263. Practicing Good Grief with s.e. smith

"We need to live in a culture that supports that instead of running away from it." What happens when we stop treating grief as something to overcome and start treating it as something worthy of our attention, care, and community? In today's episode, I'm joined by journalist, essayist, and author s.e. smith, whose book All My Dead Cats and Other Losses: Practicing Good Grief in a Culture That Fears Mourning invites us into a larger conversation about loss, mourning, and the ways our culture often struggles to make space for grief. Together, we explore why grief is not a problem to solve, how disenfranchised grief leaves so many people feeling unseen, and what becomes possible when we build communities that can tolerate discomfort instead of rushing people toward resolution. This conversation is thoughtful, honest, and deeply compassionate. Whether you're grieving a person, a pet, a relationship, a former version of yourself, or a loss that others don't fully understand, I think you'll find something here that helps you feel a little less alone. In this episode, we talk about: Why pet loss can open the door to larger conversations about grief What disenfranchised grief really means How our culture teaches us to avoid discomfort and mourning The importance of being witnessed in grief Why grief is not something we fix or complete Community as a vital part of mourning The losses we often overlook or minimize What a more grief-literate culture could look like Links + Resources from this episode: Snag a copy of All My Dead Cats Subscribe to s.e.'s newsletter Learn more about their work Connect with s.e. smith on Bluesky Learn more about Restorative Grief at MandyCapehart.com/coaching