivers avoid burnout while navigating grief?
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Grief does not shrink, but people learn how to live alongside it
- Caregiving can deepen grief and exhaustion if done alone
- Anticipatory grief creates complex emotions before loss occurs
- Chronic illness often brings hidden anxiety tied to mortality
- Talking openly about grief and illness builds connection and healing
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