Peaceful Exit Peaceful Exit in Partnership with Larj Media

Claire Bidwell Smith knows grief well. When she was 14, both of her parents were diagnosed with cancer at the same time. Her mom died when Claire was only 18, and her dad died when she was 25. After getting her master's degree in clinical psychology and becoming a therapist, she worked with hospice. She's also written five books about grief, including her latest, Conscious Grieving: A Transformative Approach to Healing from Loss. In a culture that avoids sad feelings at all costs and where bereavement leave is severely inadequate, Claire gives us the tools and a map for embracing grief and incorporating it into life.

You can learn more about Claire’s work and her books at https://clairebidwellsmith.com/

Julie Metzger has been teaching families about puberty for over 30 years. Her book, “Will Puberty Last My Whole Life?” and her course, Great Conversations, are amazing resources to help teens and families recognize and navigate the important transition to adulthood. In conversation, Julie and I draw parallels between puberty and death. Both are sacred experiences and periods of great transformation for our bodies and communities. We dig into the use of ritual, the importance of language when it comes to talking about the sacred, and a really fascinating thought exercise about what it means to be an adult. 

You can learn more about Julie’s work at https://greatconversations.com/

ALS is a heartbreaking disease. Just ask my guest Rachael King. Her husband, health care activist Ady Barkan, recently died from complications of ALS at age 39. They have two young children. Despite all that ALS took from Rachael and her family, they navigated the constant change and setbacks and found a way to live and be together for the six years that Ady lived with ALS. Rachael’s grief is still really fresh, yet she’s telling her story to carry on Ady’s legacy. She hopes to help other caregivers who are feeling overwhelmed and facing the impossible.

You can learn more about Rachael’s work and her forthcoming book at: https://rachaelsking.com/

This episode is all about how to talk to kids about death. Experts Elena Lister and Michael Schwartzman both have decades of experience working with kids and families, in schools and private practice, to navigate conversations about death, dying and illness. Their book, “Giving Hope: Conversations with Children About Illness, Death, and Loss,” is both a practical how-to guide filled with tangible advice and a north star for open, honest conversations with kids about hard topics. This episode is not just for parents, it’s for anyone with kids in their life – from neighbors to coaches and teachers, aunts and uncles, etc. If you've ever been with a kid in your life and just know there's something big you want to say, and don't know how to say it, this episode is for you.

You can find their book and more about their work at: 

https://michaelschwartzmanphd.com/

https://www.elenalistermd.com/

Leslie Gray Streeter tells it like it is. Her husband, Scott, suddenly died one night when he was just 44 years old. Leslie chronicles that heartbreaking experience and the depths of her grief in her book, “Black Widow: A Sad, Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like ‘Journey’ in the Title.” We discuss why humor is so essential for navigating grief, how you can’t take anything too seriously, what NOT to say to a grieving person and how she found catharsis in Keanu Reeves movies.

You can find Leslie’s book and more about her work at https://lesliegraystreeter.com/

Sunita Puri is a palliative care doctor who chronicles her journey through medical school, fellowship and finding her specialty in her book, “That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour.” Sunita has an accomplished medical career and she’s also a brilliant writer. We talk about how her love of poetry and language directly serves her as a palliative care doctor, whose job it is to have hard, direct conversations with people at the end of their lives. If you or a loved one are navigating the medical system, this episode is for you. Her book is a must read if you’re considering medical school – Sunita’s candor and nuance about the grind of becoming a doctor and the opportunity to help people is refreshingly honest. 

You can find Sunita’s book and other work at https://sunitapuri.com/