Anderson Cooper on freeing yourself from the burden of grief
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- čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
- The "60 Minutes" and CNN journalist, and host of the podcast "All There Is with Anderson Cooper," talks about the propensity among many people to bury their grief over lost loved ones in silence, and how hiding one's grief can inflict an additional burden.
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At night, in a hospital bed, one can hear people crying in other rooms. Sometimes old people who are afraid, who are in pain, who feel alone. One night I had that experience in the dim light of a hospital. I realized that at any moment there are millions of people suffering, millions who think they are alone without hope. It's a wakeup call to be kind, to see everyone as a vulnerable soul.
Thank you for sharing this, & for being a wonderful human to show such compassion.
@@JonDunnmusician I was having a hard time with my partial paralysis after 9 days in the ICU, with no idea what the future would bring. That was difficult. (Recovery would come in the months ahead.) But I felt I was completely alone... until I heard other people suffering. Suddenly I had perspective, and it made everything easier. It was a valuable insight about how it is common for people to have problems -- so often we keep bad stuff within us. // Every day we have opportunities to smile or say something nice to people around us, even those we hardly know. We could be the light that makes life tolerable in the darkness around us. Imagine that.
As a retired hospice nurse NO ONE should die alone or afraid!
The only reason to go out into the world is to bless and be blessed. Thank you for reminding me of this.
@@robincrowflies I don't want you to think I'm a weepy kind of guy, but your words made me a little misty. I'd been listening to Streisand's little known recording "Let's Start Right Now" and suddenly those two together coalesced to take me down that road. Hey, thanks actually for writing something I will hold onto for a while.
I’m grieving over my dog, who I just put down last month. She was diagnosed with cancer in May. We held on as long as we could, both she and I. She got to see spring and summer and see the grandkids one last time. It hurts. God, it hurts…
I know.
Just lost my kitty after long illness. I understand. I miss her very much.
Sending you love and comfort in the loss of your precious pet. They are our lives! We are not kooky kat ladies or daffy dog people. For many of us whose families are busy or far away, they ARE our family. Peace and comfort to you. The grief is very palpable. I hope your wonderful memories are a balm.
Animals are family. My dogs & my niece's dog exchange Christmas and Birthday Day gifts.
There's a dog sitting in a shelter just waiting for someone to come and rescue them. It's a wonderful way to honor the dog you lost and the new dog can help ease your pain.
I am 70 years old, and I lost my father a week before I turned 5 years old. No one would talk about him; it was just too painful for them, but it hollowed me out. So, I decided to record our family history and I was amazed how healing that was. It doesn't matter who looks at it, it is recorded for posterity.
Nice that you did that, something wholesome/good with your grief. My half brother is 65, lost his Dad at about the same age as you did. He went the opposite direction. Lived a wasted life consumed by alcohol and hard drugs. He won't live another year probably. He has destroyed his body. Makes me sad he was a talented guitarist and painter. But those talents were wasted on a life consumed by grief and feeling sorry for himself.
I’ve decided to live with my grief and not try to pretend the members of my family that I loved didn’t exist. I said that with this new year I am going to stop trying to move on living with it seems like the natural thing to do🙏🏻✌🏻
Your last line is so true...😊
How interesting. I did the same thing. My dad died when I was 18. I felt a great pain and felt I was robbed from getting to know him better as an adult. We didn’t know much about his family. He had been strained from his father since he was 17 and I didn’t know much about him or his side of the family. After the birth of my daughters I felt compelled to research as much as I could about his family. I was able to go back seven generations.Through the research I was able to paint a picture of where he came from and how,his life might have been growing up. I continue finding more and more details with diligence on my spare time. Every minute spent doing this research is a way to be connected with my dad.
@@Debaucherousgeek I was with you all the way until those last 4 words.
Well said, Anderson. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your grief so we can learn from our own feelings of it.
oh he's vulnerable all right
You're a hero to all of us Anderson for sharing this subject. That's hidden by so many, your bravery and maturity speak volumes.
Maturity?.Have you seen him on New Years Eve?????
A hero doesn’t lie and spin the truth, as a reporter you’re supposed to be unbiased not a left arm of the woke Democratic Party definitely not a hero, more like a villain
Beautifully said. Thank you.
