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In this episode we speak with Megan Rohrer, PhD and DMin, a social justice influencer known for their advocacy with the homeless and LGBTQ communities. Megan received a PhD in Transformative Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies for their dissertation Trans Theology Without Apology. Megan received a Doctorate of Ministry from the Pacific School of Religion, studying the radical organizing in the 60's and 70's at Glide Memorial Church, where he currently serve as the Senior Church Communications Specialist.

Megan is an award-winning filmmaker, musician and historian. He was a finalist for the Lambda Literary award in transgender non-fiction and received an honorable mention as an Unsung Hero of Compassion by Wisdom in Action. He was with His Holiness the Dali Lama, one of 95 individuals celebrated in Vittenberg, Germany during the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. His podcast, And All Shall Be Well is currently the #2 Mental Health podcast on Podomatic.

Megan discusses their experiences with death and how it has shaped their life and work. They share personal encounters with death, including their father's attempted suicide and their work as a chaplain for the San Francisco Police Department. Megan also talks about the challenges faced by the LGBTQ community and the importance of living authentically in the face of hate and discrimination. They highlight the work they do at Glide Memorial Church, providing support and care for the homeless and those struggling with addiction. Megan emphasizes the power of storytelling and community in navigating grief and finding hope. The biggest challenge in the community is forgetting that there are solutions to problems such as homelessness, addiction, and poverty. They emphasize the importance of taking action and doing the hard work instead of just talking about it. Megan finds support in their impact on people's lives and in tangible projects with tangible completions. They also discuss the importance of supporting and checking in with first responders who often carry the weight of difficult moral questions and grief.

And All Shall Be Well Podcast
Glide Memorial Church
Alameda County (AC) Care Alliance
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

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And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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In this episode, we meet Rosanne Corcoran, who shares her experience as a caregiver for her mother with vascular dementia. She discusses the challenges of caregiving, the impact of death awareness, and the importance of supporting caregivers. The conversation also delves into the complexities of dementia care and the need to meet caregivers where they are. We talk about the challenges of caregiving, the broken system, the importance of support, and the spiritual aspect of end-of-life care. We emphasize the need for open conversations about death and grief, and the significance of nature in providing comfort and revitalization.

Rosanne is the creator and host of “Daughterhood the Podcast.” She is also a Daughterhood Circle leader and their Director of Content. She cared for her mother through her 12-year journey with vascular dementia, starting as a supportive caregiver and becoming an in-home "sandwich caregiver" (listen for the definition of sandwich caregiver) for her mother’s final six years.

Rosanne hosts a monthly podcast where she interviews experts in the field, asking questions caregivers want to know the answers to – with topics ranging from dealing with dementia behaviors, to siblings and caregiving, through end of life care, grief, and everything in between.

She carries her authenticity and caregiving experience into each interview. Along with strategies and resources, her podcast also provides listeners with the comfort of knowing they are not facing these challenges alone. Her podcast has consistently been named as a top 10 caregiver podcast and Rosanne has been featured in CNN Health, Barron’s, Next Avenue, The Philadelphia Inquirer and was most recently named one of Next Avenue and American Society on Aging’s 2024 Advocates for Aging.

Links -
We ended with the “Death is Nothing at All” poem - https://allpoetry.com/poem/13601954-Death-Is-Nothing-At-All-by-Henry-Scott-Holland

Daughterhood the Podcast Link

Annalouiza mentioned the book Being Mortal by Atul Gawande - you can find information about all of his work here: https://atulgawande.com/

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You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Also, we would love your financial support and you can join us on Patreon. Anyone who supports us at any level will be invited to a special live, online conversation with Annalouiza and Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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In this episode, we enjoyed a conversation with Lynn Rovig. Lynn contacted us to say she had a story to tell about her work as a Home Care Consultant with a Seattle area organization called “Home Instead.” Lynn has been working with seniors for twenty-four years. She has worked with many people in hospice care and on a personal note, Lynn’s parents died in the last few years. Lynn notes that dealing with her own parents' death has helped her with her hospice clients in a compassionate and very rewarding way. She offers a harmonious blend of compassion, sensitivity, creativity, and empathy with professionalism, quality assurance, and law.

