Episode 82: Hope All the Way Through with Theo Boyd

In this episode of The Well-Tended Life podcast, I sit down with author and grief advocate Theo Boyd to talk about the kind of loss that changes everything—and the kind of hope that meets you there anyway.

Theo shares the story behind her books My Grief Is Not Like Yours and her follow-up USA Today best seller, Hope All the Way—including the tragic loss of her mother, the complicated layers that followed, and how she began journaling her way through the unthinkable. We talk about why grief shouldn’t be compared, why so many people feel pressure to “move on,” and what it looks like to hold sorrow and strength in the same hands.

We also explore the “signs” Theo began noticing in the darkest moments (including one unforgettable detail she calls Peanut Shells)—and how those sacred little reminders became anchors of comfort, faith, and healing. If you’ve ever wondered, Am I crazy for noticing this?, you are going to feel so seen.

This conversation is tender, honest, and deeply practical—full of permission to be sad, tools for walking alongside others, and encouragement to tend to your own heart first.

💛 Here are a few heart taps from this episode:

1️⃣ Grief is not a competition—the hardest loss is the one you’re living.

2️⃣ Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is simply show up and sit—no fixing required.

3️⃣ Don’t ask, “How can I help?” Offer something specific: groceries, laundry, a walk, a nap.

4️⃣ If you don’t deal with grief, it will deal with you—often later, and often louder.

5️⃣ Hope is still here… but we have to open our eyes to see it.

6️⃣ “My hobby is my health” might be the most life-giving reframe you’ll hear all week.

7️⃣ Healing often starts with one simple practice: breathe.

If you’re walking through loss—or loving someone who is—press play. This episode is a reminder that even in barren seasons, something beautiful can still grow.

Connect with Theo Boyd:

Website: thinktheo.com

Email: info@thinktheo.com

Social: @thinktheo (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads)

Thelizabeth “Theo” Boyd was born and raised on a farm in Whitney, Texas, named after her grandmothers Thelma and Elizabeth. Known as “Theo” since middle school, she began writing poems with her father and learning resilience from her mother. She pursued higher education later in life, becoming a high school English and Creative Writing teacher—earning “Roo

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