Best Life Best Death

Last year I was so lucky to travel to the fascinating city of New Orleans in October, where I met Orion Couling as my Ghost Tour Guide. In 2026, Orion jumped on BLBD #217 with two stories: a creepy story fitting for the season, and also a beautiful story of connection, travel and a wildlife sighting that was a sign from his father. In 2027, we explore the themes of fear, storytelling, cultural per...

Today I’m in conversation with Aaron Klink, a chaplain with nearly 25 years of experience in hospice care. What role do chaplains play in providing spiritual support to patients and families at the end of life? How do family dynamics, forgiveness, and deep listening come into play? And how can embracing hospice care enhance our quality of life as we approach the end? As Aaron says in his role at a...

Did you know that it is more common than you might think for children to talk about past life experiences? From acting out their previous occupations to having phobias and fears explained; from birthmarks related to their deaths to recalling places or previous families – you may be intrigued by this week’s episode! Marieta brings an open heart and a researcher’s mind to her work as a Research Assi...

Perhaps you’ve heard about Near Death Experiences and are curious to know more. Marieta Pehlivanova, trained in cognitive neuroscience, statistics and psychiatry, is one of the people who has helped bring more quantitative methods to this subject. While the general public and parapsychology often view NDEs through narratives and testimony, researchers like Marieta, Bruce Greyson, and others at the...

What happens to our family dynamics when death enters the room? Hospital Chaplain and author J.S. Park has spent more than a decade at the bedside, witnessing the ways complicated relationships, love, grief, and long-held family stories often rise to the surface in a crisis. In this conversation, we talk about the complexity of forgiveness, what it means to “grieve the good,” how we are shaped by...

I’ve always wanted to explore questions with an intuitive medium, and Susan Grau is all that and more. From her early childhood near-death experience and her explanation of the “clairs,” to her insights about consciousness, connection, and what may exist beyond what we can see — Susan is an articulate communicator and dedicated teacher. She knows things at the edge of mystery that defy conventiona...

One of my favorite people to explore topics like “ the edge of mystery” with is Sarah Kerr. I hope that this conversation puts a small crack in your certainty of what’s “real,” and shifting that — even just a little — might change your thinking in interesting and unexpected ways. In this episode, we ask: “If we acknowledge the mysterious things that can occur around death, how does that impact our...

I chose this episode to share again, because I think it is so personal. It could be easy to forget that BK is “merely human,” and think that the most educated among us does everything perfectly. Hearing Barbara describe her experience in the year after her dear husband died, gave me so much food for thought. Thank you, for the personal heart and professional information you share so freely, in thi...

This episode has intrigued so many people, as Dr Chris Kerr is one of those folks who has brought a research lens to what is sometimes dismissed. What if we took the unusual experiences of those who are dying and understood them to be “more real than real”? This episode gets the conversation going! For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at  ⁠⁠www.bestlifebestdeath.co...

This episode is a favorite with listeners, because who doesn’t want to hear a birth doula and a death doula describe what they do? The range of support they offer through these two large human transitions moves me every time I hear about it. For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at  ⁠⁠www.bestlifebestdeath.com⁠⁠ Follow us on our social channels to receive pertinent...

This episode is a classic, and I am eternally grateful to Dr Byock for talking with this “small potatoes” podcaster back in March of 2023. Echoing other practices, including the ancient Hawaiian practice of Hoʻoponopono, Dr Byock talks about the importance of “I love you, I forgive you/please forgive me, thank you, and goodbye.” What might it mean to “make right”? For more information on Best Life...

This week my daughter and I talk about our recent publishing adventure of writing two children's books together. We explore the personal experiences that inspired our first book about "energy bubbles" and our second about death, loss, and signs from loved ones. How did this second book come to Anna? How did hospice nurses help shape its authenticity? What part did we decide to leave...

What might we do to slow down in this modern world, where so much moves at a frenetic pace? In addition to working with "burned-out creatives" in her therapy practice, Sarah Heinss combines her knowledge of human psychology with a background in video editing to create thought-provoking social media posts. One of them recently caught my eye – and the eyes of more than 30 million other peo...

