I had such a great discussion with Maria Vassiliou for this episode. Maria lost her mom when she was just two years old. As an adult, she's studied thanatology and started a podcast dedicated to exploring and expanding the conversation about death. Her podcast is called Philotimo Life.

Some topics Maria and I discuss include:

• Maria and her dad moving in with her dad's parents a few years after her mom died;
• Why she avoided talking about death or about her mom for many years growing up;
• How hard it was as a child to deal with other people's pity and awkwardness when they learned about her mom's death;
• How much she appreciates that her dad talked with her teachers ahead of each new school year;
• Using some of the storylines in Disney movies to start conversations with your kids;
• Her thoughts on the conventional wisdom 'kids are resilient';
• Why she decided to study thanatology and to start a podcast talking about death; and
• Why she believes we need a human-centered approach to grief and bereavement.

I hope you enjoy my discussion with Maria Vassiliou.

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