Death is for the Living

What if our fear of death is connected to forgetting how to fully participate in life while we are here? In this episode of Death is for the Living, Susan reflects on contentment, ordinary moments, and the possibility that remembering how to live may be one of the great antidotes to our fear of dying. Through reflections on mortality, death awareness, gratitude, presence, and living with intention...

We resist death not because  we are weak...but because we love In this episode of Death Is for the Living, Susan Ten-Kate explores the tension between our desire to hold on and the reality that all lives eventually come to an end. Drawing on her experience as a nurse, she reflects on grief, attachment, caregiving, mortality, and the profound ways love shapes our experience of loss.   Through stori...

Death is for the living episode three a reflection on the body love and remembering  What happens when we begin to see our bodies not as projects to perfect, but as companions for the journey?   In this episode of Death Is for the Living, Susan Ten-Kate reflects on the relationship we have with our bodies, the stories we tell ourselves about aging, and the ways love can help us remember who we are...

How much of life do we miss while waiting for guarantees?   In this episode of Death Is for the Living, Susan Ten-Kate reflects on the courage required to say yes to life even when the outcome is uncertain. Through personal stories and gentle exploration, she considers how fear, vulnerability, and the desire for certainty can keep us from fully participating in our own lives.   Drawing on the wisd...

What if death is not the enemy we have been taught to fear?   In this episode, Susan Ten-Kate explores a simple but profound idea: death is for the living. Drawing on nearly four decades of nursing experience, she reflects on the lessons learned from those approaching the end of life and how an awareness of mortality can help us live with greater purpose, presence, gratitude, and intention.   Thro...

In this opening episode of Death Is for the Living, Susan Ten-Kate introduces the concept of “The Fifth Season”—the season that follows the traditional stages of life and invites us into a deeper relationship with mortality, meaning, and what it means to truly live.   Drawing on nearly four decades as a nurse working with aging, serious illness, and end-of-life care, Susan explores death literacy,...