Welcome to The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet. Today, we're honored to have Marisa Lee, the insightful author of Grief is Love, joining us. As a Black woman and author who has personally navigated the complexities of loss, Marisa brings a unique and powerful perspective to the grieving process. In this episode, she'll share four essential strategies to support those who are grieving and offer three actionable tips for friends looking to help someone through the pain of losing a loved one. Whether you're currently experiencing loss or supporting someone who is, share this episode, which is packed with invaluable insights. 

IN THIS EPISODE: 

• [8:01] Discussion of the loss of Amanda’s father, the book Grief is Love, written by Marissa, and how she classifies herself as a writer
• [15:32] Marisa discusses how people don’t deal with death realistically but choose to give it a moment and discussion regarding identifying with an object that makes you feel the presence of your loved one 
• [26:20] Marisa shares four key things people need to know about grief and her compassion for those who financially don’t have the time to grieve 
• [34:12] Marisa gives death statistics in the black community 
• [43:36] Marisa shares three ways to show up for someone who is grieving
• [47:07] How do you deal with people who don’t show up for you when they are needed, Marisa shares her next book project

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• You must permit yourself time and space to grieve when you lose a loved one.
• The stages of grief developed by Elizabeth Kubler Ross were designed for the person who is terminally ill, not their loved ones. 
• The death of a loved one is a tremendous loss. The loss of friends who don’t show up for you during that time compounds the loss in a way you don’t forget.

RESOURCES:

Grief Is Love Order on Amazon

Marisa Lee - Instagram

Marisa Renee Lee Website

About This Podcast:

The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet is a groundbreaking series of weekly interviews featuring candid conversations with impactful thought leaders. Host Amanda de Cadenet provides a platform for raw and honest discussions on a wide variety of topics, from porn to politics. Visit amandadecadenet.com to learn more and sign up for her newsletter. Follow Amanda on Instagram @amandadecadenet. Follow Amanda on Substack at amandadecadenet.substack.com

BIOGRAPHY:  

Marisa Renee Lee is a called-upon advocate, writer, and speaker on coping with grief. In 2008, she lost her mother to breast cancer, in 2019 Marisa and her husband lost a much-wanted pregnancy, and most recently, she lost a young cousin to the COVID-19 pandemic. These losses transformed her life and led her to question what grief really is and what healing truly requires.

As a leading grief advocate, Marisa offers incisive and compassionate advice on managing life after loss with unique insights for women and African American communities. She recently partnered with Ritual's well-being app as a writer and narrator alongside other leaders in science, faith, and culture. Her first book, Grief Is Love: Living with Loss, was published in April 2022 under Hachette’s new imprint, Legacy Lit, and is already a national bestseller. 

As a former appointee in the Obama White House, Marisa previously served as the Deputy Director of Private Sector Engagement, a Senior Advisor on the Domestic Policy Council, and as the Managing Director of the MBK Alliance, the nonprofit born out of President Obama's call to action to address the barriers to success that boys and young men of color disproportionately face in their lives. She is a rabble-rouser of social healing and currently serves as CEO of the social impact consulting firm Beacon Advisors, co-founder of the digital platform Supportal, and founder of The Pink Agenda, a national organization dedicated to raising money for breast cancer care, research, and awareness.

Lee is a public speaker and regular contributor to Glamour, Vogue, MSNBC, and The Atlantic. She is a graduate of Harvard College and lives in the DC area with her husband Matt, son Bennett, and dog Sadie.