This comedian says words often fail during tragedy. And that’s OK

Rob Delaney, comedian and co-creator of the TV show “Catastrophe,” discusses his experiences with tragedy and provides insights on how to deal with grief and loss.

The backstory: Delaney’s youngest son, Henry, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, which was surgically removed but left him disabled.
* Despite the challenges, Henry exhibited remarkable strength, humor, and determination.
* Delaney continued to work on his show while his son was in treatment and found solace in creating comic scenarios.

The experience: Delaney shares his views on grieving and the limitations of words during such times.
* He believes physical support and acts of kindness are more beneficial than any spoken condolences.
* He emphasizes the importance of spending time with the body of a deceased loved one if possible, as he and his family did after Henry’s death.

Home-front strength: Delaney credits his wife and their strong relationship for their resilience throughout Henry’s illness and passing.
* They made efforts to maintain their relationship and provide normalcy for their other children during the ordeal.

The belief: Despite distancing from organized Catholicism, Delaney felt a palpable sense of love and connectedness throughout his son’s illness and after his death.
* He shares a metaphor of life and death as pouring individual glasses of water back into a sea, maintaining a connection with his deceased son in a redefined way.

Direct Quote: “I think after we die, I think I’ll be with Henry again, but he won’t be Henry as I know him and I won’t be his dad as he knew him. We’ll all be mingled together wondering who’s who and taking different forms and nebulae and dancing through the cosmos and evolving and changing. So I think we’re ingredients in the big stew, and we’ll be mixed into, I don’t know, dinner for some cosmic Godzilla.” – Rob Delaney

View original article on NPR

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