Episode 43

Host: Jill Mastroianni

How Hosting This Podcast Taught Me to Face Grief

This week’s Tuesday Triage isn’t about someone else’s question—it’s about Jill’s.

After losing her Uncle Charlie, Jill reflects on how a previous guest, Jamie Sarche, taught her that grief isn’t something we can “opt out” of. In Episode 18, Jamie explained why ceremony matters, not for the person who died, but for the people left behind. In this episode, Jill shares how she had to live that lesson, honoring her uncle by showing up, feeling the loss, and remembering the man who quietly held his family together.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why we can’t “opt out” of grief. How trying to skip the hard parts by keeping busy or minimizing loss only delays healing.

How funerals and rituals help the living. Why being present with the body and gathering together helps our minds acknowledge the reality of the loss.

A personal story of showing up. Jill’s reflections on her Uncle Charlie, his humor, his care, and the family he built that helped build her.

What it means to practice what you preach. How Jill turned a lesson from her own podcast into a lived experience of honoring grief instead of avoiding it.

Resources & Links

Episode 18 with guest Jamie Sarche: What to Do with a Dead Body, Who’s in Charge, and Who Pays

Jamie Sarche’s 6 Needs of Mourning

Connect with Jill:

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