156:  Always a Sibling – An Interview with Annie Sklaver Orenstein

156: Always a Sibling – An Interview with Annie Sklaver Orenstein

Author: Suzanne Andora Barron April 6, 2026 Duration: 57:50
When Annie lost her brother Ben to a suicide bomber in 2009, she went to a bookstore looking for a book about sibling grief. She couldn't find one. So she wrote it. Always a Sibling: The Forgotten Mourner's Guide to Grief is a practical and compassionate guide for one of the most overlooked groups in grief — the sibling. In this episode, Annie shares: The story of her brother Ben — his service, his values, and how he was killed by a suicide bomber in October 2009Why she catastrophized his dea...

Life has a way of stretching us, often in directions we never anticipated. Finding Joy in the Hard, hosted by Suzanne Andora Barron, is a weekly space that meets you right there, in that stretch. This isn't about bypassing pain or forcing positivity; it's about the honest, often quiet work of navigating grief, personal growth, daily struggles, and those sudden turns that leave us reeling. Each episode offers a grounded conversation with your own experience. Suzanne's solo minisodes provide candid reflections intertwined with gentle nervous system awareness and simple, embodied practices-tools to help you find a steadier footing when the ground feels anything but solid. The podcast also features conversations with guests who have walked their own difficult paths, people who have discovered genuine light in dark places and, yes, found joy in the hard. It’s a resource for anyone looking to cultivate resilience not as a concept, but as a felt sense in the body and mind, exploring the intersection of mental and physical well-being through a lens of compassionate realism. You'll hear a blend of personal narrative, practical wisdom, and supportive dialogue, all aimed at making the challenging parts of being human feel a little more manageable and a lot less lonely.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Finding Joy in the Hard
Podcast Episodes
#0105 - Do you waste your energy on things that don't matter? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:24
My husband told me this today when I told him about a conversation I had had a few weeks ago and how I'd respond differently next time. He said, "You waste a lot of energy on things that don't matter." It gave me pause a…
#103 Are you remembering to breath? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:31
It's a few days before Christmas and Hanukkah and I have a question for you. Are you breathing? I know it sounds silly because of course you're breathing. You have to breathe to live. But when we get overwhelmed with our…
#102 Do You Take Time to Notice Your Thoughts? You Should.... [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:55
Have you ever taken the time to notice what you're thinking? Unless it's a practice, you likely don't. We think our thoughts are who we are. We hear them, think they're true and live accordingly. But when we take time to…
#101 The Gifts of Grief 2.0 with Cecilia Mannella [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:35
Today I'm sharing with you, "The gifts of grief," my interview with Cecilia Mannella. It's very fitting that I'm resharing this episode today, December 4th because it's the anniversary of my dad's death. My dad would be…
#098 What Have You Decided You're Too Old to Do? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:48
What have you decided you're too old to do? Recently I turned 60. I can't believe I'm admitting it to you because it sounds too old. But my dad, whose birthday happens to be today, never let age stop him. In his 60's and…
#096 "Truth Telling" With Best Selling Author, Rachel Martin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:55
My guest, Rachel Martin, prides herself on being a truth teller. She's taking her mask off and telling the truth. Hiding behind a mask and trying to make everything look perfect takes too much effort and gives you zero t…