Grief 2 Growth Carrying the Tiger: A Love Story in the Face of Terminal Illness- Tony Stewart | EP 441
What does it mean to love someone through the end of their life? How do we hold joy and heartbreak at the same time?
In this profoundly moving episode of Grief 2 Growth, host Brian D. Smith speaks with Tony Stewart, author of Carrying the Tiger: Living with Cancer, Dying with Grace, Finding Joy While Grieving. Tony shares the intimate journey he and his wife Lynn traveled after her diagnosis with incurable lung cancer.
Together, they navigated six years of life lived fully in the shadow of death—a journey filled with courage, creativity, and deep connection.
This episode will move your heart, shift your perspective on illness and loss, and help you see grief as something that can deepen our capacity for love.
💡 What You’ll Learn:
- How a Tai Chi metaphor helped inspire the title Carrying the Tiger 🐅
- What it’s really like to care for a partner with terminal illness 💔
- Why Tony says those final years were the most beautiful of their relationship
- The emotional impact on caregivers—grief, guilt, and growth 💬
- How Tony gave himself permission to love again while holding Lynn in his heart 💞
🔗 Connect with Tony Stewart:
- 🌐 Website: tonystewartauthor.com
- 📘 Book: Carrying the Tiger — Available in [Print, eBook, and Audiobook (narrated by Tony)]
- 📥 Email Tony: tony@tonystewartauthor.com
🧠 Favorite Quotes
"I thought I had been buried. But maybe, like a seed, I’d been planted."
— Brian D. Smith“We said ‘I love you’ more in one night than in 30 years of marriage.”
— Tony Stewart“It was the saddest day of my life… and also the most sacred.”
— Tony Stewart, on entering hospice
Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:
- Guided Meditations
- My book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)
- My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved ones
- Mini-courses
- Mini-guides
Check it out at https://grief2growth.com/store
Grief doesn’t follow stages, timelines, or rules.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?”—you’re not alone.
That’s why I created the Grief Check-In.
It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers.
In just a few minutes, you’ll gain clarity, reassurance, and language for what you’re experiencing.
👉 Visit grief2growth.com/checkin
This deck is a labor of love. It's a 44 card oracle deck that's about connecting you to your loved one in spirit. The deck comes with a companion digital guide that gives you an affirmation, a reflection, and an activity for the day.
Check it out at https://stan.store/grief2growth/p/oracle-deck
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