Shows
Best Life Best Death#225 Words at the Threshold: What We Say as We're Nearing Death – Diane Hullet, Doula, Educator and Founder of Best Life Best DeathThis week’s BLBD podcast brings something a little different: it's story time! Listen this week to hear a few of my favorite sections and ideas from this beautiful book by Lisa Smartt, Words at the Threshold: What We Say as We're Nearing Death. As a linguist, she became interested in what people said as they neared the end of life – and not only the words, but the patterns and commonalities. I’ll share what she learned and what she suggests for how you can "courageously and compassionately witness final words.”For more information on Best L...
2025-12-2422 min
Best Life Best Death#214 Being Mortal – Diane Hullet, Doula, Educator and Founder of Best Life Best DeathWhen Atul Gawande - surgeon, physician, son of a surgeon - wrote Being Mortal in 2014, I wonder if he knew what staying power it would have. This timeless book captures many of the challenges we face in the US and other countries around aging, decline, disease, the medical system, and yes, ultimately death. Listen to this episode to hear a few compelling passages from the book about the importance of conversation and what a difference a little knowledge can make. (No, it’s not Dr Gawande reading, just me.)
2025-10-0822 min
Best Life Best Death#208 Lessons the Dying Teach Us about Living – Diane Button, Doula, Author, Instructor at the UVM End-of-Life Doula Certificate ProgramJoin me on BLBD this week, for a gorgeous conversation with Diane Button. Author of several books, Diane’s latest is with Maria Shriver’s imprint, The Open Field, an imprint of Penguin Life. With this work, she turns towards the stories and wisdom of her clients and shares just what the title says: What Matters Most: Lessons the Dying Teach Us about Living. We share some of the experiences in the book, talk about why these stories make a difference, and get Diane’s perspective on what thinking about mortality brings to our lives.
2025-08-2731 min
Best Life Best Death#187 Pushing Up Daises 101 - or - What to Know about Body Disposition – Diane Hullet, Death Doula and Founder of Best Life Best DeathThis week I’ll give you an overview of the many ways a body can be laid to rest — from traditional cremation to options like green burial, water cremation, and terramation. We’ll explore what can be done with ashes and how personal values shape these end-of-life decisions. Whether you’re new to these concepts or looking for what’s current, this episode offers a practical guide to body disposition in the U.S. If you’d like more detail on what’s discussed here, there are several BLBD episodes with guests who go into more detail. Check out all...
2025-04-0221 min
Best Life Best Death#159 It’s Not Too Late, Until It’s Too Late: How to Start a Conversation – Diane Hullet, Mortality Educator and DoulaIt's all well and good that I keep saying “You should really have conversations about death and dying….” Yet you might be thinking, “What the heck! This is too hard! How am I supposed to even start that conversation?! Please give me some suggestions that can help.” In this episode, I’ll do just that, laying out some ways to think about how to approach this, and even offering up some specific sentence starters you can use, thanks to the treasure trove of ideas shared by The Conversation Project and other resources. (Love a slide presentation? Then watch this one on Youtu...
2024-09-1819 min
Best Life Best Death#122 A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death – Diane HulletWhy is this one of my favorite books? How can a book like this have a positive impact on your view of your life *and* your death? What are some pragmatic topics we could benefit from thinking about? What are some of the thoughtful gems from authors BJ Miller, MD and Shoshana Berger?
Listen in as I talk about this book and see if you want to add it to your nightstand pile... A Beginner's Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death.
2024-01-0414 min
Best Life Best Death#121 The Heart of Hospice and Best Life Best Death in Conversation - Helen Bauer and Diane HulletThis week: a joint podcast with The Heart of Hospice and host Helen Bauer. This is swift-talking, wide-ranging, longer-than-usual chat! What brought me into end of life work? Why might any of us want a “supported death”? How can end-of-life workers bring an open mind to any death? How can caregivers be held, metaphorically and literally? What can we learn while in a relationship with hospice? How can we hold expectation vs hope? How do we support the multiple needs of various people involved in any caregiving situation? At the end of life, how do you begin to let go of...
2023-12-2752 min
Best Life Best Death#118 Three Doulas and The Doula Tool Kit – Diane Button, Gabby Jimenez and Angela ShookWhat an honor to chat with three leading doulas and teachers, Diane Button, Gabby Jimenez and Angela Shook. Their new book combines the best of all that they know – over 30 years of experience with death and dying. The Doula Tool Kit: The Complete Practical Guide for End-of-Life Doulas and Caregivers provides “the guidance and tangible tools that people need to actually feel comfortable to sit with the dying.”
Learn more and get the book here -
https://www.thehospiceheart.net/
https://www.dianebutton.com/
https://angelashook.com/
...
2023-12-0634 min
Best Life Best Death#87 Patient-Centered Care and Medical Assistance in Dying - Dr Stefanie Green - Doctor, Author, Speaker, EducatorDr Stefanie Green is a Canadian physician with a whole lot of experience and information to share about MAID. What is Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada? What feelings does Dr Green hear most commonly from patients? What is the hardest part of the work she has been doing since 2016? What is patient-centered care and why does it matter? What are the three things this physician would like you to take away from this conversation? This talk with Dr Green is longer than the usual BLBD episode -- I was going to create two parts, but decided it was...
2023-04-2654 min
Best Life Best Death#86 What Does Active Dying Look Like? Julie McFadden, aka Hospice Nurse Julie - RN/BSN, Social Media EducatorHospice Nurse Julie delves into the details of dying, so that we can all learn more ahead of time and be better prepared when someone we love is at the end of their life. “I know, as a hospice nurse who’s used to seeing a body dying, that this is very normal: their face is going to look different; their eyes are often open, not blinking; they are not making eye contact; mouths are usually open, as all our muscles are relaxing; breathing changes; they are usually not eating or drinking; and they are probably unconscious for the most...
