The Most Beautiful Goodbye

Tony Stewart never expected a Sunday phone call to split his life into a clear before and after.
In this episode, Tony shares what it was like to become a full-time caregiver to his wife after her stage 4 cancer diagnosis, and how presence, grief, and unexpected beauty shaped the years that followed.

🎧 Listen on thelifeshiftpodcast.com
📺 Watch on YouTube

When someone we love is hurting, we often want to fix it. But what if the most powerful thing we can offer is simply showing up and being present? That’s what I kept thinking about after this conversation with Tony. His story is a moving reminder that grace and grief often walk side by side—and that healing doesn’t always come from doing more, but from allowing ourselves to feel.

THREE things to think about:

• Presence matters more than perfection. You don’t have to say the perfect thing to someone who’s hurting – being there counts.

• Grief doesn’t follow a timeline. We don’t “move on” – we move forward with love still intact, and that’s okay.

• Stories create connection. Sharing our hardest truths can help others feel less alone in theirs.

TWO things to ask yourself:

• Where in my life am I trying to fix instead of simply listening?

• When was the last time I let myself feel something fully, without rushing past it?

ONE thing to try this week:

Write a short, honest note to someone you care about – just to say you’re there.

Send it within 48 hours.

🎧 Listen now to hear how Tony Stewart learned to grieve with grace – and to love, fully, until the end.

PS: During a recent long weekend trip, I created a short-form podcast, “It’s Okay If…” Each episode is under three minutes long and provides a permission slip to simply be human. I’d be honored if you subscribed to the show. New episodes are released every Wednesday at noon ET.

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