Animal chaplain Kaleel Sakakeeny was overwhelmed by grief after the death of his cat Kyro. And even though pet loss is an incredibly common experience, Kaleel felt like he had nowhere to turn. So, he took matters into his own hands: Kaleel became an animal chaplain, an ordained pastor, and a pet loss and bereavement counselor. He also founded the nonprofit Animal Talks, which supports people who've lost a pet, and helps others become certified to provide counseling. Kaleel tells Sarah why the death of a pet can cut so deeply, and what we really grieve when we mourn our animal companions.

For more information about Kaleel's work, please visit www.animaltalksinc.com

Poet Jenny George was always drawn to writing about death and dying, even before she lost her wife to ovarian cancer. In her latest collection of poems, "After Image," Jenny uses the lens of grief to describe caring for and losing her sweetheart, and to explore what it means to live in the shadow of her death. Jenny tells Sarah about the challenges of writing about dying, and also why her grief sometimes makes her feel like "an old baby."

Mary Roach is a New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed science writer who once thought science was boring. She has traveled the world and written fascinating, humorous books about the human body and its curiosities. Today she discusses three of them with Sarah: "Stiff," "Six Feet Over," and her latest, "Replaceable You." They also talk about how our culture got so squeamish about dead bodies, and where we might go after we die.

Learn more about Mary Roach and her wonderful books at https://www.maryroach.net/

For more information and to become an organ donor, please visit https://www.organdonor.gov/

It's time for the annual holiday episode, and this year we're revisiting a few of our favorite conversations from 2025. (It was tough to pick, they are all favorites!) You'll hear excerpts from Sarah's interviews with puppeteer Basil Twist; death educator Joél Simone; poet Danusha Laméris; journalist Oliver Burkeman; and writer-illustrator duo Suzy Hopkins and Hallie Bateman. Each of these guests brought a new perspective on death and grief to our podcast. We are grateful to all of our listeners this year. May your holidays bring you peace.

Social worker Lisa Keefauver was just 40 years old when her husband died from cancer in her arms. She has since become an outspoken grief activist, helping people identify, understand, live with, and talk about their grief through her book and podcast, "Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch." Lisa tells Sarah why scuba diving is a metaphor for life, how to metabolize your grief over a lifetime, and what to do when grief catches you off guard in the most unexpected moments.

You can find more information on Lisa's work at www.lisakeefauver.com

Psychologist Dr. Lucy Hone studies resilience, a topic that hit especially close to home when her 12-year old daughter Abi and two friends were killed in a car crash in 2014. She tells Sarah how her close knowledge of resilience informed her grieving, why humans are hardwired to cope, and what role her grief over Abi plays in her life now. Lucy also shares practical tips for anyone who is grieving from her first book, "Resilient Grieving," and previews her new book about living losses, called "How Will I Ever Get Through This?," which will be out in 2026.

For more information about Lucy Hone, please visit www.drlucyhone.com

Palliative care physician Dr. BJ Miller survived a near-death experience and lost three limbs at just 19 years old. In this intimate conversation, he tells Sarah how confronting mortality reshaped his purpose, and opened his heart to awe, humor, creativity, and love. BJ has been on a mission to redefine end-of-life care through his work at Mettle Health and his book, "A Beginner's Guide to the End." He invites you to challenge the fear and silence around death, and imagine a better way to live — and die.

Peaceful Exit is back with new episodes starting Tuesday, November 11! Host Sarah Cavanaugh is on a mission to dispel people's natural fear surrounding death, dying and grief. This season, she'll talk with a new slate of exciting guests: writer Mary Roach, palliative care physician Dr. BJ Miller, psychologist Dr. Lucy Hone, grief activist Lisa Keefauver, poet Jenny George, and many others. You'll hear how death has brought each of them meaning, connection, and even moments of joy. Not one of us is getting out of here alive - so we might as well talk about it. 

Dacher Keltner is the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. He’s one of the world’s leading scientists studying emotions, and his latest book is "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life." In this episode, Dacher tells Sarah why we need awe, and where (and how) to find it each and every day. He also shares the deeply personal story of losing his brother to colon cancer, and why this relationship was a key source of awe in his life.

You can learn more about Dacher Keltner’s work and find his book here:

https://www.dacherkeltner.com/

Journalist Katy Butler spent years listening to hundreds of people’s stories of good and difficult deaths. She’s talked to countless experts in palliative care, geriatrics, hospice, and oncology. Those conversations, paired with lots of research and the story of her own father's challenging death, come together in her deeply practical and existential book, "The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life." In this episode, Katy tells Sarah what she learned from each of her parents’ deaths, what the research says most people want in their final chapters, and what she'd like for the end of her own life.