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MANSFIELD — Grief is one of life’s most universal experiences…yet it can leave people feeling most alone.
In the latest episode of Better Together, a Source podcast, co-hosts Brittany Schock and Maddie Penwell sit down with Susan Hamme, director of grief services for Hospice of the Western Reserve, to talk about what grief looks like, how it affects our daily lives, and the surprising ways healing can unfold.
Hamme has worked with Hospice of the Western Reserve for more than 20 years, serving first as a bedside social worker, then as a bereavement coordinator, and now leading grief services across 16 counties in Ohio — including Richland, Ashland and Knox.
Her team provides both individual support for hospice families and grief groups that are open to anyone, regardless of whether their loved one received hospice care.
Hamme says grief is not just an emotional process, but something that can be felt physically, socially and even cognitively. Reactions might include headaches, chest tightness, forgetfulness, or withdrawing from others.
At the same time, grief can be contradictory. Some mourners feel guilt and sadness, while others may experience relief — and both are normal.
But signs of healing do emerge. Laughing again, enjoying activities, or being able to handle special days without falling apart are milestones of progress, even if pangs of grief still surface unexpectedly.
For Better Together, the conversation connects directly to the podcast’s theme of “building the village.” Grief may be personal, but it is also deeply communal. Hamme said support groups and community networks help people realize they don’t have to navigate loss alone.
The Village Voices
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