Best Life Best Death

The mission of the Rocky Mountain Refuge for End of Life Care is "to offer a dignified alternative to dying alone on the street for those with terminal illness." In this podcast, you’ll learn from the interim executive director, Brother James Partick Hall, about the often challenging end-of-life trajectories for unhoused people in the Denver community. JP shares clear information plus mo...

Barbara Karnes, RN and I talk about the ins and out of the holiday season – the awkwardness at times, group gatherings, being alone. What things can be helpful if grief is in your heart? How do we support ourselves, ask for help, and reach out to others? As we chat, Barbara and I end up taking this well beyond December, with Barbara encouraging us to consider how we might live with a mindset of “m...

This podcast is all about the role of being a caregiver: what situations put us in this role, who is finding themselves doing the bulk of caregiving, why does caregiving feel different in this era, and what can we do to support caregivers? Barbara is a practical, heartful end-of-life educator, and when you combine her wisdom with my curiosity - it's a good listen! As Barbara says, "I think we need...

Greg Dale of Artful Ashes (Seattle, WA) says simply: ”We create beautiful, tangible treasures. Something that people can hold and remember the good times.” How do they do this? By creating unique blown glass art from cremated remains! Find out how this unique glass art business got its spark to begin, how people come from all over to participate in the ceremonies of making these pieces, and about...

Theresa and I run the gamut in this conversation, from her many experiences as a nurse to her sudden role as a breast cancer patient. Her book -- Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient -- forms the basis of our wide-ranging conversation. We cover her experience plus compassion, empathy, overwhelm, our for-profit medical system, and the varied challenges/obstacles/mazes that patients face. This di...

“We kind of are a ‘just say yes’ funeral home!” says Seth Viddal of The Natural Funeral. Seth is full of information about what they offer at their location in the Front Range of Colorado, and I was fascinated to learn all about it. He and I discuss water cremation, flame cremation, natural reduction, burial, green burial, private land burial, and open air pyre cremations. This episode may pique y...

What does a singer/songwriter have to do with Best Life Best Death? Just listen, as Peter Mayer  offers an uplifting reminder of the beauty in the everyday and thoughtful reflections on our place in the cosmos. He plays an acoustic version of “You’re Not Just a Wave, You’re the Whole Ocean Wide” – a remarkable unrecorded song, based on a metaphor from "Tuesdays with Morrie." Plus a simple, ac...

Alexandra Jo and I dig into the work of Parting Stone, a company which creates beautiful, solid, rock-like pieces from cremation remains. We talk about what they look and feel like, as well as how these stones support “the creative ways that people can ritualize grieving." We digress into talk about playing in cemeteries while growing up, disenfranchised grief (what's that? - you'll soon learn), a...

Enjoy this fast-paced conversation with hospice nurse, end-of-life doula, and conscious dying educator Gabrielle Jimenez of The Hospice Heart. Gabby has so much to offer, and we discuss some of the questions in her most recent book, "What Would Gabby Say?" She talks about the power of learning about what to expect around death, the transformation that comes in facing and sharing our grief, and her...

This week I have a striking conversation with Dana Frost of the Forced Joy Project. In the depth of her husband’s illness, Dana and Brad decided that they were going to need to find a way to “force some joy.” No matter how bad the day was, together they kept finding moments of humor, connection and yes – joy. We talk about her life experiences, why stories about the people we love matter, and how...

“In the Best 3 Months course , you lead us through big picture questions that ultimately ask: Are you going in the direction you want to be going?” When my podcast guest -- Muralist and Live Artist Taylor Gallegos -- made this comment, I could not have been happier. For me, this is what it’s all about: reflecting, talking, learning from one another, and authentically clarifying: what’s my directio...

Pediatric expert Bonnie Compton and I discuss the death of children. Combining years of experience as an end-of-life doula, child and adolescent therapist, and parent coach, Bonnie brings compassion and practical advice to this difficult subject. Our conversation includes: What can be done to support bereaved parents? How do such deaths affect grandparents/siblings/friends? How can support be aske...

