Brooke Carlock

Brooke Carlock has been punched in the face by grief on more than a few occasions, but she keeps getting back up and hopes to inspire others to do the same. She is the creator of the “Grief Sucks with Brooke Carlock” YouTube Channel and host of the “Mourning Coffee” Podcast, and cofounder of Live Like Libby, a nonprofit organization that provides dance scholarships in her late daughter’s honor. She has also been a middle school English teacher and freelance writer since earning a bachelor’s degree in English from West Virginia University and a master’s degree in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University. Her writing has been featured on Emmys.com, Open to Hope, Scary Mommy, and Filter Free Parents. Now an empty nester, Brooke resides in a tiny house by herself, which makes her introverted heart happy. When she’s not making videos, providing grief support, writing books, or wrangling middle schoolers, she enjoys reading historical fiction, baking, and going to farmers markets. She lives in a small town in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Articles:

Envision a Future after Grief

Envision a Future after Grief What do you want your future to be? I realize that this question, to someone in the deep, dark midst of grief, is a terrifying—even agonizing—one. Remember that Jerry Maguire-esque mission statement I told you about? I wrote it a month before my daughter Libby died, after losing my shit one day trying to be a full-time working wife and mother. At the time, I was utterly exhausted trying to be ALL THINGS to ALL. THE. PEOPLE while never letting anyone down. I felt like I was failing miserably at everything, and I had no […]

The Many Types of Tears

The Many Types of Tears I’ve cried about every type of cry there is since Libby died. There are the public, tears-silently-running-down-the-cheeks cries and the I’m-so-sad-I-just-have-to-get-it-out, medium-sized cries, and then there are the I-am-so-hysterical-I-literally-can’t-breathe-and-want-to-die cries. One evening, I cried so hard that I actually broke a blood vessel in my nose and blood started pouring out onto my desk and lap. I was in my office and ran to the bathroom, where I just stood there, hunched over on the sink for support, while the blood gushed out of my nose and I sobbed and choked. I don’t get nosebleeds, […]

Why Routines Help When You’re Grieving

Why Routines Help When You’re Grieving Think of your favorite comfort food, the coziest blanket you own, or the pleasure of consuming a warm cup of hot chocolate before bed. All these things make you feel better, right? They’re like big, squeezie hugs (as Libby would say) because they are familiar. And it’s this familiarity that makes routines so amazing. They’re like a comforting, dependable embrace during times of grief. Knowing simple things like when you’re going to wake up in the morning, what you’re going to eat, and that you’re going to take a walk each Thursday with a […]

Returning to Work after a Major Loss

Returning to Teach after a Major Loss Every day, walking back into my classroom was an immense challenge. For those unfamiliar with teaching—imagine performing in a theater, five days a week for five hours a day. It’s absolutely draining. And when you’re battling grief, it feels impossible. My colleagues were amazing, but there’s only so much that can be done to ease such a profound pain. Going through all the “firsts” without Libby—her birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the anniversary of her passing—in front of a room full of eighth-graders who are kids with raging hormones about thirteen or fourteen years […]

A Nerd’s Guide to Grief

My Life in Grief I absolutely, freaking hate the saying “Life only gives you as much as you can handle.” If that’s the case, then just call me Atlas, baby, because apparently life thinks I can handle the weight of the world on my shoulders. I’ve endured a laundry list of traumatic events that has made everyone close to me wonder exactly whom I pissed off in another life. Maybe someday I’ll write a memoir, and I’ll go into a bit more detail about some of these events later in the book, but for now I’ll give you the CliffsNotes […]

Getting Through my First Father’s Day Without Dad

‘You No Longer Have a Dad’ I never did much for my dad on Father’s Day. We didn’t have any particular traditions to mark the occasion. It was the same for birthdays and anniversaries – both his and mine. Sometimes we sent cards and phoned to say, “I love you.” Other times we went out to dinner. No fuss. We were all busy. This year is different, though. My dad passed away, suddenly and unexpectedly, from a heart attack while driving home from work. This is my first Father’s Day without Dad. I’m not going to lie – it’s rough. […]

‘You’re SO Strong’: A Misunderstanding of Grief

In the months following my 10-year-old daughter Libby’s death, there was one phrase that I heard over and over again. “You’re SO strong.” People whispered it in my ear in the midst of teary-eyed hugs. They muttered it as they pityingly patted my back. They surrounded me in groups and proclaimed it like an award. They wrote it in condolence cards and social media comments. It was a phrase that might elicit extreme pride or snarky disdain, depending on my mood. “You’re SO strong.” Is ‘You’re So Strong’ a Compliment? This phrase always baffles me – perhaps because I don’t understand […]

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