I too have lost both of my parents, and an older brother died when I was 12. Certain memories, like watching my mother sobbing over the body of her dead child, will unfortunately haunt me forever. Sharing my grief doesn’t help me that much. I’ve found most people don’t want to hear about it anyway. The thing that keeps me going, as trite as it sounds, is to remember to be GRATEFUL I also have many happy memories of my parents and brother (and everybody else I have lost). Many people have none.
So true. Thank you.
A person that truly cares about you would definitely be there to listen. If you don't have that I recommend either a support group or counseling.
Thank you for the reminder of being grateful.
You’re right, some people will just shut you down because they don’t have the emotional EQ to handle it. It’s really sad for them to be that way. I’m sorry that people haven’t let you be heard when you needed it. I hope you find people who will.
I'm sorry about you losing both your parents and about their grief and yours over your brother dying when you were only 12 ..
There are people who are grief counselors and maybe you could talk with one .
I think it might just be easier to try to find out if there's a group nearby where people can talk about things like this .
Yes you're right about being grateful for everything and that is a big key to living life and healing ... still it's good to be able to talk about our grief .
I hope you find a real angel of compassion who actually really wants to share in your grief and help ease your pain .
I lost my only child (daughter) 4/8/22. I move along in this world but my heart does not. I feel as though I am behind a glass wall. While others move on with life I am alone and missing her every moment of the day. We were very close. She had been ill for sometime and I was taking care of her. She had restrictive lung disease and had a tracheotomy by the time she was 34. She was also on a ventilator. Still We did so many things together and my heart is broken by her passing. She was only 46. She was my shinning star. Born with a disability that did not stop her. Graduated valedictorian of her HS then on to college and living life. She worked as a teacher assistant with the “city corp” and used those credits to go on to graduate school in the classic. She became very ill in her second year and had to come home. I miss our talks about books, music, and movies. She was my go to for so many reasons. I am trying to move on from this loss but each night when we would say good night to each other I’d say “Best kid” live and she say “best mom”…how I miss her and long to hear her voice….
You sound like just a wonderful mum with a wonderful daughter. I am sorry for your loss and hope that you can find strength and courage to keep going on.
Your memories are beautiful of your daughter. I lost my mother in 2019. She was a young 72 year old and her retirement life was cut short when she was diagnosed with dementia at the age of 60. We were extremely close too like you and your daughter. Just tonight while I was cooking dinner, this wave of sorrow overcame me and I just burst out crying. Loss is so hard to deal with. ❤
Your message today was incredibly timely for me. I just recently lost my husband to cancer and kidney disease. He passed away November 29th. We had been married for over 47 years. I met him when I was 18, and we shared a life and two sons. I am grateful for that, but dealing with this is at times is overwhelming. Giving a voice to my feelings helped me realize I'm not alone in this. I can be okay, and some days I won't be. I'll hold on and try to be more verbal about it. My pain is ugly, but it might help others. If they are comforted knowing we share that bit of humanity, I'll be okay. Thank you Anderson Cooper
My deepest condolences to you, dear heart. I know the pain you feel. As Anderson says, we all feel it at one time or another. I am 74 yrs. old and have lost both my parents and my two older siblings, both of whom died too soon, and numerous young cousins, and recently some very close friends. I try to talk about them to others. To say their names keeps them alive for me. I feel as if I have a heart shot with holes, and I try to comfort the parts without the holes, but respect and love the parts that have been shattered. They remind me of the love I had in my life, and also remind me that there is still love in my life. 🙏💞
@@cydkriletich6538Blessings to you. Your profound insights are immensely touching and divine. Thank you! 🌺🙏🌺
My cousin sent me this after I lost my husband of almost 52 married years, “grief is the price one pays for being loved”. Now it’s a new chapter of my life filled with a lot of foot notes and new ones to be made. Love you Hon!❤️
I would simply add that grief is also the price we pay for loving. I too, have experienced deep grief. And while it is profoundly painful, loving and being loved is worth the grief we suffer.
My grandma knows how you feel. They were married for 57 years.
Awful, sorry..☹️
Those 8 magic words have helped me so much in carrying the grief of losing my mother.
I first heard them from Queen Elizabeth II in her post 9/11 speech, when she said:
*“Grief is the price we pay for love.”*
Little did I know that 2 decades later, that phrase would mean so very much more to me than being a beautiful sentiment.
