Ep07 An Empty Seat: A Root Beer Float and Lessons in Grief

What if grief could be a guide instead of an enemy? In a special solo episode, Kayla shares a root beer float with her dad – gone thirteen years, but invited to pull up a chair in spirit. What follows is five hard-won lessons about loss, presence, and the love that has nowhere to go but everywhere. Alongside her dad, Kayla reflects on: Why the "I've lost someone" club has the most beautiful members — and the unspoken shorthand that forms between people who've grievedHow to navigate Father's Day, Mother's Day, birthdays, and the calendar dates that hit the hardestWhy suppressing the share erases the experience — and the most generous thing you can do for a grieving friend (hint: it's not in the first week)Why pedestals are a disservice to the people we've lostGrief as a shapeshifter — and the moment after a loss when it really landsThe paradox of time — its ability to both heal and steal  Tender, vulnerable, and root beer float-fueled, this episode is for anyone already in the club, and anyone who hasn’t yet found their way there. A written companion to the episode is on Substack and available without a paywall to subscribers and non-subscribers alike: substack.com/@kaylagorskiSHOW NOTES:📺 Discover where to watch Andrea Gibson's documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light,” at https://andreagibson.org/events. 📖 Read “Marrow,” by Elizabeth Lesser, or “Signs” by Laura Lynne Jackson, both available wherever books are sold.KEYWORDS: grief, Father’s Day, Dish + Tell, Kayla Gorski, food podcast, Andrea Gibson, Elizabeth Lesser, Laura Lynne Jackson, root beer float, recipe