2023-04-1927 min
MCTV Network's Community VoicesThe Spark with Junia Doan | Diane HulletWelcome to MCTV's Community Voices Podcast. Sandy O'Keefe presents this episode of The Spark with Junia Doan, Junia's guest: Diane Hullet. For more information about Midland Community Television or how to make your program, visit us at cityofmidlandmi.gov/mctv or 989-837-3474. The views expressed in this program don't necessarily reflect those of Midland Community Television or the City of Midland.
2023-04-1128 min
Best Life Best Death#85 Help Texts: Expert Support in Hard Times - Emma Payne, Founder and Barbara Karnes, RN and EducatorSo many people are struggling with grief, burnout, caregiving, and more. The idea behind Help Texts is to get expert support directly into people's hands - literally, in their hands, by appearing on their phone via text a few times a week. How does Help Texts work? What does it cost? Why would I want this for myself or a friend or family member? And - does it really help?? As founder Emma Payne says, “It’s incredible that just a few messages a week that speak to you, are, for many people, enough.” I kinda love the idea of Bar...
2023-04-1135 min
Best Life Best Death#84 Jack Has a Plan, A Documentary Film - Bradley Berman - Director"Jack Has a Plan" is a 73-minute personal documentary which follows the story of a man diagnosed with a brain tumor. Director Bradley Berman says, “This is first and foremost a story. It is not an advocacy film for any particular outcome. It is just a story of Jack Tuller and what happened to him.” Yet this story is filled with so much to consider! Bradley and I discuss: How did this film come about? What was unique about Jack and his friends and family that made this film work? What does Jack’s experience have to share about living...
2023-04-0426 min
Stranger ConnectionsDiane Hullet - educator, end-of-life coach, the choice of conscious dying"Regrets are unfinished business, unfinished relationships." ~ Diane Hullet, end-of-life coach who is passionate about facilitating conversations about mortality, to lead people to know what matters most to them. It all began with a funeral for an insect. Then she was hooked on what it means to die, and to respect the way we leave this realm. Hullet says it's so natural to be part of the birthing process, but death is hushed and private. Not anymore. Planning the exit from this life is something Diane brings to the forefront.She is a member of the...
2023-03-2829 min
Best Life Best Death#83 The Perplexing Fundamental Truth of Death - Jade Adgate - Founder, Farewell FellowshipJade and I were on such a roll when we recorded our podcast that, well, we just kept going! Part 1 is about death literacy, books we love, literature, how to find books that get you into these themes, and why reading about the end of life matters. (Hint: It influences our thinking in subtle but profound ways.) In Part 2, we talk about the role of doulas, the experience of hospice, what caregivers need, who typically calls in a death doula for a family, and some ethical ruminations -- because Jade is, at heart, a philosopher and doula!
2023-03-2025 min
Best Life Best Death#82 How Reading Shapes Our Experience of Death and Loss - Jade Adgate - Founder, Farewell FellowshipJade Adgate and I both love to read and we love to read books that expose us to new angles of death, dying, loss and grief. Sounds miserable, eh? But it’s honestly not. Through reading, we clarify our own thinking and values around these hugely human issues. Whatever you are reading, you can watch for these themes, and you can make it a point to read on hard topics long before you or a loved one needs the information. In this episode, we talk about 20 books that will increase your death literacy!
✨Being Mort...
2023-03-2027 min
Best Life Best Death#81 Stuff: What to Do with It? - Louis Clough, Founder of Transitions by National RaritiesAs a specialist in selling the many and varied items in an estate after someone has died, Louis Clough has some thoughts to share about stuff. How does the 80/20 rule apply to the material value of things in an estate? When should you sell vs keep something? How can sellers make sense of the options they have? Why is it important to think about our stuff now? Listen in, as Louis and I are about to cover a lot of stuff!
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at ww...
2023-03-1419 min
Best Life Best Death#80 Making Meaning at the End of Life - Rhea Mader, End-of-Life PractitionerIn her work as an end of-life practitioner, Rhea Mader finds herself in the deep end of the pool when it comes to conversations! Sometimes she simply brings the words dying and death into the room and that can make a difference. Sometimes she holds space for really big topics, such as "what meaning came from my life?" End of life doulas can add vocabulary, an objective presence, and the heart-to-heart piece that families and individuals might be seeking.
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestlifebestdeath.c...
2023-03-0728 min
Best Life Best Death#79 Dr Ira Byock - Palliative Care Physician and Author - The Four Things that Matter MostDr Ira Byock - leader in palliative care, advocate for patients, and author - joins me this week. We discuss: What might it mean to “die well”? Why is the nature of serious illness more personal than medical? What are the “four things that matter most”? What does “forgiveness” mean? How do the phrases he writes about in The Four Things that Matter Most apply to any of us, at any time in our lives? This week’s BLBD conversation really grabbed me, because it is about dying, sure, but it is far more about living… and living with humility and kind...
2023-03-0131 min
Best Life Best Death#78 Rachel Donnelly - Founder and CEO of Black Dress Consultants - What Is an After Loss Professional and How Can They Help?After Loss Professionals such as Rachel Donnelly play a unique role for all there is to be done after someone has died. Different from an attorney, more nuanced than an organizer, and with the know-how to do far more than just drop things off at a thrift store, Rachel can act as the ”air traffic controller” to manage the entire project of settling an estate. Whether it involves going through probate, deciding what to do with collections of unknown worth (Grandpa’s gold coins? Mom’s silver?), or filling out cumbersome out-of-state forms (transferring a car title in Minnesota?) – Black Dres...
2023-02-2128 min
Best Life Best Death#77 C.C. Boyce - Woodworker and Founder, Boyce Studio - Urns as ArtThe range of unique urns is as wide as the artists who are making them! This week I talk with woodworker C.C. Boyce, who developed a two-part wooden urn suitable for the cremated remains of people or pets. They come in various woods and sizes, and there is space in the bottom for cremains and space on top for a plant. Hear how she got into this work and why one of her pieces might fit beautifully into your life.
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at ww...
