Grief Doesn't End, But Neither Does Joy with Alexa Norton

**Olivia Burnett** (0:00)
Alexa Norton, thank you so much for being here. Welcome to Twenty Something.

**Alexa Norton** (0:04)
Thanks for having me.

**Olivia Burnett** (0:05)
I am so excited. The second you walked in the door and we talked for just a few seconds, it was like, we're besties. We got it. Dead parent club, dead dad club, we've got it. But I'm really excited for our conversation today because your platform is one, as someone who deals with grief every day, looking at it for 30 seconds, I was like, man, this is the content that we need more of, that needs to be everywhere. So thank you for what you do.

**Alexa Norton** (0:30)
Yes, thank you.

**Olivia Burnett** (0:31)
So for the person who's choosing to spend an hour or so of their time with us today, what is going to change about their life, their mindset based on our conversation?

**Alexa Norton** (0:41)
I think just learning to be happy amidst the sadness in their life.

**Olivia Burnett** (0:46)
Man, what a skill.

**Alexa Norton** (0:48)
Which is hard, but we can do it.

**Olivia Burnett** (0:50)
Yes. I'm like, I need to learn that. We all need to learn that. So I'm really excited for our conversation. Let's get into it.
Wait, are we recording?
Hey, Twenty Somethings, it's me, Liv, and I am so grateful that you're here for today's episode. We're talking about something that hits very close to my heart, as you guys all know, and that's grief. I have in the studio with me today, Alexa Norton, and she lost her dad in a tragic skiing accident about nine years ago. And now she hosts this amazing platform. It's called Grief Shines. And she talks about the balance of navigating grief while also simultaneously being happy, and what that looks like day to day. Because the thing about grief that's so tricky, whether you're in it or preparing for it, or a few years out of it, is that it feels like something that it's hard to put words to. It's hard to talk about. And when you feel like the world has moved on, you're still so often in it. And so today we're talking about those hard emotions, the happy emotions, and just what navigating grief looks like day to day. So, I'm super thankful that you're here. This is a really important conversation. And if you have people in your life that you know are navigating grief, or you're just looking to better support people in your life, then this is definitely the conversation for you. Well, Alexa, you know, grief is obviously something, and I've shared this with my listeners many times. Grief is something that's very close to my heart. And when BJ, my producer, was telling me that you lost your data, it's crazy how immediately connected you feel with someone, like knowing nothing about you. I'm like, oh, she gets it.
And I think it's really special and really amazing, the platform that you've built with Navigating Grief, because grief is, you don't really know until you're in the thick of it, but it's very overwhelming. And it's like, how am I going to get through this?

**Alexa Norton** (2:52)
Yeah, it feels very lonely.

**Olivia Burnett** (2:53)
Yeah, it does. So I would love for you to tell me and also our listeners, just a little bit.
I mean, we can start however far back you want. I love sharing some of my favorite things about my dad. So just tell me, tell me about your dad.

**Alexa Norton** (3:07)
Okay, he was crazy guy. I feel like he was a loud personality, but also didn't like to be around in like big crowds. He was a great communicator. I felt like from a very young age, he like taught us how to communicate well.
As a kid, like we would always make us talk to adults, would always make us order our own meal. And I know parents do that, but that was like really big for him. We had to do something called family council every Sunday, where we would like communicate as sisters.

**Olivia Burnett** (3:35)
Like I can like feel the grown as you're growing up.

**Alexa Norton** (3:38)
And I think it's like maybe we came from an all girl family, but he was like really about us getting along. And he always said his biggest goal was just us sitting around as sisters, like making fun of him.
You know, he's like, I just want you guys to like always be friends. And that one day you're like off all together at dinner, like as adults making fun of me. Wow. And that's so sweet that he never really cared if we would like, you know, pull jokes on him or anything like that.