It's the absolute God given truth.
(P.s. I read psychiatrist Dr. Colin Murray Parkes originated that particular phrase)
I lost my brother in Vietnam and 55 years later he's still alive in my dream world. I've spent my adult life looking for that fraternity. Thanks Anderson!
I feel so sad for you , I was a kid during Vietnam but did not have any older siblings who went off to war .
But my Ex who was 13 years older than me ... he had a lot of people he grew up with all were there .
Maybe what you could do get involved with something for Vietnam vets ... even just one thing ... or maybe help out one Vietnam vet somehow ?
Don't you think your brother would like that ?
Another thing maybe you could try to do is find a way to set up a scholarship in his name to keep his memory alive and have someone help you make a video about him with photographs and whatever telling the story of who he was and the scholarship could be for something got your brother loved or was about ?
My only child, my son John, died from COVID on Dec 14, 2010. I joined a Grief group and was told the first year after my loss I would be numb, just going thru the daily motions of being alive. The second year is extremely tough. The numbness is wearing off, my feelings are raw. The pain is real. I miss John every single day. What helps us talking to folks, saying his name out loud and relieving happy memories. My life will never be the same. I'm glad the friends in my small circle really listen to me. And I pray, as well. Reach out to others. Don't try to go it alone.
I’m so sorry 😢🤍🤍🤍🙏🏼
😔 😮
I am incredibly sorry for your loss.
Psalms 34:18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Thank you Anderson. I lost 3 grandparents in the first 6 months of 1982. I was in my 20's, my kids just toddlers. But, they remember them barely. Two of those grandparents had pretty much raised me. In 2012, I lost both parents and a sister in law. Two were expected, one was not. Doesn't matter how they go, they're just gone. Many things unsaid. In 2022, I lost my husband. He fought bravely what Covid had done to what was left of his health, but he couldn't do it, didn't want to do it. We were married almost 49 years. A few months later, my youngest brother to suicide. He had decided, for whatever reason because I never gave him cause, that I wasn't worth speaking to....so he didn't for many years. It might sound trivial, but I lost my last little dog the end of 2022, right after Christmas. It was the last straw. I can't take on any more pets, it's too much. I also will never remarry, have no want to even date. I'm done. I pull myself out of that hole quite often, stay busy, keep moving. Many thanks for your words, and good luck on all the treasures you're sorting through. Your own children will want to know your parents someday, so find a way to leave them this information. I'm sure they will really want to learn more. Hugs!
I am also last of my small family alive..sometimes hits me like a ton of bricks after several years. Good video & resonated. I have a plastic container hidden in back of closet with pictures & papers. Can't bear to look at it or get rid of it..he was right "lonely" and "too much to bear" always there
And then there is the grief that one feels from a lost childhood living in a silent family. You feel a sense of abandonment your whole life and a soul filled with grief.
Thank you Anderson for putting what I feel into words. Your eloquence is a God send to those of us suffering in silence.
Life deals blows so staggering at times, it’s a wonder we can still stand. As the eldest of 6 kids, only my sister 18 months my junior, and my baby brother 16 yrs younger are still living. You never expect to bury the younger ones. I don’t have kids of my own, so my treasures and memorabilia will have no meaning when I go.
Ahhh! But I have many dear friends, and they have children who love my “stuff” and often ask, “If you ever decide you don’t want that, PLEASE give it to me! Don’t throw it away!” It’s pretty cute and funny. Pass your memories on. It doesn’t matter to whom you give them, but give them!
When I was in college, I had an 85+ yr old neighbor. To walk into his apartment was like going into a museum. He’d been in the radio then television business in their infancies. He had a chair from Norma Shearer, a pair of ballet slippers worn and signed by Anna Pavlova, an old mic from Bob Hope, and on an$ on. He would share his wonderful memories with me every week when I’d make dinner and take it to his place. His stories were fascinating, about his 65 yr career, his friendships, the people he personally knew. He had no children either, but he passed his memories on to me, and I am so glad of the gift.
