What happens to your sense of self when grief turns your world upside down?

In this powerful follow-up conversation, host Dave Roberts welcomes back journalist, attorney, and author Ashley Jordan to explore one of grief's most overlooked dimensions: the deconstruction and rebuilding of identity after devastating loss.

Ashley shares her deeply personal journey through repressed traumatic grief, which resurfaced unexpectedly at age 37, nearly 24 years after losing her childhood sweetheart Daniel at just 12 years old. Together, Dave and Ashley unpack what it truly means to "unbecome" — to shed the false versions of ourselves forged in the aftermath of tragedy — so that a truer, more loving self can emerge.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• What "deconstruction of self" and "unbecoming" really mean in the context of grief

• Why relationships change after loss — and why that's not always a bad thing

• How to set healthy emotional boundaries while at your most vulnerable (the armadillo lesson)

• Practical, gentle strategies for navigating identity shifts: nature walks, journaling, movement, books, and transient angels

• Why grief is ultimately an expression of love — and how to transmute it into a life of abundance

Whether you've lost a child, a partner, a friendship, or a version of yourself, this conversation offers a compassionate companion for the journey into darkness — and back into light.

📖 Mentioned: Unhappy Achiever by Ashley Jordan | Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom | Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams & David Carson | The Afterlife of Billy Fingers

Ashley’s Bio and Contact Information

Ashley Jordan has done many things throughout her life. She’s been a feminist activist, licensed attorney, public speaker, and a stay-at-home mother. Most notably, however, she’s a well-published journalist with her works appearing in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and HuffPost, among others. Today, she lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her three children.

🔗 Connect with Ashley Jordan: ashjordan.com | @msashjordan on Instagram

Check out Episode 233 with Ashley on YouTube

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Tio connect with Dave , go to davidrobertsmsw.com