"Let's talk about death, because life is urgent." -- Alex Aldarondo

What if facing death honestly is how we learn to live more fully?

In this episode of Grief and Light™, Nina Rodriguez sits down with Alexander Aldarondo Jiménez, an end-of-life doula, educator, and founder of AMORir, Puerto Rico's first end-of-life doula collective. Joining from Puerto Rico, Alex explains what a death doula does, why dying has become so medicalized and transactional, and how communities can reclaim it as something we hold together.

Nina brings her own lens. She recently lost her grandfather in Puerto Rico after he spent time in hospice, and she lost her 32-year-old brother suddenly. Together, they explore what grief-literate, death-literate care could look like.

You will learn:

• What an end-of-life doula (death doula) is and how the role differs from hospice and palliative care
• Why the body knows how to die, and how families can support the process
• Alex's four pillars of death education: social, cultural, legal, and mental
• Why advance directives matter and what happens without one
• How Amorir is redesigning the symbols, language, and rituals of death in Puerto Rico
• How to talk about suicide, awareness, and prevention with nuance
• Why "amar y morir" (to love and to die) can coexist

Alex's question for you: 

Does your family know what you would want at the end of life?

About the Guest

Alexander Aldarondo Jimenez is an end-of-life doula, educator, and founder of Amorir, Puerto Rico's first end-of-life doula collective. His work includes community workshops, end-of-life doula trainings, and a cultural redesign initiative that brings artists and creatives together to reimagine death in Puerto Rico.

Key Takeaways

• An end-of-life doula provides non-medical support: planning, education, emotional presence, and community care circles.
• Most people seek help too late. Planning early, even in healthy years, protects both the dying person and the family.
• Few people know the legal side of death: advance directives, body disposition, death certificates, and inheritance.
• Over-medicalized death is tied to a wider loss of trust in our own inner wisdom.
• Talking about death can feel liberating, even joyful.

Connect with Alexander Aldarondo and Amorir

• Website: amorir.org
• Instagram: @amorirpr
• Facebook: Amorir PR
• Virtual sessions via Zoom are available for people in the diaspora and the U.S. Alex is open to interviews and collaborations.

A Note on Care:

This episode includes a conversation about suicide. It is educational, not medical or mental health advice. Please honor your capacity to engage with this content. 

If you are in the U.S. and need support, call or text 988. 

Outside of the U.S., please call your nearest hospital for local resources. You may also visit findahelpline.com for additional assistance.

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Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We’re on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At the heart of the show is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully.

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Connect with Nina Rodriguez:

• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Thank you for listening!

DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is an independent podcast hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Please seek qualified professional support when needed.

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