2023-02-1323 min
Best Life Best Death#76 Samatha Trad - Natl Director of Care Advocacy, Compassion and Choices - Charting Your Own End of Life Journey Part 2In Part 2 of our conversation, Sam and I talk further about compassionate options at the end of life. How have various state Medical Aid In Dying laws been passed? What part do data, numbers and personal stories play in helping us to better understand the issues? Why talk to your doctor about your values and options *now*? What compassionate end-of-life choices are there for those with dementia, and how could those be put in your Advance Directive today?How do the options of ending treatment, palliative sedation, or VSED (Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking) come into play? What...
2023-02-0725 min
Best Life Best Death#75 Samantha Trad - Compassion and Choices, National Director of Care Advocacy - Charting Your Own End of Life Journey, Part 1This week and next, Sam and I dive and digress into several aspects of the end of life. How do we die? How did the organization Compassion & Choices come to be? What is Medical Aid in Dying? What do I need to know about Advance Directives? How do the choices that I write down now impact my future? The organization Compassion and Choices has deep roots and a wide spread of branches, offering us information on a variety of topics for our end of life journey.
For more information on Best Life Best Death p...
2023-01-3029 min
Best Life Best Death#74 Kayla Nakano - Co Founder, Rainbow Bridge Connection Podcast - Beloved Animals, Death and GriefThis week I talk with Kayla Nakano, one of the founders of a podcast about pet loss. Kayla and I talk about these loving relationships and the complex grief that can accompany their death – which is almost always so much sooner than we would like. What helps people through the loss of a beloved animal companion? What is “normal” for this type of loss? And how can we support friends and family through this experience?
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestlifebestdeath.com
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2023-01-2324 min
Best Life Best Death#72 Kim Mooney - Founder, Practically Dying - How Do We Die? Part 2This week Kim Mooney (thanatolgist and founder of Practically Dying) and I continue our conversation about “exit ramps.” Listen to learn about: palliative sedation, voluntary stopping of eating and drinking (VSED) and Medical Aid in Dying (MAID). What do each of these terms mean? What are the laws in various states? How do these processes work? What might these choices mean - legally, medically and personally? Kim and I discuss anecdotes from personal experience as well as broader questions of culture and ethics.
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our websit...
2023-01-1634 min
Best Life Best Death#71 Kim Mooney - Thanatologist, End-of-Life Educator and Founder of Practically Dying - How Do We Die? Part 1This week I talk with Kim Mooney, long-time end-of-life educator and expert in the field. If you want to hear a couple of high-energy, fast-talking women discuss how we die… you’ve come to the right place! In Part 1 this week, Kim and I get into: keeping bodies alive vs people thriving; palliative care and hospice; exit ramps at the end of life - what are the various trajectories of how we die? And how can thinking about the end of life help us and our loved ones now and as we get closer to that exit ramp?
2023-01-0931 min
Best Life Best Death#70 Dr Rob Colbert - Transformation through Psychedelic- and Ketamine-Assisted TherapiesRob and I discuss drugs like psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine. How are they impacting the therapeutic world and the end-of-life world? What can come from ketamine-assisted therapy? What might a few sessions of this look like? What are the origins of these plant medicines and how are doctors, therapists and the pharmaceutical industry working with them lately? Rob says that he sees people experience "really purposeful changes" from "having a few meaningful experiences.” Tune in to learn more!
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestlifebestdeath.com
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2023-01-0231 min
Best Life Best Death#69 Avani Dilger - Founder of Natural Highs Community - Neuroscience, Connection and AddictionAvani Dilger's career and calling in working with addiction, trauma, connection, and the existential questions that we all seek to explore began early in her life with the deaths of two friends. I would say that nearly everyone I know has been touched by addiction, so the questions we ask in the episode are vital to all of us: What is it that people seek through addiction? Why is this such an epidemic? We often label addiction as being about substances - drugs, alcohol - but what else are we addicted to? And, most importantly, what are other ways...
2022-12-2931 min
Best Life Best Death#68 - Diane Hullet - What Is Storyworth?One of many online “story capturing” programs, I gave my dad a gift of Storyworth last Christmas. How did it work, what did he have to do, how did it all come together, and was it worth the time, cost and effort? I'll tell you about our experience plus a few thoughts about why I think sharing our stories matters. As author Charles deLint says, "We're all made of stories. When they finally put us underground, the stories are what will go on. Not forever, perhaps, but for a time. It's a kind of immortality, I suppose, bounded by limi...
2022-12-2116 min
Best Life Best Death#67 Scott Ginsberg and Joshua Siegel - Founders - What Is Titan Casket?Today’s conversation is with the two of the Founders of Titan Casket, Scott Ginsberg and Joshua Siegel. As they say on the Titan website: “Titan Casket was founded with a singular mission: to offer designer caskets at revolutionary prices, while driving affordability and transparency in the funeral industry.” What are they doing? How it is different? How is this business model changing the funeral industry? And how are consumers reacting?
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestlifebestdeath.com
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2022-12-1524 min
Best Life Best Death#66 Brother James Patrick Hall - Rocky Mountain Refuge for End of Life Care - Care for Our Un-Housed NeighborsThe mission of the Rocky Mountain Refuge for End of Life Care is "to offer a dignified alternative to dying alone on the street for those with terminal illness." In this podcast, you’ll learn from the interim executive director, Brother James Partick Hall, about the often challenging end-of-life trajectories for unhoused people in the Denver community. JP shares clear information plus moving stories about how a team of social workers and hospice caretakers are stepping in to support those in need.
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at...
2022-12-0827 min
Best Life Best Death#65 Barbara Karnes - RN, End-of-Life Educator - The Holiday Season - A Time of Joy and GriefBarbara Karnes, RN and I talk about the ins and out of the holiday season – the awkwardness at times, group gatherings, being alone. What things can be helpful if grief is in your heart? How do we support ourselves, ask for help, and reach out to others? As we chat, Barbara and I end up taking this well beyond December, with Barbara encouraging us to consider how we might live with a mindset of “making the most of each moment” every day of the year. She says, “We should live our life like this 365 days a year! Every single day is a...
