Explore every episode of the podcast We Make the Road by Walking: Death, Grief and Living Well.
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Griefs That Come Without a Funeral | 27 oct. 2026 | 00:21:33 | |
Grief follows more than a death. David Linaker, funeral celebrant and former priest, reflects on the grief of divorce and broken relationships, the grief of losing a job or career, and the values that hold steady when vision and purpose are lost. A reflection on grief, identity and rebuilding a life after loss. Show notes Grief follows more than a death. When a marriage ends or a working life is taken away, the wound goes to the heart of who we are, and the person or the old life is often still in plain sight. In this episode, funeral celebrant and former Church of England priest David Linaker carries last week’s love, lose, live pattern into the losses that come without a funeral. Drawing on his own experience of divorce and on the hundreds of weddings he has conducted, David explores: * why the end of a marriage can wound as deeply as a death, and why the continued presence of the other person can sharpen the pain * the grief of the one who betrayed as well as the one betrayed * losing a job or a career, and what it does to our sense of status and place in the world * the three-legged stool of identity: vision, purpose and values * why values, more than Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, are the compass for reading the map of a life after loss This week’s practiceDraw four columns: how I believe I should treat others; how I believe I should be treated; how I want to show up in the world; my core values. Fill the first three as fully as you wish, then distil from them the few words that name your values.Download the free worksheet: Or simply draw the four columns in your journal. From the episode: “Getting clear about your values and who you want to be is of higher value than any treasure.” Links * Website: https://www.davidlinaker.com * Instagram: @davidlinaker_author (https://www.instagram.com/davidlinaker_author) * Book: Finding Peace in the Second Half of Life: Love, Loss, Grief and the Search for Meaning: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GTYCZ5XB A rating or review helps others who are grieving to find the podcast, so do leave one if this episode meant something to you. This podcast offers reflection and companionship rather than counselling or professional support. Anyone in distress can call Samaritans, free and at any hour, on 116 123 (UK and Ireland), or visit samaritans.org. Get full access to We Make the Road by Walking - Finding Solid Ground at davidlinaker.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| Love, Lose, Live: Grief, Loyalty and Learning to Live Again | 20 oct. 2026 | 00:31:53 | |
In this episode, funeral celebrant and former Church of England priest David Linaker reflects on what he calls the love, lose, live formula. We love because we are human. The price of loving is that we lose. In the loss lies the possibility of meaning, and of a life lived well. Drawing on his own bereavement as a small boy, David explores: * the wound grief leaves, and why meaning so often emerges from that very place * how loyalty to someone who has died can keep us from living * why funerals matter, and what a good funeral can open up for those left behind * standing at the side of life’s road until we are ready to cross * how grief shows us who our friends are * the scar that reminds us we too are mortal, with a life still to live From the episode: “Thank you for paying the wholly unacceptable price for the wisdom that I now enjoy.” Links * Website: www.davidlinaker.com * Instagram: @davidlinaker_author * Book: Finding Peace in the Second Half of Life: Love, Loss, Grief and the Search for Meaning A rating or review helps others who are grieving to find the podcast, so do leave one if this episode meant something to you. This podcast offers reflection and companionship rather than counselling or professional support. Anyone in distress can call Samaritans, free and at any hour, on 116 123 (UK and Ireland), or visit samaritans.org. Get full access to We Make the Road by Walking - Finding Solid Ground at davidlinaker.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| We Make the Road By Walking | 12 oct. 2026 | 00:31:55 | |
This first episode addresses the subject of death. I have tried not to include material that might be distressing, but discretion is advised. Most importantly, I’ll be talking about how our relationship with our mortality can have a massive impact on our wellbeing. You can contact me at or follow me on Instagram @davidlinaker_author Get full access to We Make the Road by Walking - Finding Solid Ground at davidlinaker.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| The Road on My Right Foot | 06 oct. 2026 | 00:01:30 | |
Tattooed on my right foot is a line from the Spanish poet Antonio Machado. In English it reads: We make the road by walking. I am a funeral and a wedding celebrant and a writer, and for many years I was a Church of England priest. Most weeks, I stand with families at the edges of life: new relationships and the realities of death. Over time, those thresholds have taught me a great deal about how to live. This podcast is where I think out loud about that. Each episode reflects on moments I’ve witnessed and what they have taught me. The thinking is rooted in a secular spiritual method derived from the Rule of St Benedict, a sixth-century guide to ordinary life written for monks and used here without its theology. Every episode closes with one small practice to carry into the week. This is for anyone who has felt the ground shift under them, whatever they believe or have stopped believing. The first episode arrives on Tuesday 13 October. We’ll make the road by walking, and find solid ground along the way. The quotation is from Antonio Machado, Campos de Castilla (1912). For more about David, visit www.davidlinaker.com Get full access to We Make the Road by Walking - Finding Solid Ground at davidlinaker.substack.com/subscribe | |||