“The language of synchronicities is the language of the other side” – so says Janell Flores Bolte, author of Death, A Love Story. This conversation is a fascinating one, ranging from how the brain works to stories of signs from loved ones who have died. When Janell’s husband died, after defying the odds and living for 6 years with advanced cancer, she found that his presence and communication didn...

Jake Messier says it like it is! As a man diagnosed with breast cancer, he’s decided to shape what that means and how that is perceived, for himself and for all the people out there who don’t know that this is a thing. With breast cancer for women deeply researched and heavily funded, Jake is a voice for males who have this disease. An advocate, activist, board member, and influencer – Jake is mak...

My guest this week found a creative niche reading obituaries online, and this has turned out to be informative, moving, funny, and insightful! It is truly story telling at its finest and most concise. Enjoy Part 2, in which Mary and I explore three more unique obituaries and have a sneak peek of her upcoming book. Thank you, Mary, for all that you bring to the wider discussion of what it means to...

Who would have thought that reading obituaries on social media could be so informative, moving, funny, and insightful?? Mary McGreevy tried it and found a solid audience. First, she shared obits she had collected over time. Now, devoted fans from all over send her the most extraordinary stories of everyday lives. Enjoy Part 1, in which Mary and I explore how she found her way to this project, the...

What does it mean to be “too poor to die”? Author and researcher Amy Shea took a deep dive into how poverty affects the end of life. What happens when you die with no money and no family to collect the remains? What are the trajectories that lead someone to be buried in a potter’s field, aka county burial grounds? How are people in the unhoused population cared for at the end of life? Are there an...

I so appreciate the wisdom and writing of Francis Weller. His book The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief has been a touchstone for me, and now this book offers more perspective on grief, aging, sorrow, and “times of uncertainty.” Listen this week as I read Chapter 4 from In the Absence of the Ordinary: Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty. For more information on B...

Have you ever wondered what a “death doula” does? Doulas offer compassion, guidance, and information to help people better understand their options around the end of life. This week, I talk with Vanessa Johnston, an active doula in Colorado, as she shares “a day in the life of a doula.” How do people find her? At what point do they typically reach out? Why do supportive colleagues matter so much?...

Gail Rubin, author of several books and articles, talks with me about her latest book, 98.6 Mortality Movies to See Before You Die: Remarkable Films and TV Shows to Discuss Death and Plan Ahead . Been looking for some summer movie ideas? This book by the Doyenne of Death and this BLBD episode has you covered! For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at  ⁠⁠www.bestlifeb...

When Mark Burkholder’s wife, Paige, was diagnosed with a very rare, very aggressive form of cancer, what did they do? They dug in, pushed hard, and faced the truth. They knew very quickly that this cancer had a 5-year survival rate of 0%, so they leaned into treatment and living deeply as best they could. After Paige died, Mark began posting videos online about the experience, using photos and vid...

Join me and end-of-life doula and author Jane Callahan as we talk about meaningful endings. As she explains, “Because medicine has always been predicated on the idea of fixing, saving, and caring, we began to treat death that way – morphing society's view of death into primarily a medical and physical event, instead of a personal, spiritual, mental, and community-centered experience.” Jane’s n...

In this episode, I talk with longtime funeral professional Bob Arrington. We explore body disposition, funerals, celebrations of life, cremation, and more. What does it mean to “pre-plan,” and why does it matter? How do practices around caring for the dead vary across regions and over time? As Bob says, “We take the time to educate—and the most important time to do that is ahead of time.” Tune in...

One of my favorites episodes is with Susan Elliott, End of Life Coach and Doula. Susan talks candidly about her mother’s death, and about all that hospice had to offer… but also what was missing. After her mother’s death, Susan became a doula, and felt that there was so much that could have been added to the experience, for her, for her mother, and for all their family and community. What’s missin...