2022-11-3025 min
Best Life Best Death#64 Barbara Karnes - RN, End-of-Life Educator - Caring for CaregiversThis podcast is all about the role of being a caregiver: what situations put us in this role, who is finding themselves doing the bulk of caregiving, why does caregiving feel different in this era, and what can we do to support caregivers? Barbara is a practical, heartful end-of-life educator, and when you combine her wisdom with my curiosity - it's a good listen! As Barbara says, "I think we need to shine light on caregivers" as they are "the invisible hero in the whole scenario."
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2022-11-2333 min
Best Life Best Death#63 Greg Dale - Owner, Artful Ashes - Beauty for Remembrance: Glass Art from Cremated RemainsGreg Dale of Artful Ashes (Seattle, WA) says simply: ”We create beautiful, tangible treasures. Something that people can hold and remember the good times.” How do they do this? By creating unique blown glass art from cremated remains! Find out how this unique glass art business got its spark to begin, how people come from all over to participate in the ceremonies of making these pieces, and about the true artistic and heart-filled inspiration at the core of this work. Beautiful!
For more info visit Artfulashes.com
For more info...
2022-11-1721 min
Best Life Best Death#62 Theresa Brown - RN, Author - When a Nurse Becomes a PatientTheresa and I run the gamut in this conversation, from her many experiences as a nurse to her sudden role as a breast cancer patient. Her book -- Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient -- forms the basis of our wide-ranging conversation. We cover her experience plus compassion, empathy, overwhelm, our for-profit medical system, and the varied challenges/obstacles/mazes that patients face. This discussion touches all of us at some point, because we all interface with the medical world. And how to do it in the best way possible, for everyone involved in patient care?
2022-11-0929 min
Best Life Best Death#61 Seth Viddal - Chief Operating Officer and Co-Owner - What Services Are Offered at The Natural Funeral?“We kind of are a ‘just say yes’ funeral home!” says Seth Viddal of The Natural Funeral. Seth is full of information about what they offer at their location in the Front Range of Colorado, and I was fascinated to learn all about it. He and I discuss water cremation, flame cremation, natural reduction, burial, green burial, private land burial, and open air pyre cremations. This episode may pique your curiosity to think about what is available in your area and what feels right to you.
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2022-11-0329 min
Best Life Best Death#60 - Peter Mayer - Singer/Songwriter - Miracles in the EverydayWhat does a singer/songwriter have to do with Best Life Best Death? Just listen, as Peter Mayer offers an uplifting reminder of the beauty in the everyday and thoughtful reflections on our place in the cosmos. He plays an acoustic version of “You’re Not Just a Wave, You’re the Whole Ocean Wide” – a remarkable unrecorded song, based on a metaphor from "Tuesdays with Morrie." Plus a simple, acoustic version of “Everything Is Holy Now.”
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestlifebestdeath.com
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2022-10-2636 min
Best Life Best Death#59 Alexandra Jo - Director of Education and Outreach, Parting Stone - Stones from Ashes: Another Option for Cremated RemainsAlexandra Jo and I dig into the work of Parting Stone, a company which creates beautiful, solid, rock-like pieces from cremation remains. We talk about what they look and feel like, as well as how these stones support “the creative ways that people can ritualize grieving." We digress into talk about playing in cemeteries while growing up, disenfranchised grief (what's that? - you'll soon learn), and how to support others in their “full bucket” time of grief.
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestlifebestdeath.com
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2022-10-1925 min
Best Life Best Death#55 Gabrielle Jimenez - Hospice Nurse, End-of-Life Doula, and Conscious Dying Educator - What Would Gabby Say?Enjoy this fast-paced conversation with hospice nurse, end-of-life doula, and conscious dying educator Gabrielle Jimenez of The Hospice Heart. Gabby has so much to offer, and we discuss some of the questions in her most recent book, "What Would Gabby Say?" She talks about the power of learning about what to expect around death, the transformation that comes in facing and sharing our grief, and her belief in the possibility of easing suffering for everyone at the end of life. Warmth and candor are the hallmarks of this lovely human.
Find Gabby on Facebook h...
2022-10-1930 min
Best Life Best Death#58 Dana Frost - Founder, The Forced Joy Project - What Is the Forced Joy Project?This week I have a striking conversation with Dana Frost of the Forced Joy Project. In the depth of her husband’s illness, Dana and Brad decided that they were going to need to find a way to “force some joy.” No matter how bad the day was, together they kept finding moments of humor, connection and yes – joy. We talk about her life experiences, why stories about the people we love matter, and how she works to support others and create community as people are in these hardest of places around grief and loss, health and illness, life and deat...
2022-10-1321 min
Best Life Best Death#57 Taylor Gallegos - Muralist and Live Artist - From Bright Light to Laser Beam: How a Best 3 Months Course Inspired an Artist“In the Best 3 Months course, you lead us through big picture questions that ultimately ask: Are you going in the direction you want to be going?” When my podcast guest -- Muralist and Live Artist Taylor Gallegos -- made this comment, I could not have been happier. For me, this is what it’s all about: reflecting, talking, learning from one another, and authentically clarifying: what’s my direction and how am I being fully in my life? Taylor says that his previous thinking about his work was like a light bulb shining, but now, with the reflection that the Best...
2022-10-0621 min
Best Life Best Death#57 Bonnie Compton - Doula, Therapist, Founder of Gentle Heart Journeys - The Death of a ChildPediatric expert Bonnie Compton and I discuss the death of children. Combining years of experience as an end-of-life doula, child and adolescent therapist, and parent coach, Bonnie brings compassion and practical advice to this difficult subject. Our conversation includes: What can be done to support bereaved parents? How do such deaths affect grandparents/siblings/friends? How can support be asked for and offered?
Quite simply, we talk about: How *difficult* this is for all involved, yet how we can be there for each other. www.gentleheartjourneys.com
For more information on Best L...
2022-09-2825 min
The Art and Life PodcastNo. 93 - Diane HulletIn this episode I have Diane Hullet back. Her original episode was No. 74, definitely check that one out.
Diane is based in Boulder, Colorado. Diane is an End of Life Educator, she leads the Best Life Best Death courses (which I took and loved), and a long time friend. In this episode we talk about her progression through the last year and a half since we last spoke, her experience with her podcast, the Best Life Best Death course, and so much more.