In episode #56, I talk with Marcy Lindberg, Co-Owner with her husband of Stardust Memorials. Specializing in the online sales of cremation remains and cremation jewelry, Marcy shares so much dynamic and useful information on subjects like: choosing an urn; scattering ashes at land or sea; biodegradable options; selecting memorial jewelry; buying online; and the benefits of preplanning. Listen and...

This week’s podcast speaks to the heart about music at the end of life. My guest, Jan Booth, says: “Music can support and bolster people, especially in hard times. It can be inspiring; it can bring people together; it can foster connection; it can change the dynamic in a room, or in a house, or in someone’s internal state. Music can bring a sacred quality to the end of life; it can shift the energ...

In this tough but very important episode, therapist Joy Redstone and I discuss several aspects of suicide. We talk about the importance of language when talking about suicide; the importance of speaking up and reducing shame; how suicide can impact suicide survivors - those who are near and dear; and how we can offer support - to those in need and those who have been left behind. My hope is that t...

This week I talk with Nicole Comach, End-of-Life Guide, Grief Companion and founder of Emerald Awakenings. We discuss: What do people fear about death? Do these fears fit into categories? How do these vary from person to person and with each situation? What can we do to work with our own fears? How can we support loved ones when they are afraid? Join us to gain new insights into your own fears and...

Jamie Kramer is the founder of Beyond Forests, in the Leelanau area of Michigan. In this two-fold project, Jamie and her colleagues are: 1) seeking land to create a memorial forest, where cremated remains can rest in nature; and 2) developing technology to note the GPS markings of cremains anywhere, with corresponding pages for memorial notes and records of visits. As an article about Beyond Fores...

Best 3 Months is a course developed by the Conscious Dying Institute which is offered by myself and other graduates of CDI who love end-of-life coaching and education. I teach this course over zoom, and people often ask me to describe the class -- so here goes!  The premise of this course is that you have only 3 months to live, so in the very first class we name our up-coming date of death, 9...

“Saying Goodbye: Preparing for Death" is the second film in the When You Die documentary trilogy -- 3 feature-length films about various aspects of the end of life. “Through stories from professionals who have spent their careers at the bedside, 'Saying Goodbye' opens the door to good conversation about what is possible as we pass from this life.” In this podcast episode, I talk with Director Joha...

Dr Harvey Max Chochinov, Canadian psychiatrist and expert in issues around palliative care, chats with me about misperceptions, unconscious biases, and the effect on patient care. He notes, “These issues of bias aren’t just about palliative care – they are relevant to *anyone* who becomes a patient at some point in their life!”  I found Dr Chochinov’s insights and research intriguing, and you...

A 4th generation Delaware funeral director, Todd Harra is one of the foremost experts on the history (and future) of burial rites in the United States. In his latest book, Last Rites: The Evolution of the American Funeral (coming August 2, 2022), Todd takes readers on a fascinating exploration of American funeral customs — where they came from, what they mean, and how they are still evolving. List...

In this episode I talk with the author and artist who created "Headland," Kate Schneider. Her vision for this graphic novel was to portray an internal experience that none of us can know, in order to generate compassion for those with brain differences. How poignant that her own subsequent diagnosis and treatment for a brain tumor further opened her mind to the wonder of changes in the brain. She...

In this episode, I talk with Day Schildkret about his life, work, books and art. As Day says, “We need mechanisms in our daily, monthly, annual lives – and our personal and collective lives – that help us remember who and where we are. Life is crazy, and we can lose ourselves. Rituals help us to remember.” You may come away inspired to mark a change, take new notice of what you already do, or crea...

On this episode, I interview author Amy Bloom, whose husband Brian Ameche was told by doctors that he had Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss. Amy said in our interview: “After a weekend of processing and crying together, Brian said, ‘I’m not here for the long goodbye. You know how I am. I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees. And we'...

Join me as I chat with George Frankel, CEO of Eternal Reefs, and find out how this organization combines the cremated remains of loved ones with an environmentally safe cement mixture to create artificial reef formations. These permanent memorials are placed on the ocean floor to create new marine habitats for fish and other forms of sea life. I think I know some ocean-lovers who might love this i...