This Mortal Life — A Summary of Podcast Episode 1
by Susie Ruth
Welcome to the very first episode of This Mortal Life.
I’m Susie — a grief guide, death doula, and lover of messy, honest conversations about what it means to be alive, to grieve, to heal, and to be human.
This podcast was born from a longing for something quieter, deeper, and more spacious than the constant noise of modern life—a place where we can gather, listen, and remember what matters.
In this episode, I share my story: how I came to this work, what grief and healing have taught me, and why I believe now more than ever we need spaces where sadness and joy can sit side by side.
Why This Podcast Exists
Everything feels so loud these days—a nonstop chorus of opinions, outrage, and pressure to keep performing. I wanted to create a quieter place, a space where you can show up exactly as you are.
Not to fix yourself. Not to hustle for healing.
But to be witnessed. To be reminded that you belong.
I’ll be bringing you weekly episodes with guests who have lived through loss, wrestled with what it means to be mortal, and found surprising beauty along the way.
A Little About Me
I’ve spent most of my life in the healing arts — as a massage therapist for 33 years, a flight attendant for 22 of those years, and now as a death doula and grief coach.
My journey into this work began not with death, but with grief. Deep, old, unnamed grief. Some of it was mine. Some of it was ancestral. Some of it came from trauma so early I couldn’t remember it, but my body carried it like a roadmap.
I’ve learned that trauma lives in the body. And that healing happens slowly, in small, titrated doses. Not through force. Not by bypassing our sadness. But by sitting with it, moving with it, breathing and feeling through it.
What You Can Expect Here
This won’t be a podcast about quick fixes. It won’t be a highlight reel.
It will be honest, real, tender, messy, and beautiful.
We’ll discuss death, grief, love, belonging, and the ordinary.
I’ll also share essays on Substack — including letters from Love (Liz Gilbert’s project), Personal stories, and resources for navigating your grief and healing.
If you ever want to share your story, know there’s a place for you here.
A Note Before You Go
Thank you for listening to my first episode. It’s imperfect, like all of us, and that feels exactly right.
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