Lynn shared her profound experiences working with seniors and individuals in hospice care, reflecting on her personal journey and the impact of death on her life. She discussed the challenges, insights, and lessons learned from her work in end-of-life care.

Home Instead Seattle - https://www.homeinstead.com/location/418
The Religions of Man by Huston Smith - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3197236-the-religions-of-man
Alzheimer's Association

She read this scripture at the end - Proverbs 3:13- Blessed is the one who finds wisdom and the one who gets understanding

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You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Also, we would love your financial support and you can join us on Patreon. Anyone who supports us at any level will be invited to a special live, online conversation with Annalouiza and Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

Subscriber-only episode

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You can see the video version of this premium episode on YouTube here - https://youtu.be/8mWuhQCQyB8

In this conversation, Wakil and Annalouiza discuss how to support someone who is grieving. They emphasize the importance of compassionate listening and being present for the person without trying to fix anything. They also highlight the need to be aware of the person's individual needs and preferences, rather than making assumptions. They discuss the unhelpful things to say or do, such as offering unsolicited advice or making insensitive comments. They stress the importance of checking in with the person and being willing to be uncomfortable to provide meaningful support.

You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Also, we would love your financial support and you can join us on Patreon. Anyone who supports us at any level will be invited to a special live, online conversation with Annalouiza and Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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In this episode we are honored to speak with poet, Steve Dahl. Steve’s career has always been in the world of marketing and creativity. He’s helped many clients over the years promote and grow their business with his creative writing, photography, and social media skills. Steve holds a Master’s degree in Organization Development and a Master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology.

His marketing experience took an interesting twist in 2013 when he became Director of Marketing for the Cal State University Institute for Palliative Care. There, he began to dive into the worlds of hospice and palliative care education.
His task at that point was to help bring awareness of the value of hospice and palliative care to doctors, nurses, social workers, and chaplains.

In this conversation, Steve discusses his journey into the world of hospice and palliative care education and the importance of having conversations about death and end-of-life care. He shares personal experiences and poems highlighting the need for open dialogue and preparation for the inevitable. We emphasize the significance of starting these conversations at a young age and the role of healthcare professionals in facilitating these discussions. The conversation explores the importance of end-of-life planning and the need for open and honest discussions about death. It highlights the need for healthcare professionals, spiritual care providers, and advocates to be better equipped to support individuals and their families during the end-of-life process. We also touch on the fear of incompleteness and the desire to live a fulfilling life. The guests share their personal experiences and discuss the power of poetry in addressing end-of-life topics. The conversation concludes with a discussion about the potential publication of a book of collected poems and the importance of spreading awareness about end-of-life planning.

The Chaplaincy Innovation Lab

Inspiring Guy on TikTok

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You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Also, we would love your financial support and you can join us on Patreon. Anyone who supports us at any level will be invited to a special live, online conversation with Annalouiza and Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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In this episode we meet Rebecca Crichton, the executive director of Northwest Center for Creative Aging. We discuss her work in the field of creative aging and grief counseling. She shares personal experiences with death and highlights the importance of having conversations about death and end-of-life choices. Rebecca emphasizes the value of resilience and positive psychology in the grieving process. She also talks about the significance of legacy letters and the need for open discussions about death and dying. Rebecca encourages listeners to embrace the gift of each day and find purpose in their lives.

Rebecca is the Executive Director of Northwest Center for Creative Aging
(NWCCA) and brings wisdom and purpose to her work with the aging community. She retired from a 21 year career at Boeing as a writer, curriculum designer and
leadership development coach. Her Encore Career uses her knowledge and
experience to offer programs and resources related to Creative Aging in the Seattle area. NWCCA collaborates monthly with Seattle’s Town Hall.

Rebecca facilitates Wisdom Cafes for the King County Library System and writes a regular column for Third Act Magazine.

