The job that Patton Oswalt has done coping with the loss of his wife Michelle McNamara has been admirable, at least publicly. It’s so easy to slip into a hole after the loss of a loved one, compounded by the presence of job obligations and family in the mix. We’ve been privy to how Oswalt and his daughter have dealt with the loss before, but we get a better picture in his interview with Conan on Monday night. It’s the best kind too because Oswalt is very funny, as is expected, but he also provides some of the best describers for grief and coping with loss that you’ll find online. All nestled in one late-night interview that features jokes about scaring the bejesus out of Peter Dinklage and his trip to Arby’s following the Emmys. People should call for help if they find you at an Arby’s.

But his words about his Emmy win and acceptance speech being “the taste of happiness” is just so spot on when you have lost someone. We don’t all win Emmys, but it’s one of those things that stand in as moments to be happy about, but you’re just kinda floating through, trying to keep on track. You have pieces of life after such a tragic event that you use to fill it until you can get to the point where that void isn’t so open and sore anymore. Also, the bit at the end about knowing when he’ll have true happinesss again thanks to the time he spent with his wife is just a moving bit that anybody can really grab onto.

We can also grab onto his experience with the ticket lady at O’Hare airport in Chicago, mostly because there’s always those types of people in the world. They mean well, but they’re an obstacle we have to deal with.

(Via Team Coco)