Susan, your host, welcomes Geri Reid Suster to today's episode. Geri has 30 years of experience in business and management, specializing in acquisitions and creating operational excellence. This experience was gained by starting in an entry-level position at a directory publishing company and working her way up to Chief Operating Officer in the same field during a period of great consolidation in the industry. Known for building an outstanding work culture, Geri now consults with business owners seeking to do the same.
Personally, Geri has been living a nomad lifestyle since 2017, first in a 33' RV named Wallace and more recently, in a self-converted Sprinter Van dubbed Wufgang. She is the proud mom of two adult sons and spends much of her time in the Pacific Northwest among the trees. Geri is the author of Graceful Exits: Making the Case for Getting Good at Goodbye, where she explores a variety of exits, both personal and professional, from her own life and others to reveal what methods fail us and what methods allow us to flourish.
Key Takeaways:
Geri shares her grief story by speaking about the loss of her parents, one sudden and the other anticipated.
Geri talks about how to increase your chances of having a graceful exit.
When accompanying a grieving person, you really just need to open up and hold space for his/her suffering.
You can lead and show up however you want, but you can't control what others do.
To protect the last precious moments of someone's life, boundaries need to be set with some family members. This is a beautiful way of honoring the person that is leaving.
Geri dives deep into the concept of boundary-setting.
You don't have to enact "Performative grief."
How do you show up to a widow? Don't ask them how they are doing (that's an impossible question, if they are having a good day, they feel guilty about it, and if they have a bad day, they might not want to go through that) Try: "I am thinking about you", "I have this memory that I wanted to share with you."
Ask yourself, "What would he/she tell?" when you need that special someone who is no longer there with you.
You can do whatever you want, as long as it is authentic and comes from the right reasons.
Remember: Grief is personal, and no one grieves the same way. There are resources, you don't have to do it alone. There is so much beauty in going through the experience of passing from living to dying.
Resources
Email Susan: susan@tendrilsofgrief.com
Meet Geri Reid Suster
Graceful Exits: Making the Case for Getting Good at Goodbye
Visit Graceful Life
Follow Geri on Instagram
Email Geri at geri@gracefullife.com
