Description

What happens when you spend your whole life taking care of others—and forget who you are? In this deeply moving conversation, Brian Smith talks with Debbie Weiss, a woman who’s worn many hats: caregiver, business owner, author, and now, a voice of possibility and hope. Debbie shares her incredible journey of caring for her father, her neurodivergent son, and her husband through terminal illness and mental health struggles.

She opens up about anticipatory grief, the complexity of feeling both relief and guilt, and how writing her memoir On Second Thought, Maybe I Can during her husband’s final days became an emotional lifeline. 💡

If you’ve ever felt stuck, invisible, or unsure how to move forward—this episode is for you.

🧭 What We Cover in This Episode:

• Why caregiving often starts before the loss occurs (anticipatory grief)
• The weight of caregiving as a daughter, spouse, and parent
• How Debbie found herself at 50—and reclaimed her life
• The emotional power of writing through grief ✍️
• How to shift from victim mindset to possibility mindset
• Why self-care isn’t selfish—especially for caregivers 💗
• Creating “A Sprinkle of Hearts”—and what hearts symbolize to Debbie
• Dating after loss: why there’s no right timeline

💬 Favorite Quotes:

“Living is stepping out of your comfort zone—even when you're afraid.” – Debbie Weiss
“Self-care is not selfish. It's essential for survival.”
“I thought I was being buried. But I was being planted.” – Brian Smith

🔗 Connect With Debbie Weiss:

🌐 Website: https://www.debbierweiss.com
🛍️ Shop: https://www.asprinkleofhearts.com
📚 Books on Amazon:

• On Second Thought, Maybe I Can
• The Sprinkle Effect
• Heart Whispers (Co-author)

🎧 Podcast: Maybe I Can

🧠 Reflection Prompt:

Have you ever felt like you lost y

Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:

• Guided Meditations
• My book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)
• My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved ones
• Mini-courses
• Mini-guides
  

Check it out at https://grief2growth.com/store

Grief doesn’t follow stages, timelines, or rules.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?”—you’re not alone.

That’s why I created the Grief Check-In.
It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers.
 

In just a few minutes, you’ll gain clarity, reassurance, and language for what you’re experiencing.

👉 Visit grief2growth.com/checkin

This deck is a labor of love. It's a 44 card oracle deck that's about connecting you to your loved one in spirit. The deck comes with a companion digital guide that gives you an affirmation, a reflection, and an activity for the day.

Check it out at https://stan.store/grief2growth/p/oracle-deck

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