You can connect with Diane on her website at bestlifebestdeath.com, follow on I...
2022-09-271h 21
Best Life Best Death#56 Marcy Lindberg - Co-Owner of Stardust Memorials - What Can I Do with Cremated Remains?In episode #56, I talk with Marcy Lindberg, Co-Owner with her husband of Stardust Memorials. Specializing in the online sales of cremation remains and cremation jewelry, Marcy shares so much dynamic and useful information on subjects like: choosing an urn; scattering ashes at land or sea; biodegradable options; selecting memorial jewelry; buying online; and the benefits of preplanning. Listen and you may just find yourself getting more curious about what products and services are available these days!
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestlifebestdeath.com
F...
2022-09-2225 min
Best Life Best Death#54 Jan Booth - Music at the End of LifeThis week’s podcast speaks to the heart about music at the end of life. My guest, Jan Booth, says: “Music can support and bolster people, especially in hard times. It can be inspiring; it can bring people together; it can foster connection; it can change the dynamic in a room, or in a house, or in someone’s internal state. Music can bring a sacred quality to the end of life; it can shift the energy of a moment. Music speaks to the heart and the spirit. It can invoke tears, and it can bring up memories as part o...
2022-09-0832 min
Best Life Best Death#53 Joy Redstone - The Complexity of SuicideIn this tough but very important episode, therapist Joy Redstone and I discuss several aspects of suicide. We talk about the importance of language when talking about suicide; the importance of speaking up and reducing shame; how suicide can impact suicide survivors - those who are near and dear; and how we can offer support - to those in need and those who have been left behind. My hope is that this episode will expand your understanding and give you practical steps to take when suicide enters your life.
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2022-08-3131 minBest Life Best Death#52 Nicole Comach - Fear of DeathThis week I talk with Nicole Comach, End-of-Life Guide, Grief Companion and founder of Emerald Awakenings. We discuss: What do people fear about death? Do these fears fit into categories? How do these vary from person to person and with each situation? What can we do to work with our own fears? How can we support loved ones when they are afraid? Join us to gain new insights into your own fears and come out with ideas on how to move forward.
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at...
2022-08-2423 minBest Life Best Death#51 Jamie Kramer - Beyond ForestsJamie Kramer is the founder of Beyond Forests, in the Leelanau area of Michigan. In this two-fold project, Jamie and her colleagues are: 1) seeking land to create a memorial forest, where cremated remains can rest in nature; and 2) developing technology to note the GPS markings of cremains anywhere, with corresponding pages for memorial notes and records of visits. As an article about Beyond Forests notes, they are creating “new options for this new generation of people.”
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestlifebestdeath.com
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2022-08-1722 minBest Life Best Death#50 Diane Hullet - Best 3 Months: What is It?Best 3 Months is a course developed by the Conscious Dying Institute which is offered by myself and other graduates of CDI who love end-of-life coaching and education. I teach this course over zoom, and people often ask me to describe the class -- so here goes!
The premise of this course is that you have only 3 months to live, so in the very first class we name our up-coming date of death, 90 days from the day we start. From there, the 6-week course covers the following areas of our lives: Physical, Spiritual, Emotional, Practical and Legacy. Each w...
2022-08-1019 minBest Life Best Death#49 Johanna Lunn - Feature Film - "Saying Goodbye: Preparing for Death"“Saying Goodbye: Preparing for Death" is the second film in the When You Die documentary trilogy -- 3 feature-length films about various aspects of the end of life. “Through stories from professionals who have spent their careers at the bedside, 'Saying Goodbye' opens the door to good conversation about what is possible as we pass from this life.” In this podcast episode, I talk with Director Johanna Lunn about this film and how it explore questions that many of us avoid: "What is a good death? Could we possibly heal old emotional wounds as death approaches? Where do we want to die...
2022-08-0422 minBest Life Best Death#47 Dr Harvey Max Chochinov - The Platinum Rule: A New Standard of Person-Centered CareDr Harvey Max Chochinov, Canadian psychiatrist and expert in issues around palliative care, chats with me about misperceptions, unconscious biases, and the effect on patient care. He notes, “These issues of bias aren’t just about palliative care – they are relevant to *anyone* who becomes a patient at some point in their life!”
I found Dr Chochinov’s insights and research intriguing, and you can look him up at dignityincare.ca or read his work here https://liebertpub.com/doi/epdf/10.1089/jpm.2022.0075
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website...
2022-07-2727 min
Zestful AgingDiane Hullet -- Thinking About Your Mortality Changes the Way You LiveDiane Hullet had been an English teacher, but once her children launched she decided to become certified by The Conscious Dying Institute as a Sacred Passage Doula and Conscious Dying Educator and Coach. She talks about what a death doula's role is, and why it's so different from the traditional ways we deal with death. It's a profound conversation. Find out more: bestlifebestdeath.com. Check out https://copenotes.com/zestful for an innovative app that supports mental health. Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com
2022-07-2333 minBest Life Best Death#46 Todd Harra - Last Rites: The Evolution of the American FuneralA 4th generation Delaware funeral director, Todd Harra is one of the foremost experts on the history (and future) of burial rites in the United States. In his latest book, Last Rites: The Evolution of the American Funeral (coming August 2, 2022), Todd takes readers on a fascinating exploration of American funeral customs — where they came from, what they mean, and how they are still evolving. Listen in as Todd and I discuss the book, plenty of history, and some nitty gritty about what Americans are doing these days at the end of life.
For more in...
2022-07-2026 minBest Life Best Death#45 Kate Schneider - Exploring the Altered States of Strokes and Brain CancerIn this episode I talk with the author and artist who created "Headland," Kate Schneider. Her vision for this graphic novel was to portray an internal experience that none of us can know, in order to generate compassion for those with brain differences. How poignant that her own subsequent diagnosis and treatment for a brain tumor further opened her mind to the wonder of changes in the brain. She says, “There’s beauty and there’s terror and there’s all in between!”
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at w...
