090: Deep Grief That Comes with Losing a Best Friend with Robbie Laughlin

Previous Episode: 089: Rock Your Shine: After you’ve been cracked wide open with Susan E. Casey

Next Episode: 091: Connecting with the Spiritual Realm with Lauren Holder Flynn

Welcome to Rock Your Shine: After you’ve been cracked wide open. On this show, I sit down with people from all over the world to hear their transformational stories on their deep grief and loss journeys.

Today’s episode is with Robbie Laughlin. Robbie Laughlin is a multi-disciplinary textile artist and teaches in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He designs patterns, teaches classes and does photography for knitting, crochet, yarn dying, weaving, mending, and hand spinning yarn.

While we have had many episodes about grief and loss on the show, this is the first conversation we have had about losing a best friend.

As you’ll hear in our conversation, Robbie and his friend Sandra met by chance, and formed a beautiful friendship. Listen in to our conversation to hear the impact having Sandra and losing her brought to his life.

**TRIGGER WARNING** This episode covers sensitive subject matter and is not suitable for all listeners. If this topic could be a trigger for you, listen to this episode with a friend, a sibling, a loved one or a parent so you can talk about any emotions that come up for you. The contents of this episode are not intended to replace therapy and should not be taken as such. If you need immediate help, please call the crisis hotline listed below in our resources.

Listen in as we talk about:

[1:50] How Robbie met his brest friend Sandra

[4:55] What his friendship with Sandra was like

[6:40] What he and Sandra had in common and how they bonded as friends

[9:00] Sandra receiving treatment for her cancer while he knew her

[11:50] Slowing down to appreciate life and knowing that the end is imminent

[13:40] The story of how Sandra passed

[18:50] Dealing with the aftermath of Sandra's passing

[20:10] Finishing her crafting projects and giving them to the people they were for

[25:45] How this experience changed his perspective on life

[28:10] The epiphanies he has had since completing Sandra’s crafting work

[30:45] The doubts he has had since her passing