Ready to begin or deepen your meditation practice? Join Dan Harris and world-class meditation teachers on the 10% with Dan Harris app here: https://app.danharris.com/membership --- This week we're sharing an episode we love from IMO, the podcast hosted by former First Lady Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson. Their guest is Anderson Cooper — and the conversation they have about grief is one of the most honest we've heard. Anderson Cooper is anchor of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, a former correspondent for 60 Minutes, and host of the grief-focused podcast All There Is with Anderson Cooper. He is also the author of multiple books, including The Rainbow Comes and Goes, a memoir co-written with his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt. In this conversation, Anderson, Michelle, and Craig share: - Why Anderson buried his grief for nearly 50 years — and what finally cracked it open - The essay his father wrote (titled "The Importance of Grieving") that Anderson discovered in a moldy box decades after his dad's death - How unprocessed grief keeps you wary, distant, and scanning every room for threats - Why "getting over" grief is the wrong goal — and what the alternative actually looks like - What to say (and what not to say) to someone who has lost someone - How Michelle and Craig's mother prepared her children for her death while she was still alive - Why stories matter more than belongings when it comes to keeping people close For more episodes of IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, find the show wherever you get your podcasts. --- Subscribe to watch more 10% Happier videos: https://www.youtube.com/tenpercenthappier Follow Dan Harris on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/danharris/ https://www.tiktok.com/@danbharris https://www.facebook.com/DanHarrisABC https://twitter.com/danbharris https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-harris-91ba5716b/ --- Timestamps: 0:00:00 Introduction: what is the IMO podcast? 0:07:00 Welcoming Anderson Cooper 0:08:00 Why Anderson started a grief podcast after his mother died 0:11:00 Getting to know your parents as human beings, not just as parents 0:13:00 Becoming the "backup child": growing up with financial anxiety at 12 0:18:00 How Michelle and Craig's mom prepared them for her death 0:21:00 The letter a father wrote knowing he might die young 0:26:00 Hearing his father's voice for the first time on old recordings 0:28:00 Finding "The Importance of Grieving" — a message from beyond 0:30:00 How unprocessed grief shapes who you become 0:31:00 Why society stopped talking about death — and why that's a problem 0:36:00 What to actually say to someone who's grieving 0:42:00 Things vs. stories: two ways to hold onto the people you love 0:54:00 How knowing your family history helps you feel grounded 0:57:00 Listener question: how do you grieve when you're alone? 1:04:00 Will grief ever be "done"? Learning to carry it rather than cure it --- #grief #mentalhealth #relationships