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The worst part of grief is not only the pain, it’s the awkward silence around it. People want to help, but they reach for the same tired lines, and you’re left holding heartbreak while also managing everyone else’s comfort. We talk with Patty Camo Simonson, a peer grief specialist and bereavement professional, about what actually supports a grieving person and why “they’re in a better place” can land so wrong when you’re just trying to get through the next hour.

Patty shares her own lived experience with stacked losses, including losing her mom and then her husband to cancer, and how hospice care became a turning point for her family. We dig into what hospice and bereavement services can offer, why caregiver respite matters, and how peer-led grief support groups work when they are set up with real training and clear boundaries.

One of the most memorable threads is healing through the kitchen. Patty’s book, Recipes for Healing: Working Through Grief One Plate at a Time, is part teaching memoir and part cookbook, built on the idea that cooking can ground you, give you a small sense of control, and bring loved ones close through memory and ritual. We also talk about the words that help, the words that sting, and why you should never stop saying the person’s name.

If you’re navigating grief, dementia, caregiving, or bereavement counseling decisions, you’ll leave with practical language, clearer options, and hope that feels honest. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the support they’ve been missing.

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