Thank you Anderson and a beautiful reminder that we are not alone in our grief. “We need to grieve the ones we've lost - not to sustain our connection to suffering, but to sustain our connection to love.” - Jennifer Williamson
Thanks for sharing this quote. ❤❤❤
Thank you!! I have been sobbing for 4 months now, grief sucks!!!! People say, get help and I say… you obviously never had a mom like mine! ❤❤❤ Debra 8/17/23 the other half of my soul.
My mom 8/25/2023..so sudden and I wasn't even with her..the guilt
I'm sorry for your loss. I had the same closeness with my Mom and know how you feel.
Anderson I’m so sorry for your grief. I just finished your book Vanderbilt . What amazing lives they all led in the spot light , but what a sad and tragic life they led behind closed doors. All the money in the world will never buy happiness , but you Anderson, have escaped those trappings and managed to have people all over the world love you for who YOU are! Thank you Anderson ❤
This is an amazing story. I appreciate your candidness and heartfelt reflection. I can relate on so many levels. Just as recent as Christmas I told my sister “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with all our parents pictures and papers”. I too suffer grief in silence and have not felt joy since my Mom’s death. I think 2024 it is time to join you in your resolution and not suffer grief in silence. Thanks for a great story - I needed it this morning.
I lost my daughter 10 years ago, when she was just 33. Someone said once that I wear my grief proudly. Idk but it remains with me at all times. You don’t get over it but somehow you get through it.
I’m so sorry. I belive losing a child is the most hellish thing to happen in life. God bless you
Well said Anderson, I lost my wife suddenly 12 years ago and just lost my mother 2 weeks ago, father 18 months ago. It's me and my brother now. Thankyou for speaking about the sting of loss.
We learn to live with it and become numb. I feel every word that you are saying. Grief is the price we pay for love.
❤
I am surprised how moved I am by your display of such tenderness. This and another video I watched as you discussed loss with another TV personality. In the other video you needed to pause as your grief over the loss of your mother, momentarily was more than you could bear. It evoked such emotion in me over my own grief both present and from the past. Thank you for being willing to show your raw emotions. It forever changed the way I look ar others…💔
After almost 30 years of carrying my grief and not allowing myself to feel happy, I have started to ask myself "would the people I have loved and lost want me to be the keeper of these possessions in exchange for the freedom to move on? Slowly letting go and reducing my own things so my children don't feel obligated while dealing with their pain. Thank you Anderson.
These remarks are so helpful. I lost my husband of almost 45 years about 1,1/2 years ago. He was the love of my life and it was an incandescent relationship. Hard to pick up and go on now. I mostly don’t want to. I’ve thought about you before and the tragedies you’ve suffered. So glad you have your darling children now. I have grown kids and grandkids and although I don’t see them often, we do stay in close touch. I’m just in a shell of grief and it’s so difficult to break through it.
We have all suffered form grief, but when its you, you feel very alone
Sage advice…appreciate the candor… we all suffer from grief at some point… it never goes away we just carry it differently over time… 💘🥀
Lost my Dad in 2020 to prostate cancer after he fought so hard for 4 years. Now recently I see him in my dreams at night, it is so great to see and talk to him. 6 children, many grands, and he was a great teacher of all things, nothing he couldn't do. Love you Dad
Wow. Anderson Cooper has always been stunning as a reporter, informative, focused, delivering the message without antics. This is so valuable, especially coming from him. Thank you.
You've just said what all griever's feel. What we have to hide in order in function daily. No one wants to speak of our dead because they don't want to upset us. Its like a second death, thank you for bringing the topic to the forefront.
It's important to talk about those that we loved and lost.
Thank You Anderson for sharing this most important message of grief. Your an amazing person, and have respect for your incredible work. I too, just lost my Mama, a sister to suicide, two brothers to drug abuse, a young inspiring nephew, to a car accident, a loving brother in law to illness. Seems like grief never goes away. Like you, I will try to let go, and find some peace. Thru my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I believe I can. With his Blessed assurance of the resurrection, I will see my loved ones again.
You're an empathetic hero, Anderson, offering feeling and comfort to others when so many others hide away. God bless you, we're with you always ❤
Excellent piece. I hope this goes viral on social media, so many need to hear they are not alone. Anderson Cooper, thank you for sharing this.
