Anderson Cooper

I haven't heard that.

I do think, though, that moment when you can look at your parent or whomever it is with empathy because she... You know, it's so easy to look at things parents do with anger, but when you realize, like...

She didn't know how to be a parent.

She didn't have a parent.

And she's doing really the best she can.

Yeah, my mom, she didn't need my anger.

She needed my help.

And I have tremendous empathy for her and always have.

And I'm glad I saw that.

For me, it helps with the grief.

The grief I feel over my mom's death, it's very much impacted by the empathy that I had for her for a long time.

But I love that you came to know your mom.

I love that.

I know her too.

Is there something you've learned in your grief that would be helpful for others?

You have that compassion for yourself.

Thank you so much.

That was really lovely.

Mariska's documentary, My Mom Jane, is available to stream on HBO Max, and she's making her Broadway debut now in the play Every Brilliant Thing, which runs until July 5th.

If you have thoughts you'd like to share about my conversation with Mariska or about your own experiences with grief, we'd love to hear from you.