2022-07-1418 minBest Life Best Death#44 Day Schildkret - How Rituals Can Help Us to Change When Life ChangesIn this episode, I talk with Day Schildkret about his life, work, books and art. As Day says, “We need mechanisms in our daily, monthly, annual lives – and our personal and collective lives – that help us remember who and where we are. Life is crazy, and we can lose ourselves. Rituals help us to remember.” You may come away inspired to mark a change, take new notice of what you already do, or create something special for an occasion.
For more about Day visit morningaltars.com and dayschildkret.com.
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2022-07-0629 min
Best Life Best Death#43 Amy Bloom - Accompanied Suicide - "I am Not Here for the Long Goodbye"On this episode, I interview author Amy Bloom, whose husband Brian Ameche was told by doctors that he had Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss. Amy said in our interview: “After a weekend of processing and crying together, Brian said, ‘I’m not here for the long goodbye. You know how I am. I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees. And we're going to have to find a way for me to end my life while I still have the capacity to consent to ending my life.’ That was the beginnin...
2022-06-3027 minBest Life Best Death#42 George Frankel - What Are Eternal Reefs?Join me as I chat with George Frankel, CEO of Eternal Reefs, and find out how this organization combines the cremated remains of loved ones with an environmentally safe cement mixture to create artificial reef formations. These permanent memorials are placed on the ocean floor to create new marine habitats for fish and other forms of sea life. I think I know some ocean-lovers who might love this idea for a final resting place!
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestlifebestdeath.com
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2022-06-2228 minBest Life Best Death#41 Jessica Wertz - Sacred Vessels: Creating Personalized Ceremonies Around Loss and DeathJessica Wertz - ceramic artist + author of the Spirit Vessel Ceremony Guide Book - and I talk about road trips, small towns, ceremony, grief, and sacred time. The name of her work, Spirit Vessel, has three layers: the body as a vessel for the spirit; the vessel of each ceramic urn she makes that holds cremated remains; and the vessel of ceremony - capable of holding and transforming individuals and communities in their grief. Jessica says: “The idea of ceremony seems revolutionary now, but it’s actually the oldest idea – all of our ancestors came from societies that practiced ceremo...
2022-06-1621 minBest Life Best Death#40 - Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly - Dementia Part II, We Can't Handle This in Isolation, So What Do We Do?Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly is the founder and executive director of a day care program for people with dementia. We discuss a variety of things, including: how to cope with receiving a dementia diagnosis, why it matters what kind of dementia it is, how to find resources such as caregivers or respite programs, when to seek palliative care or hospice, and more.
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestlifebestdeath.com
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2022-06-0821 minBest Life Best Death#39 Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly - Dementia Part I, Finding Joy and Compassion on the JourneyMary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly talks about dementia -- the challenges of getting a diagnosis, the challenges of medication, and the challenges of day-to-day living with this impactful condition. Her respite care organization in Gallatin TN, The Veranda, offers a place for adults living with dementia to come for the day.
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestlifebestdeath.com
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2022-06-0223 minBest Life Best Death#38 Hannah Fowler - Conscious Dying Feature Film: The Last Ecstatic DaysHannah Fowler and I talk about how she became involved in the making of the movie “The Last Ecstatic Days,” and what she has taken away from this profound project. Hannah is the Impact Producer for the film, an end-of-life doula and educator, a hospice RN, and faculty at the Conscious Dying Institute.
Learn more about why Ethan chose to film himself at the end of his life, how he found community through social media and in his community, and what you can take with you from one man's approach to his own death. Watch the trailer at ht...
2022-05-2620 minBest Life Best Death#37 Kilie Crowley - What Is Cremation?*Note - Solace is no longer in business.
Join Kiley Crowley from Solace Cremation as she and I discuss cremation. How does it work and where does it happen? What does it cost? Why might someone choose cremation? And what are some of the new ways that even this "tried and true" method of body disposition are changing in the current landscape of the U.S., with dispersed families and rising costs?
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestlifebestdeath.com
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2022-05-1916 minBest Life Best Death#36 Dr. Sara Zeff Geber - Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers - and Anyone!Dr. Geber's book, Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults lays out 6 essential elements for aging safely and happily. Based on research across several areas, such as economics and psychology, these 6 elements are truly what matter most. Join us to hear Dr. Geber's thoughts on how to plan and cultivate well-thought out strategies for living well. As she says, “How do you take charge of your own script as you age?”
For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestl...
2022-05-1224 minBest Life Best Death#36 Rachel Brougham - Widowland: I'm Fine, Except I'm Not Fine“I’m fine. That’s what grievers often say when people ask how they are doing. Except they’re not fine.” When Rachel Brougham was a young wife, her dynamic, beloved husband was killed in a bike accident in the city of Minneapolis while she was home making tacos for dinner. Her book, Widowland, is part memoir, part grief journal, part advice manual for all of us to better understand the path of grieving and how to support ourselves and others along its rocky contours. Whether coming from an expected death or a sudden surprise, grief is a new land – a r...
2022-05-0419 minBest Life Best Death#35 Shannon Lee Dawdy - American Afterlives - What Are Our Ceremonies, Practices and Beliefs?Anthropologist Shannon Lee Dawdy set out to interview 100s of people in the U.S. over 5 years, in order to better understand American death practices. What she found is a phenomenon that is rapidly changing! Our podcast conversation and her book, "American Afterlives: Reinventing Death in the 21st Century," both offer glimpses into how we care for our dead -- our ceremonies, practices and beliefs.
2022-04-2823 minBest Life Best Death#34 Emily Nelson - What Is Aquamation?Continuing my exploration of body disposition options, on this podcast I talk with Emily Nelson of Be a Tree Cremation to get the details on "aquamation" or "water cremation." This is not a new process per se, but it is somewhat new in its use with people. In this process, which is becoming more and more available, the body’s tissues are broken down using water, heat, and alkaline chemicals. Listen in to hear more!
2022-04-2124 minBest Life Best Death#33 Kate Hoepke - What Is the Village Movement California?What is the so-called “Village Movement," in California and nation-wide? A way for people to help people, intentionally create community, and keep elders living well in their own homes! My favorite quote from this conversation with Kate Hoepke: “Young people step up to help their older neighbors for a lot of reasons – and deeply rooted is a need that younger people have for elders in their lives.”
2022-04-1427 minBest Life Best Death#32 Jackie Schuld - Grief Is a MessArtist and art therapist Jackie Schuld and I discuss what prompted her to write “Grief is a Mess” and how creating these drawings and texts was helpful in a time of loss. Her charming animal characters find themselves in situations in which grief can surprise and overwhelm, or in which friends can be supportive or step on toes. Jackie’s genuine style and her creative joy make for a wonderful conversation!
2022-04-0721 minBest Life Best Death#31 Dr Chris Kerr - Part II - What Can We Learn from One of the First Hospices in the US?In Part II of this conversation with Dr Christopher Kerr, he and I get into some nitty-gritty about what it would take to have more of us choose hospice sooner – thereby improving patient satisfaction, extending lives, lowering costs, and for sure increasing the quality of our final days. What gets in the way of doing what would make such a difference?
2022-03-3022 minBest Life Best Death#30 Dr Chris Kerr - Part I - More Real than Real: Dreams, Visions and Healing Experiences at the End of LifeDr. Christopher Kerr – of Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo – studies and works daily with people who are at the end of their lives. After realizing that many of his patients had extraordinary experiences as death approached, he decided to design studies that would tabulate these experiences in a meaningful way. Dr. Kerr sees that these visions and healing experiences are “enormous gifts” to the dying and also to those left behind. They impact the bereaved because “how people leave us matters” – how we grieve is impacted by how we experienced the death. Listen in as Dr. Kerr and I discuss all of this an...
2022-03-2323 minBest Life Best Death# 29 Brie Smith - Human Composting?!Brie Smith - funeral director at Return Home - and I discuss Natural Organic Reduction aka “Terramation.” Get a look behind the sensational headlines of “human composting” and find out more about how this got started, first in WA state and then in CO and OR. How did it begin? What’s the process, science, and end result? How do families participate and what inspires people to choose this form of body disposition?
2022-03-1720 minBest Life Best Death#28 Barbara Karnes - Part II - Sticky Questions for a Hospice PioneerIn Part II of our conversation, Barbara Karnes, RN and I move into talking about some harder questions that come up in the end-of-life arena, including: When someone is reluctant to have a conversation about the end of life, how might we approach the topic? Is calling in hospice a “defeat” in some way? How has hospice changed and evolved in the years since it first began in the U.S.? How do “doulas” fit into the picture? And in not talking about death directly – or perhaps in not experiencing it as directly as the generations before us – what have we lost...
2022-03-1030 minBest Life Best Death#27 Barbara Karnes - Part I - Knowledge about Death Reduces FearBarbara Karnes, RN – hospice pioneer in the US and end-of-life educator extraordinaire – joins me to discuss her background, share her experience, and offer a few pearls of wisdom that we can put into practice today. How can we better understand the process of gradual death, and how can we benefit from “the gift of time” that is a gradual death? How can “gentle education” help our fear go down, so that we can be present for our loved ones?
2022-03-0229 minBest Life Best Death#26 Preston Zeller - 365 Paintings, a Documentary Film, and a Brother's GriefAfter the sudden death of his brother, Preston Zeller decided to dive into his grief and his creativity by painting every day for a year. He made a gorgeous, moving, colorful film about the project, called “The Art of Grieving.” Preston and I talk about grief, loss, dignity, joy, family, art history, and the struggles of mourning.
2022-02-2423 minBest Life Best Death#25 Maria Fraietta - Next of Kin Box: Organizing for Your Next of KinJoin me and Maria Fraietta to hear more about how the Nokbox - or Next of Kin box - could save you a lot of time and effort. These 14 folders and corresponding instructions are designed to make critical papers and items easy to find, file, and know what to do with when the time comes to manage the paperwork that surrounds a death. Get organized early in your life and/or use it as a map to find everything when someone has died.
2022-02-1622 minBest Life Best Death#24 Jamie Sarche - Why Plan a Funeral in Advance?Jamie Sarche, Director of Pre-Planning at Feldman Mortuary, a family-owned funeral business in Denver, CO discusses the advantages of planning a funeral in advance. Get ready to hear why grief rituals matter and to ask yourself, "Do I really want to google funeral homes on the day that I need to find one??"
2022-02-1019 minBest Life Best Death#23 Emily Miller - A Natural Burial Preserve in ColoradoLearn about green burial and how licensed funeral director Emily Miller has turned 80 acres of high, pristine prairie lands into a fully natural burial site. What is the Colorado Burial Preserve, and how does it work?
2022-02-0317 minBest Life Best Death#22 cianna stewart - How to Make Your Death Kinder to Those You Lovecianna stewart is the creator of the Dying Kindness podcast, "a podcast for people who are going to die someday." Her wry sense of humor and practical advice go right to the heart of the work of Best Life Best Death! How did we meet? What does it mean to 'make your death kinder'? And what wisdom does her life experience have to offer?
2022-01-2620 minBest Life Best Death#21 Gene Zimmerman - How Poetry Became Healing WorkAs his wife slowly succumbed to a drawn-out illness, businessman, spouse and father Gene Zimmerman found himself writing poetry as a way to make sense of each difficult day during her decline and after her death. We discuss the challenges of this impossible situation, how he found inspiration through writing, and what his experience has to teach others about grief, loss and love.
Attached is a review of "Searching For Clarity."
https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/searching-for-clarity/
2022-01-2018 minBest Life Best Death#20 Diane Hullet - Swedish Death CleaningClutter! Help! What is so-called "Swedish Death Cleaning” and how can these principles help us take charge of the clutter in our homes? Join me for some de-cluttering inspiration based on books, articles and personal experience.
2022-01-1311 minBest Life Best Death#19 Johanna Lunn - We Begin at the EndJohanna J Lunn When You Die, director/producer, and I discuss the film "In the Realm of Death and Dreaming" + her next three documentary films about the end of life. What’s to be learned from these four movies and the extraordinary experiences discussed here by scientists, medical practitioners and lay people? As caregivers, how do we "gently be" with the altered experiences of those who are dying?
2022-01-0423 minBest Life Best Death#18 Gary Roe - Grief: It's EverywhereAuthor, speaker and grief specialist Gary Roe and I discuss the topic “Grief: It's Everywhere!" From humanity living with the COVID pandemic to personal losses of all magnitudes, grief is everywhere. It matters what you go through -- and it matters what you do with it. Gary talks about the "ABCs" of loss and how to make connections despite this toughest of human experiences.
2021-12-3018 minBest Life Best Death#17 Lori LoCicero - What Is the Game "The Death Deck"?Co-creator of The Death Deck, Lori LoCicerco describes how she and Lisa Pahl decided to bring conversations about death to the fore by making a game that helps anyone talk about “the most universal yet rarely talked about topic of all.”
2021-12-2317 minBest Life Best Death#16 David Wilcox - Songs that Can Start ConversationsDavid Wilcox and I talk about "cardio spelunking" and how creating songs is way to move emotions. Includes an unrecorded song about his father's death.
2021-12-1513 minBest Life Best Death#15 Thatcher Wine - Reclaiming Our Attention Through MonotaskingMonotasking expert and founder of Juniper Books, Thatcher Wine and I discuss the concepts in his book "The Twelve Monotasks: Do One Thing at a Time to Do Everything Better." Drive when you drive!
2021-12-0717 minBest Life Best Death#14 Hospice Nurse Julie - What Makes a Peaceful Death?Hospice nurse and growing public figure (450K TikTok followers, 30K+ on Instagram) Julie McFadden and I discuss the topic, “What Makes a Peaceful Death?” This impassioned nurse uses social media as a way to reach people with simple tips to better understand the end of life, make sense of what is happening to a loved one, and be better prepared for the inevitable.
2021-12-0118 minBest Life Best Death#13 Ann Whitehill - One Story of Ancestry.comWhat are some of the ways that we can capture family history and stories? Ann Whitehill and I discuss her experience using ancestry.com, and talk about other services that guide individuals and families on how to create something new from memories and photos.
2021-11-2519 minBest Life Best Death#12 Jennifer Caroll - What Does It Mean to Write Your Own Story?Jennifer Caroll - author, journalist, biographer, and artist - chats with me about tributes, memoirs and even obituaries. How do people get started? Why bother to tell about my "ordinary" life? What does it mean to write your own story?
2021-11-1816 minBest Life Best Death#11 David Wilcox - You Will Always Have What You Gave to LoveSinger songwriter David Wilcox joins me with two unique songs and some ruminations on gratitude, death and love.
2021-11-1121 minBest Life Best Death#10 Johanna Lunn - The When You Die Project and How a Movie Became a Much Bigger Project!Johanna Lunn - director, producer, exquisite human! - talks about the When You Die Project and how the documentary film "In the Realm of Death and Dreaming" came to be. How hard could it be?!
2021-11-0916 minBest Life Best Death#9 Minoti Rajput - How Can Parents of Special Needs Children Plan for Long Term Care?Minoti Rajput - wealth advisor, author, & financial advocate for women of all ages and means - discusses how parents of special needs children can think about planning for long term care. Her book is Beyond a Parent's Love: Lessons Learned in Life-Planning for Special Needs Children.
2021-11-0433 minBest Life Best Death#8 Lynn Golden - At Death's Door: A Doula Discusses Bedside VigilsGuest Lynn Golden, an end-of-life doula and educator, discusses hospice and doula support at the end of life. Through powerful stories, she shares the benefits of having this kind of guidance for both the dying and the living.
2021-10-2720 minBest Life Best Death#7 Diane Hullet - What is Seagull Syndrome & What are Kvetching Circles?Family communication in crisis can resemble an aviary, with squawking visitors and pecking orders. Learn about seagull syndrome and the ring theory of kvetching, in which we complain/vent in a specific direction, so as not to overwhelm those most in need.
2021-10-2212 minBest Life Best Death#6 Diane Hullet asks "Who is Barbara Karnes?" - Learn about This Prolific Author and End-of-Life EducatorBarbara Karnes, hospice pioneer and author of "Gone from My Sight," inspires me to explore palliative care, hospice and end-of-life doulas. And thanks to Russ for the new guitar segments!
2021-10-1409 minBest Life Best Death#5 Zak Foster - Talking to Fabric - a Conversation with a Quilter and Creative Community BuilderZak Foster - visual artist, teacher, and creative community builder - shares his thoughts on memorial, burial and funeral quilts + sewing as a metaphor.
2021-10-0624 minBest Life Best Death#4 Diane Hullet talks about Atul Gawande and "Being Mortal" - If Only Conversations Could be FDA Approved, They Would Be!I read an excerpt from Being Mortal, in which a town improves the lives and deaths of residents by having conversations. Author Atul Gawande says, if the FDA could approve conversations they would be -- that's how big of a difference they can make!
2021-09-1506 min
The Art and Life PodcastNo 74. Diane HulletIn this episode I interview Diane Hullet. Diane is based in Boulder, Colorado. Diane is an End of Life Educator, an artist, a Mother, and a long time friend. In this episode we talk about her profound work helping others in planning for the end of life, helping people face the concept of death head on with mindfulness and grace, art for art’s sake, and so much more.
You can connect with Diane on her website at bestlifebestdeath.com.
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2021-09-141h 53Best Life Best Death#3 Diane Hullet asks "Why think about this stuff?" - and references "The Art of Dying Well" by Katy ButlerKaty's Butler's book "The Art of Dying Well" offers one sentence that may answer the question: Why think about all this aging and mortality stuff?
2021-09-0906 minBest Life Best Death#2 Adam Kimberly - Amazing Grace: a Hospice StoryMy friend Adam Kimberly shares his powerful experience around his father's death - what it means to say everything you need to say, and how chance encounters can change everything.
2021-09-0110 min
2021-07-1601 min