End of Life Conversations
Annalouiza and Wakil offer classes on end-of-life planning, grief counseling, and interfaith (or no faith!) spiritual direction. If you are interested in any of those, don't hesitate to get in touch with us via email at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.
In this podcast, we'll share people’s experiences with the end of life. We have reached out to experts in the field, front-line workers, as well as friends, neighbors, and the community, to have conversations about their experiences with death and dying. We have invited wonderful people to sit with us and listen to each other’s stories.
Our goal is to provide you with information and resources that can help all of us navigate and better understand this important subject.
You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. Also, we would love your financial support and you can subscribe by clicking on the Subscribe button. Subscribers will be sent a dynamically updated end-of-life planning checklist and resources document. They will have access to premium video podcasts on many end-of-life planning and support subjects. Subscribers at $8/month or higher will be invited to a special live, online conversation with Annalouiza and Wakil and are eligible for a free initial session of grief counseling, or interfaith spiritual direction.
And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.
We want to acknowledge that the music we are using was composed and produced by Charles Hiestand. We also acknowledge that we live and work on unceded indigenous people's lands. We thank them for their generations of stewardship which continues to this day, and honor them by doing all we can to create a sustainable planet and support the thriving of all life, both human and more than human.
End of Life Conversations
Celebrating the End of Season Two
NOTE: You can see the video version of this episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/L-mUMV5shaA
Also, please note that subscribing to the YouTube channel (though we appreciate it!) is not the same as subscribing to our podcast to have access to our premium content.
Please consider clicking on the "Support the Show" link at the bottom of these (and all) podcast notes or on our website to become a supporter of our work. Thanks!!
In this episode, hosts Wakil and Annalouiza reflect on the highlights of their second season.
They discuss various topics related to end-of-life practices from the episodes in this second season, including alternative funeral methods, medical assistance in dying, and end-of-life planning resources.
They emphasize the importance of community support, preparation (especially with completing your advanced care directive), and the normalization of conversations surrounding death and dying.
You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.
And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.
Wakil (00:00)
This short podcast from Annalouiza and Wakil is to celebrate the end of season 2. We also did a video version, so please check the podcast notes for the link to the YouTube video.
Wakil (00:01.594)
Welcome everyone. We are so blessed and happy to have completed our second season, which means that thanks to all of you, all of our listeners and our excellent guests, we've posted 40, count them, 40 podcasts and we have many more to go.
Annalouiza (00:17.245)
That's right. And what we have found is that every episode has been illuminating and profoundly moving. We've learned so much, and we hope you have as well. The beauty of the podcast format is that you can always go back and look through all of our episodes and listen to any one of them. Each episode has podcast notes with information about how to connect with or find more information about all of our guests.
Wakil (00:44.612)
And we began the season all the way back in August of last year with an interview with the CEO of one of the new alternative funeral homes here in Seattle. She gave us a really good overview of all the new and more ecological ways for the disposition of a body. She talked about terramation which is human composting and other ecological ways for our body's disposition, including aquamation or water cremation. This is a growing field that's not legal everywhere yet.
But in all the places where it is legal, the people we talk to and the practitioners often accept bodies from other parts of the country. People that are in the places where it's legal, like Washington and Colorado and some other states, all of them said they would be very happy to work with people no matter where they live.
Annalouiza (01:33.869)
Right. We also spoke to folks about natural burial, a practice that is becoming more common again after nearly 200 years of embalming and burying bodies in concrete and steel. We heard from people who make beautiful biodegradable caskets and urns. Check them out on the podcast and admire their creations.
One of our guests has created an organization specifically to help people with funeral and vigil planning and the other end-of-life planning details.
Wakil (02:04.816)
Yeah, all of our guests are so awesome, right? We literally finish every episode going, my God, how lucky are we to meet all these incredible people.
Annalouiza (02:12.231)
We do every single time we both kind of sit and hold this little moment where we're like, that was so amazing. So I hope you feel the same way those listeners out there.
Wakil (02:22.15)
It really is. Yeah. We also spent time learning about the people who provide medical assistance in dying, also called MAID to assist people with death with dignity. They were all profoundly kind and caring to the people and families they worked with. Again, unfortunately, this isn't legal everywhere, but every one of our guests offered to help anyone who would like to consider this option.
Annalouiza (02:51.943)
That's right. So when we spoke to our pharmacist friend, he has tried to create a more effective and humane version of the cocktail that has been used here, made here in Colorado. He supported over 700 people and is always working with patients and families to improve what he creates. He was so supportive and compassionate. And just as a side note, if you live in a place where you are unable to find a doctor or community who could support you, to find out more about medical aid in dying, you are completely free to reach out to him because he really wants to support anybody who wants this choice.
Wakil (03:34.33)
Yeah, you can find his episode. It's Diffendorfer is his name. Pretty interesting name. So you should be able to find it on our podcast website. We also talked to a friend of mine, a black woman. She really came to us. She asked to come and talk to us and help us understand better the cultural differences in the ways that many people of color relate to and deal with end-of-life and funerals. That was really interesting to me and really fascinating.
Annalouiza (03:58.685)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Wakil (04:01.968)
She was wonderful as all of our guests are wonderful. We got to meet the host of Daughterhood the podcast, who interviews many, experts in the field and really had some unique insights about how it is to have a child die, which is one of the more painful and difficult things to go through. And again, all of these guests have podcast notes with ways to get in touch with them and learn more about them.
Annalouiza (04:04.391)
They are, yes.
That's right. I just want to remind everybody that we're doing this to help normalize conversations about end of life. And every single one of these folks are also available to you. They want to be found and support others who are on the same kind of journey about the end of life.
Wakil (04:48.454)
Yeah, exactly.
Annalouiza (04:50.193)
We also had wonderful poets join us, and guests shared their insights into creating unique and beautiful end-of-life celebrations. Our guests shared their wisdom about dementia care, caring for the homeless, mindfulness, and planning for the end of life.
On our premium channel, we've posted special video versions of these podcasts for our subscribers. These episodes discuss how to cope with grief in a way that is supportive of those who are still grieving.
There is also an episode about advanced care directives and how they work and why they're important. We've learned that some people think that having a DNR, a do-not-resuscitate, is the same as an advanced care directive. Please subscribe to listen to that and learn why it's important to have both.
Wakil (05:36.794)
You can also find ways to contact both of us to learn about the classes we offer on end-of-life planning and assistance with your Advanced Care Directive on our website. People who subscribe also receive a dynamically updated resource document that is filled with more and more information about end-of-life planning and links to information about all aspects of end-of-life, including books and movies and TED Talks and all sorts of really great resources.
Annalouiza (06:00.636)
That's right.
Yeah, it's a one-stop shop. We have more premium video podcast plan that will be live soon. One will explain death doulas and how they are trained, and another will cover ritual and its importance in creation. So please subscribe to access these special episodes. In this next season too, we'll be talking with friends about assisting the incarcerated in their end-of-life work, several conversations with death doulas, an interview with a person working with veterans and someone working with the LGBTQ plus community and honestly many more excellent guests.
Wakil (06:44.302)
Right. Definitely check it out. Check out our website. Find out more about all that we're doing and all that our guests are doing and all about our guests. They're all listed on the website and all of, you can find all of our past podcast episodes there and are all labeled pretty well. So you should be able to find something that will interest you. We so deeply appreciate your listening and we hope you will share our podcast with your friends and your family and your community and enjoy.
Annalouiza (06:59.101)
That's right. Yeah.
That's right.
Yes, please.
Yes. Adios for now. I hope to hear from some of you. Bye-bye.
Wakil (07:17.196)
Adios. Yep, take care.
