Interviewing a fellow journalist is kind of like inviting a Michelin-starred Chef over for dinner. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been cooking, when they’re very, very good at what they do, it can make you feel very, very worried you’re doing to stuff up the soufflé. Let’s face it, I’ve never - nor will I probably ever - make soufflé but what l can cook up is a rich, hearty and delicious conversation. And boy does Amy deliver.
From living with grief that has no full stop to what to do if you find yourself with ‘ambition fatigue’ this one is for the storytellers, the mothers and anyone who is grieving anything - from a loved one to a friendship to an imagined future. Like I strive to do, Amy puts words to our lived experiences in a way that makes us feel seen, heard and known - and it’s a quality that AI just can’t replicate, because there is no substitute for the learnings delivered by a life of grazed knees and broken hearts.
I remember sitting on the office floor in Grazia, and just sitting on the floor and staring at the wall for like three hours. And not even crying, you know, you’re like beyond crying, when you’re just sitting there numb, where you just go ‘I can’t do this anymore’. Amy Molloy
Like two old friends in the local coffee shop, we discuss…
[03:10] What happened when Amy became a widow at 23
[06:00] We’re all missing something. Amy’s relationship with grief now
[07:55] Still hurts, 17 years on. The beautiful, non-sensical grief timeline
[13:00] Grieving AND. Welcome to the world of emo-diversity
[14:07] Storytelling from the wound or the scar? The peaks and pitfalls of packaging up your hardship for public consumption
[22:47] Capturing our people before we lose them, and that time Amy accidentally deleted almost every photo she had of her (deceased) first husband
[28:12] What does our ideal day look like? My surprising realisation in doing this simple but profound exercise
[30:25] The privilege of the school drop and the freedom in flexibility
[34:21] Introducing ‘The Scarlet Widow’. When the heroine becomes the headline
[36:58] How to share our story while protecting ourselves and the people we love
[41:00] Over-identifying with our trauma, and that time Amy’s husband called her out on it
[44:50] What happened when the editor of Grazia magazine got struck with a serious case of ambition fatigue
[47:00] ‘I just had to keep moving’ - running in her sleep, running from her grief and running through survival mode
[50:00] What does success look like now? Plus, my surprising parenting admission and how Amy thinks her first husband would feel about her life today…
If you loved this conversation, do us a favour and share it with someone you love. You just never know who might be missing someone or something today - your email and this chat could be just the warm hug they need. Til next time… x
Connect with us:
⚡️ Follow Amy on Instagram: www.instagram.com/amy_molloy/
⚡️ Learn more about Amy’s books: www.amymolloy.com.au/books
⚡️ Find out about Amy’s mentoring: www.amymolloy.com.au/coursesandmentoring
⚡️ Follow Casey on Instagram: www.instagram.com/caseyberos/
⚡️ Find out more about Casey’s work: www.caseyberos.com
⚡️ Want more of Casey’s words? There are limited copies of The ‘Bad’ Girl’s Guide To Better out in the wild as well as Amazon, Booktopia and Audible, or hit this link for a signed copy sent to your door
No trigger warnings on this one, but we do discuss illness and some scary health challenges. If you need support, please know Lifeline is there 24/7 on 13 11 14 or you can call 13 YARN (13 92 76). Beyond Blue is available on 1300 224 636 and you can also access their online counselling service here.
Lastly, a reminder that Australia’s Griefline - free and confidential counselling and support to people experiencing grief and loss across Australia, inclusive of remote, regional, rural and metropolitan regions - is there for you on 1300 845 745 or here 24/7.
LIFE AFTER LOSS with AMY MOLLOY