Trained as a Hospice Volunteer, Rebecca continues to teach and facilitate Grief and Resilience support groups for several organizations. Rebecca has master’s degrees in child development and organizational development and is a Certified Coach.

Resources we discussed:

Northwest Center for Creative Aging
Food and Finality
Death over Dinner
3 Secrets of Reslilient People - TedTalk by Lucy Hone
Resilient Grieving - Book by Lucy Hone
Martin Seligman - Positive Psychology Center

Support the show

You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Also, we would love your financial support and you can join us on Patreon. Anyone who supports us at any level will be invited to a special live, online conversation with Annalouiza and Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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Today we're very happy to be able to share a conversation with two friends, Diana & Luc

Diana O'Riordan Verschoor, who also goes by Dee, is an eco folk artist living in the Colorado on Cheyenne, Ute, and Arapaho ancestral land. Dee's small business, Thimble and Stone, supports collective liberation through functional folk arts, placing an emphasis on ritual and wellness. One of Dee's artistic focuses is on painting simple, nature-inspired designs onto eco-cremation urns using natural pigments.

Luc Nadeau is an entrepreneur, artist, and freelance ecologist living in Longmont, Colorado. He started Nature's Casket in 2008 to provide eco-friendly caskets and urns.

In this conversation, Luc and Dee discuss their work in the field of eco-friendly caskets and urns. Luc is the founder of Nature's Casket, which provides eco-friendly burial options, while Dee is an artist who paints nature-inspired designs on eco-cremation urns. They talk about their personal experiences with death, the beauty of using beetle-kill wood for their creations, the challenges they face, and the joy they find in their work. They also discuss the importance of green burial options and the need for more awareness and support in this field.

Here is a link to Diane’s art gallery where you will find photos of the painted caskets and urns.

For the coffin Luc and she were talking about, you have to click the plus sign to load more photos to see it.

The Green Burial Council

Support the show

You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Also, we would love your financial support and you can join us on Patreon. Anyone who supports us at any level will be invited to a special live, online conversation with Annalouiza and Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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Today we have an opportunity to share a conversation with Dr. Amelia Phillips, a black woman working in a variety of fields dominated by white men including Engineering Information technology and real estate.
Dr. Phillips is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a BS degree in Astronautical Engineering and a BS in Archaeology along with an MBA in Technology Management from the University of Phoenix. She completed her PhD at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Computer Security.
She has also managed rock bands, worked on an assembly line; has been a real estate broker, computer consultant, and hard money lender.
She was a Fulbright Scholar at the Polytechnic of Namibia and returned there over the course of more than a decade as they grew to become the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).
Dr. Phillips, a black woman with a diverse background, shares her unique life experiences and perspectives on death and dying. She reflects on the impact of her mother's death at a young age and how it shaped her outlook on life.
Dr. Phillips discusses the African American view of death and the role of funerals in the community. She also talks about her current work, challenges she faces, and her desire to leave a lasting impact on the world.
Dr. Phillips discusses how she feels supported at the end of life. She talks about the importance of having good friends and accountability partners who provide emotional support and keep her motivated. She also emphasizes the significance of staying connected with spiritual practices and preparing for the next transition.
The conversation touches on the fear of leaving a messy living space after death and the importance of decluttering and simplifying one's belongings. The idea of gifting meaningful items to friends and community members is also discussed as a way to pass on cherished mementos.

https://www.sfltimes.com/news/black-news-news/origins-and-history-of-the-black-funeral-service

https://blogs.loc.gov/inside_adams/2021/02/african-american-funeral-homes/

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/01/black-funeral-homes-mourning/426807/

https://www.delawareonline.com/story/sponsor-story/evan-w-smith-funeral-services/2021/02/01/african-american-funeral-homes-essential-throughout-history-and-today/4211105001/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/wh

Support the show

You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Also, we would love your financial support and you can join us on Patreon. Anyone who supports us at any level will be invited to a special live, online conversation with Annalouiza and Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.