Welcome, spiritual misfits, to a brand-new episode of The AfterWords! I’m Maile Navarro, your host and full-time chaos coordinator, joined by my 9-year-old co-host, Zuma—wise beyond her years and brutally honest about life’s awkward moments.
In this episode, we dive headfirst into the hilariously painful world of empathy fails—those cringe-worthy things people say when they’re trying to comfort you but mostly just make it worse. Think “Everything happens for a reason” or “At least he’s in a better place”—and yes, we dissect why your brain wants to punch people in the face while they say it.
Zuma weighs in with her sharp, childlike perspective on the weirdest things adults say to people who are grieving (spoiler: it often involves wombat poop), and I share my own chaotic, grief-brain moments that prove life is messy, unfixable, and hilarious if you survive it.
Expect:
Wild, unfiltered stories from the trenches of grief and chaos
Insights into why our brains glitch when faced with others’ pain
Hilarious, awkward, and sometimes WTF-worthy comfort attempts from well-meaning humans
Sarcastic wisdom from a 9-year-old who calls it like she sees it
Settle in, grab a drink, maybe light a candle (or just glare at your Wi-Fi router), and join us as we laugh at life’s dumpster fire while finding the humor—and maybe a little healing—along the way.
✨ CONNECT + SUPPORT
💸 Donate or Support: LiveLikeKingston.org/Donate
📱 Venmo: @LiveLikeKingston
📚 Buy the Book: Zuma’s Magical Balloon
📝 Download: You’re Not Crazy, You’re Connected Grief Journal
🌐 Websites:
The AfterWords — podcast + grief resources
Thrive Advocacy Collective — family + advocacy support
Live Like Kingston — Kingston’s legacy + nonprofit
📣 Socials: