Best Life Best Death

Nov 13 2024 167 ep. 26 mins 16

Best Life Best Death Podcast artwork

Conversations about mortality -- life, death and what matters most.

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#167 Rewriting the Story: The Deathwalker Archetype and Soul-Based Death Care – Sarah Kerr, PhD & Founder of The Centre for Sacred Deathcare

Nov 13 2024 30 mins

This week’s conversation with Sarah Kerr invites you to broaden your perspective on death, shifting toward a soul-centered understanding. We talk about the role of archetypes: what are they, and why do they matter? In particular, we delve into the Archetype of the Deathwalker. As Sarah notes, “We are creatures of narrative. Everything in our world makes sense to us because we t

#166 Planting Seeds in a Garden: Messages from Terminally Ill Parents to Their Children – Su Park, Founder of Die Well

Nov 07 2024 27 mins

If you have the “gift of precious time” in the face of a poor prognosis, here is a way to leave videos that are structured, organized, and developmentally supported for your children of any age. What might they want to know after you are gone? How can your voice continue to offer support and encouragement at transition points in their life? What can you leave behind that might

#165 When the Veil Is Thin: Ancestors, Ghosts and Spirits – Rhea Mader, Founder of Conscious Living, Conscious Dying

Oct 30 2024 33 mins

Rhea Mader and I chat about the mysteries that this time of year brings forth. We start out with some light-hearted remembrances of Halloween costumes, and then we ask each other the famous (perhaps seasonal) question: Do you believe in ghosts? Plus, why do some say there are two separate autumn seasons, and why is it said that “veil is thin” this time of year? Finally, Rhea sh

#164 Conversations with Doctors: How Do You and Your Doc Get on the Same Page? – Dr Matthew Tyler, How to Train Your Doctor

Oct 23 2024 30 mins

Listening to Dr Matthew Tyler mull over the intricacies of conversations between doctors and patients always gives me hope. How do we figure out when to say yes or no to treatment? How do we create conversations that navigate these waters with honesty and grace? How do doctors break bad news, and how do patients prepare to hear whatever is going to be said? Plus – what’s “the

#163 We’ve Lost Our Role Models for How to Die and How to Give Care to Those Who are Dying — Barbara Karnes, RN

Oct 16 2024 28 mins

In this conversation with long-time hospice nurse and educator Barbara Karnes, she states: “We’ve lost our role models on what it’s like to die, and we’ve lost our role models on how to take care of someone who is dying.” What does she mean? What are we missing? What would be the benefit of learning more, for the dying as well as for those who are caregiving and grieving?

#162 One Year After the Death of a Spouse: Barbara Karnes, RN Reflects

Oct 09 2024 28 mins

This podcast is personal, and I thank Barbara Karnes for her candid sharing of what the first year has been like after the death of her long-time husband, Jack. She reflects on her experience of caregiving and talks openly about what she has learned through this year of grieving. What I see is that Barbara lives her truth: “Because I work in the end of life, I’ve learned this:

#161 What Are the Different Ways that Grief Shows Up? – ⁠Annie Sklaver Orenstein⁠, Author

Oct 02 2024 25 mins

Resilient grief, complicated grief, anticipatory grief, disenfranchised grief. These are terms you may or may not be familiar with, but trust me, learning about them will help you and help you understand your friends and family in times of loss and grief. – Which, by the way, is pretty much going on all the time, hand-in-hand with joy and expansion. This human life is filled with

#160 Always a Sibling: The Forgotten Mourner’s Guide to Grief – Annie Sklaver Orenstein, Author

Sep 25 2024 30 mins

When Annie Sklaver Orenstein’s brother died, she looked for books that would help her to understand her experience as a surviving sibling. While she encountered a fair number of books about grief, she found nothing that began to touch on her experience – so she set out to write the book she needed. Part personal story, part interviews and surveys with hundreds of siblings, and

#159 It’s Not Too Late, Until It’s Too Late: How to Start a Conversation – Diane Hullet, Mortality Educator and Doula

Sep 18 2024 19 mins

It'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

#158 When Dementia and Mental Illness Collide: One Person’s Experience – Tarron Estes, Founder of the Conscious Dying Institute

Sep 11 2024 26 mins

Tarron Estes is no stranger to death. Raised by a mother who sat vigil with the dying, Tarron understood from a young age the power and possibility of liminal spaces. With her mother now 94 years old and living with dementia, Tarron and her siblings grapple with mom's dementia and the complexities of the family system. How do these dynamics affect all involved? What are some re