This post went straight to my heart. I'm an only child and at 69 have lost both parents. I have hundreds of pictures and papers and mementos that I keep because I just can't part with them. I know my son won't want many of them and I just don't know what to do. I can't let their deaths go. My grief is always there. To know that others have this situation makes me feel not so alone. All those pics and mementos are so treasured but are so overwhelming I can't face what to do with them. Thank you for your words. May your grief in 2024 lessen my friend.
Please consider writing your memories. Perhaps it won’t be the ‘Great American Novel”, but sharing our stories will touch others and make them feel so not alone. Whether you actually publish or just share on social media, it is a marvelous gift, to share you4 treasured memories! Peace and comfort to you in 2024.
Make a scrap book. It can be therapeutic.
Being the one who is left that remembers my family's stories, I understand how that grief is uniquely painful and isolating. I realized I needed to stop carrying it alone, too. Here's to easing broken hearts in 2024, Anderson. ❤
People do not want to feel their grief and often run away from it or hide it with addictions because it comes from a very deep wound, the abandonment wound. It's not about feeling sad, it's about feeling abandoned by your loved ones who either passed, left or simply didn't engage emotionally with you. It's the scream of that inner child who doesn't know how to process all that sorrow.
I have such respect for Anderson Cooper. His life has been challenging yet he remains empathetic and kind. The older I get the more I realize that our lives have chapters and it’s about addition and not subtraction. We will have loss and grieve but that chapter will eventually end and if you continue to add people into your life as a new chapter begins you will find joy and happiness.
Thank you Anderson. You show what it's to be human. Regardless of one's position in life we are all connected more than we think. Wonderful example and you are a wonderful father.
Lost both my parents in the last few years. They were married for 55 years and were a lovely, loving couple. My brother and I are knee-deep in memories because my mother kept pretty much everything anyone ever gave her. I make a monthly trek to their home 500 miles away each month, trying to figure out how to organize and honor them through their keepsakes. I also recently found out there are old home movie clips of our family on a stock footage website that wound up in two different documentaries. I'm grateful as it's just another outlet to keep their memory alive.
Wow, so much grief 😔
Thank you for sharing and peace to you Mr. Cooper. Peace and comfort to ALL who are carrying grief: bring it out into the open, people do care ❤
Wow. Anderson. That 2 minute clip just blew my mind.
Heartfelt, tender and very real.
I heard recently that grief is simply love with nowhere to go. 💔
This year hasn’t been one of the happiest, since I can still reflect how dismayed and hurt I was, over the passing of Bob Barker (and other celebrities) and a friend of mine, who’s mother had passed in the year, too.
As I take the moment on reflecting upon those people, and others, with that feeling of grief and sorrow, I am blessed with the memories and times I had with them, by either watching Barker on my favorite game show, or reflecting on my friend’s mother’s perfect smile.
It’s a hurtful thing to realize that the people you’ve always loved growing up, are now gone, but if you keep on remembering the lessons you’ve learned from them all, you’ll be shaped up to become the person you are, currently, like Anderson Cooper.
Thank you, dearly, Mr. Cooper, Bob Barker, and my friend’s mother, Diana.
Thank you Anderson! It touched me more than you know. Your Mother was a wonderful Artist as well. Happy New Year to you and your children.
This ... oh my ... when I was 5, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. I spent the next 5 years of my life watching mom go thru surgery after surgery, chemo, radiation, etc., often being confined to bed because she was too weak to walk. It was gut-wrenching. She passed away when I was 10. I was expected to just suck it up and get on with life. Of course, not many can do that, let alone a 10 year old child who has limited abilities of dealing with such a horrible situation. The *only* thing I could think of, for dealing with this, is that mom loved me and would not want me to be sad, she would want me to have a full and happy life. Often times, it does not help much but occasionally, it does really help.
I lost my father to suicide 11 years ago. I found the "survivors of suicide" support groups to be immensely helpful.
Thank you, Coop, for sharing your journey with us.
♥️♥️♥️
I lost my infant daughter at 2 months and I made sure to keep her alive by talking to her and speaking her name often. It helped me get through my grief...along with a year and a half of therapy. 😉
Just wanted to aadd my thanks to you for this wonderful piece. It was meaningful to me, as I lost my husband of 51 years 13 months ago. Grief is different for all of us. I have learned that continually processing my feelings and not trying to bury them helps a lot. I would like to give credit to the wonderful professionals in hospice for supporting me and my beloved husband leading up to and after his passing. They are angels.
Anderson - thank you for this. This could not have been more timely.
The day this dropped on CBS my father passed away in a hospice bed with me at his side. I lost my mother in 2008 and both my brothers in 1985 and 2021 respectively. I'm 47 and my entire family is gone. The weight of their lives - the photos, the letters, and the memories I have both good and bad will now be mine to sort through. Overwhelming is a perfect descriptor.
While I continue to grieve all of them I thank you for making me personally feel as though I am not alone today when my wonderful significant other sent me this link.
Thank you, Anderson. I'm sorry for your loss.
I'm laying here with my wife and winding down for the night looking at CZcams. I'm missing my daughter whose been estranged from me for a year and then this video shows up. I click it to hear Anderson's story and realize I've been burying my grief too. I hadn't cried since she first told me she was going to stop speaking to me. I was afraid that if I did I might stay there. Next year I'm going to cry if I need to so I can feel more joy as well. Thank God there has been many moments of joy in 2023 despite my situation.
Anderson,you are a beautiful person.Thank you.
Grief and joy go together. I truly understand joy because I felt grief.
Grief is like a tsunami, the waves are massive and it brings us to our knees. Over time we learn to live with grief and hopefully move forward with it and make those waves into ripples.
I lost my Dad, Mom, Fiance, brother and neighbor all about 24 years ago over a 2 year period. My grief was sometimes unbearable. I went to grief counseling when I realized I needed help through it all. It saved me. All these years later I remember all the good times and love we all shared. I talk about them often. I find myself often quoting something silly my dad would say. My husband encourages me, as he lost his mom and dad so we help each other. Losing our loved ones is truly the price of being loved. I live my life grateful, since I know nothing is guaranteed. ❤
THANK YOU ANDERSON….That was the most touching, understanding and meaning assessment I have ever heard. You words will inspire and bless many, myself included that have lived and are still living in these grieving spaces.
Thank you, Anderson. Absolutely Beautiful!
We tried in our son's funeral (he was 31) to bring together as many of his friends as possible to talk about their friendship with photos they brought. It was great to see how many people stood up and went up to the podium to say a few words about themselves and their friend who passed away. It felt very natural and relaxed. Later, we gathered at our house for everyone to eat and share some more. The sense of relief was great. It was very memorable and our grief was lessened because of the openness we felt.
It’s one thing to discuss the deceased at their funeral. It’s quite another to get anyone to remember them five yrs on.
True, life goes on and people move on. The immediate relatives still feel the absence of the one no longer living for a long time. But we still got messages from the close friends who would come to our house frequently when my son was alive.
I still miss my son, but solace is important knowing that he is at peace. There is a point of closure to reach so that you can deal with personal loss and be able to function with life's demands. Too much grief for a long period of time impairs your ability to enjoy life. Life is not just about loss.
In the case of Anderson Cooper, just like Caroline Kennedy, these public figures have gone through loss of their immediate closest ones, leaving them with a sense grief that is more difficult because they are without the presence of a sibling or a parent figure (or both) at a rather young age. Dealing with all those memories in photographs and letters that are so meaningful requires some emotional and mental undertaking that will take some time to come to sort out and bring out something well intended. It is very hard to dispose of photos and letters from your loved ones and for public figures even more so. @@Wee162
This video came at the perfect time for me. I'm struggling with my grief but I do have a spouse that understands that and is a helping me cope. We all need to be reminded that you are not alone.
I can relate...my dear dad passed in December 2021 and my MIL in December 2023, so my husband and I are there for each other. Kim
Than you Mr. Cooper, I lost my mom in November, and just starting the walk of grief.
This is wonderful. Anderson Cooper opening up and sharing his grief. I understand what he means about stuffing feelings to shroud the sadness.
Ultimately sacrificing joy. I have been letting it out this past year and refusing to allow others to silence me. We may run from our grief for sure. Our grief often makes others uncomfortable as well.
Keep talking about this and sharing. I will as well. Thank you for this. The best to you and yours in 2024!
You would probably enjoy his podcast. He talks w someone different every week.
Thank you. I'll check it out.
With a storage unit full of similar papers and photos, I definitely feel this. Watching Anderson amidst his family mementos gave me some anxiety - this task is waiting.
