Dying Kindness

Sure, it's important to talk about death and what we want. But how do you even begin this conversation? What if you're ready to talk but someone else is resistant? And what do we even need to talk about?

In this episode I interview Kate deBartolo from The Conversation Project, and Lisa Pahl and Lori LoCicero from The Death Deck. They share tools and personal stories that can help you get the conversation started, regardless of how comfortable (or uncomfortable) you and your loved ones are with the topic.

https://theconversationproject.org/

https://thedeathdeck.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thedeathdeck/

Just what kinds of things would be useful to the people we'll leave behind when we die? What decisions need to be made? What goes into a "Death Binder"?

Presenting three books with good lessons learned from the dying on how to live (and die) well:

• The Top Five Regrets of the Dying - Bronnie Ware

Related links:

Bronnie Ware’s blog post that started it all:

https://bronnieware.com/blog/regrets-of-the-dying/

Link to Ira Byock's book page:

https://irabyock.org/books/the-four-things-that-matter-most/

Lucy Kalanithi speaks at TEDMED

https://www.ted.com/talks/lucy_kalanithi_what_makes_life_worth_living_in_the_face_of_death

Karen Reppen describes herself as being once "the most death phobic person on the planet." Now she's on the board of the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA) and an advocate for death education. In this interview, she shares what she learned on her journey to overcome her fear of death, what an end-of-life doula does, and thoughts on NEDA's role in the death positivity movement.

Logistics are not the only things that complicate death. The holidays can be an emotional time. Here are five ways to help take care of the emotional side of the impact your death will have on those you love.

We often refer to the idea of a "good death" without really digging in to what that means for us. But being clear about it is critical when it comes to completing an Advance Care Directive.

Samhain. Halloween. All Saints Day. All Souls Day. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

All of these holidays are about the connection between the living and the dead. And they all present the dead in different ways. Taking a look at these differences can be a fun way to think about where we get our concepts about death and how our loved ones might relate to us after we die.

Have questions about estate planning? Listen in on my first conversation with an estate lawyer, Kathleen Hunt. I ask basic questions and learn so much!

What can be done with cremated remains? So many things!

"Hospice is not giving up." Retired hospice nurse Edwina Moldover clears up misconceptions about hospice and says that the biggest mistake we make is not accessing hospice earlier.