This conversation is extraordinary in many ways. Laura Aviva is the only person I've interviewed so far who has lost a sibling, and her story is not what I expected. Laura was 23 when her brother Michael was killed at age 20. They were not teenagers, and Laura articulates how she feels she was already firmly who she was by the time he died. She talks about how her brother Michael was her "sage" and what he taught her about life and death, even before he died. He was not interested in living like other people. He took risks and chased adventures. Laura's unique attitude about her brother's life and the way he chose to live it is a testament to her love for him. I could tell there was a profound and mutual respect between them and what came through in our conversation was how many possible attitudes there are to take when someone you love dies.

To leave comments please rate and review on Apple podcasts or visit me on my substack: "I'm Listening."

Special thanks to Josephine Wiggs for the intro and outro music, from her album "We Fall."

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.