Best Life Best Death

Another tremendous thinker and writer on grief, Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC. Check out BLBD #144, “Conscious Grieving: How Might We Engage and Transform Through Loss?”

And so begins Chapter 4 of this beautiful book of essays.

Have you read Francis Weller’s book In the Absence of the Ordinary: Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty? This week, I’ll be sharing a chapter from it on BLBD.

Thank you to my BLBD guest this week – experienced death doula Vanessa Johnston. I so appreciate her focus on connection, comfort, compassion, and honoring the story.

@‌denverEOLDoula

https://www.denvereoldoula.com

Have you ever wondered what a “death doula” does? Doulas offer compassion, guidance, and information to help people better understand the end of life. This week, I talk with Vanessa Johnston, an active doula in Colorado, as she shares “a day in the life of a doula.” How do people find her? At what point do they typically reach out? Why do supportive colleagues matter so much? How does she structure her work and fees? And how does she — as a compassionate companion — recharge and care for herself while working so closely with death and dying?

https://www.denvereoldoula.com

https://coeolcollaborative.org

https://endoflifeoptionscolorado.org

@‌denverEOLDoula

Listen here: https://bestlifebestdeath.com/podcast/

Yes indeed! And what better way to learn than to attend the 2nd Annual End of Life Options Colorado conference June 6-7, 2026 in Golden, Colorado: Empowering End of Life Care: Medical Aid in Dying.

@‌denverEOLDoula

Why is that? Listen this week to the Best Life Best Death podcast for more, and check out these websites:

coeolcollaborative.org
denvereoldoula.com
endoflifeoptionscolorado.org
thenaturalfuneral.com

If you missed it, please go back and listen to Mark Burkholder’s perceptive perceptions as a caregiving spouse. Strong and moving. BLBD #246.

Thank you so much to my guest this week, Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death. What's a doyenne? A woman who’s considered senior in a group and knows a lot about a particular subject – and Gail certainly fits the bill! I appreciate her wisdom and sense of humor and all the terrific movies she recommended in her latest book, 98.6 Mortality Movies to See Before You Die. https://agoodgoodbye.com

@‌AGoodGoodbye