Wow this is bold, and honest. When you think that so many around you have grief and are walking around carrying it in silence, it is profound. You realize you are probably not as alone as you think you are. This touched me deeply. And yes I know grief. I lost my only 34 year old son over 2 years ago.
My cat died 4 years ago and I still cry when I think about her. She got sick and then declined quickly and in days, she was gone. The following year, I lost my dog. Similarly. I've also lost my grandmother, who was the love of my life. She died alone in a hospital in another country and I couldn't visit her on her deathbed. I still feel guilt about that. I think grief is almost always tangled up with guilt. That's the part, for me, that is hardest to let go of. The guilt. That I didn't do enough, wasn't there enough, didn't ease their pain enough.
Wishing us all the strength and fortitude to bear whatever comes our way
Anderson Cooper, Bless You for sharing the Paralysis of Grief. You continue to bring comfort to us all. ♥️
Bravo, Anderson…
My Mom was recently sent to a nursing home and I had to move her apartment belongings into storage for now.
my Dad password nearly 30 years ago but suddenly the possible thought of her being gone too (while I organize all of the family photos) has flooded me with memories and has me frozen back in time as well. Then I noticed a former house we used to live in was up for sale. I went in person and did a tour of it just to see what it looks like now. So many memories. Time flies.
It will be a cathartic positive step in the right direction, expressing openly your grief and knowing you are not alone and we all can support one another when this candor takes place. Happy 2024 Anderson!! Be strong for Wyatt and Sebastian as well as Benjamin.
My father passed in 2006 from a horrible accident. It was that same year a plan was in the works for a Fathers Day Gift. A concert for him as he never had the opportunity to see a performance. Four days before my departure Poppa passed. I was crushed beyond imagination as the man I so dearly loved left. I have found so much difficulty in coping and trying to move forward with this that i walked away from a gifted career.
Fast forward to 16 years later I reconnected with my gift and composed a piece to honor that special man. After recording this tears, anguish and all that implies left. I am at peace knowing both our Spirits are meeting again. A reconnection of sorts. Mr. Cooper, thank you for the video. I understand so much more now... ✌🙏
We hold on to our grief because it is the representation of the love that is there still in our hearts. If you love greatly, you grieve deeply. My daughter was taken from me by her boyfriend. She was my world. My best friend. The only one who ever knew me, maybe better than I knew myself. She was an amazing young woman. My heart is broken every single moment and look forward to the day the Lord lets me go home to be with her again ❤️ I am so blessed to have loved so tremendously and with that comes grief at the momentary separation.
I just lost my father and I had the same sentiments. I realized the privilege we have in loving just as much as in being loved. I feel honored to love him so much! And to have loved him so deeply in my soul for my entire life. It was nice to read this as I feel the same way. Andersons message rings true. Sharing our grief is important. We are not alone! May your daughter’s memory always be a blessing to you. I love you too!
My dad passed away at almost 94 on July 22nd more than 26 years since my mom passed away at age 59 almost 60.
Me & mom brother were caregivers the last few years of dads life & loved him very much.Everything reminds me of dad since we were so involved in his life.I know to some our loss wasn't as hard as other people's losses but the last few months has been very hard.I know time will help some as it did with my mom's passing so many years ago.
Me & my brother were caregivers not my mom.
Thank you, Anderson. Some say that people don't want to feel their grief but want to run and hide. I think that everyone wants to grieve, but some don't realize it yet. And it does take time - enough time, and the right time to deal with it. There can be reasons why those are not immediately available to a person. Those who run, though, do themselves immeasurable harm, and can become inwardly crippled. Then, a friend in need, is a friend indeed. A grief shared is a bond formed. Thank you for sharing.
Lost my beloved friend and grandmother many years ago. I am 66 and think of her every day. I miss my friend. She was the best friend to me. I feel awful today. I had uncontrollable grief after her death, time heals but it will never cure it. It’s ok for me to still grieve for her. She deserves it her memory does.
I unexpectedly lost my 42 year-old brother on 12-29-23 & I watched this tonight. Thank you for this message Anderson. God Bless.
Deepest condolences. I too lost my then 41 year old brother in September of 2021. He was my older brother. I haven't let myself feel the grief as I had drowned myself with work and distracted myself so I didn't feel any of it. It's been snowballing recently, so I know your pain. Sending you love and light.
Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate it & put your faith in Jesus as he is the true comforter. @@PretzelGuy5280
Anderson has shared so much of his life with us with honesty, thoughtfulness and insight. Heck of a guy.
My father died at 85 in 2019. It was inevitable - a second occurrence of prostate cancer that reared its head after the first round was beaten; a once-proud man slowly losing his faculties - but knowing the end was coming didn't make it easier. It'll be 5 years this February and I still dread this time of year.
Years ago I went to a seminar on the five stages of grief because I was stuck.
Changed everything for the positive because instead of just talking about it they gave us the tools on how to get through it and make your life better.
Yes Anderson, Love your podcast I too have lost loved ones tragically I hate it but must learn to live my best life ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Anderson is always so empathic. Grief is hard and sauer.
Grief is love with no where to go.
I appreciate Anderson Cooper for being so vulnerable, honest & giving courage to others to share.
Tears rolled down my face as I watched this. Lost my Mom in 2022 and had not cried over her in several months but lately I feel disappointment with things in life....alone...and not having her to talk to about it is hard. Dealing with everything yourself is a burden..thank you for sharing Anderson.
Grief is the price of Joy.
Both of these Human Experiences are necessary for the other to exist, and
enrich the Tapestry
Of Our Lives. 🔥
I felt such relief to hear him share, and yes the thing we live with
I just lost my grandmother yesterday, so this message helped me. Thank you. ❤️
I lost my dad at the same time. Bless both your grandmother and my dad. I hope you stay well. What’s been helping me is allowing myself to FEEL everything. Andersons video was nice to hear but I’m glad I already came to that realization. Sharing your grief and keeping them alive is so important and it’s what’s holding my family up right now. Prayers for yours.
i Love YOU Anderson. thank you for sharing your grief. I hold you close in my heart.
My son passed suddenly in 2019. He was 35. He also suffered from a severe mental illness. I took care of him his entire life. I can never stop the pain of his passing but i decided that with the new year i have to find a way to let go of the pain. I stopped living after Dan passed. I only existed. Anderson, i heard you talking on New Years Eve about losing loved ones and the pain associated with it. Thank you for sharing.
Courageous of you! Thank you
Richest blessings on you, your family, and your future. Peace and healing!
Thank you Anderson ... What a beautiful message for the New Year ~ God bless you on your journey! I am sorry you have suffered so much loss in your lifetime ... ❤️🩹
Good luck Anderson and thank you from someone else who struggles daily.
Anderson is so gifted. I appreciate what he is sharing. I, like so many, can relate.❤❤❤
I tend my garden of grief in my own home where my feelings are welcome and encouraged to pour out. Sometimes it makes it worse to share my pain, thinking others might console me, either they avoid me or flood me with their painful stories current and long past. I decided to acknowledge that grief is a lonely process & I use the comfort and solace of my own home to soothe me and then I regain my strength and go out into the world, stronger and hoping that my feelings won't ambush me out there. I am healthier since I made a deal with myself not to seek more reassurance than the world is able to offer......Anderson Cooper, may you find peace in your heart and God bless you over & over for extending yourself to us.
Family Grief is the worst, Thank You Anderson !!!!
Anderson has always been so down to earth, he connects to all of us as our brother and friend. 💙
He is so dear to me. God bless you Anderson Cooper. 🙏
Thank you. As difficult as it is to bear my grief, especially at the holidays, I don’t want it to diminish for fear that I also forget the all of the memories and love that brought that grief.
Yes the two go hand in hand. We grieve because we loved so deeply which is also an honor.
Anderson is a strong guy. Such an inspiration.
Very brave and meaningful new year resolution. Thank you for sharing such intimate thoughts.
We see and love you, Anderson Cooper. 💕
Anderson, sorry for the losses in your life. Grief is hard; very hard. 24 years ago, I lost my beloved husband to cancer. I still miss him. My life has moved forward and I know my husband would be pleased with what I have done with my life since his death. Every once a while I will wear one of his shirts and it feels like his arms are around me. I will smell some on his belongings, or hold one of his tools. I remember our life together and remember this wonderful person. Memories are the best gift God has even given us. Peace, Anderson.