The 20-20 Grief Project Podcast

In this final episode of season two, we reflect on our guests over the last few weeks, lessons we both learned from our guests, actionable steps we plan to take based on these lessons, and thoughts on what's to come next. This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's desire to understand grief's lasting effects on our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

Join us and special guest Eugene Lovendusky where we discuss end-of-planning considerations unique to the LGBTQIA+ community, why legacy planning and planned giving matter, and easy, not-so-scary ways to get started writing your last Will and Testament. Eugene Lovendusky is the Individual and Planned Giving Manager at The LGBT Community Center (also known as The Center) in New York—serving all LGBTQ New Yorkers through advocacy, health and wellness programs, arts and cultural events, and recovery, youth, and career support services. Learn more at GayCenter.org/Legacy and connect with The Center on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Learn even more during National Estate Planning Awareness Week, October 17-23, 2022. This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's desire to understand grief's lasting effects on our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

In this episode, we speak with transgender pastor, Paula Stone Williams about her transition and how her "death before death" impacted her family, her congregation, and her work today. We also talk about what end-of-life planning might look like for those in the LGBTQIA+ community, as we as what allies can do to support the trans and queer folks in their lives. Paula Stone Williams is an internationally known speaker on gender equity, LGBTQ advocacy, and religious tolerance. She is also a pastor and pastoral counselor in Boulder County, Colorado. Paula has been featured in theNew York Times, TEDWomen, TEDSummit, TEDxMileHigh, Red Table Talk, the Denver Post, the New York Post, New Scientist magazine, Radio New Zealand, and many other media outlets. Her TED talks have had over six million views. This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's desire to understand grief's lasting effects on our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. Learn more at 2020griefproject.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

In this episode, we speak with Jonathan Partridge about his mother's drawn-out, multi-year battle with various forms of cancer leading to her eventual death. Jonathan walks us through each of her diagnoses, how stages of the journey impacted their family, and what led him to learn about and become an advocate for the Death With Dignity movement. This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's desire to understand grief's lasting effects on our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. Learn more at 2020griefproject.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

In this episode, we speak with the CEO of Death With Dignity, Peg Sandeen, Ph.D., MSW—who has led the organization since 2005. Death with Dignity is a national leader in end-of-life advocacy and policy reform. "Our goal is to ensure people with terminal illness can decide for themselves what a good death means in accordance with their values and beliefs, and that should include having an option for death with dignity. We won't stop until that is a reality in every part of the country." This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's desire to understand grief's lasting effects on our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

In this episode, we speak with Maryanne O'Hara, author of Little Matches: A Memor of Grief and Light, about how her daughter's cystic fibrosis diagnosis at the age of 2—and death at the age of 33—changed how she views end-of-life planning and what she does today to educate others on the matter of death, dying, grief, and loss. Learn about the Leo Project HERE. This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's desire to understand grief's lasting effects on our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

This episode's guest is the co-founder of a social franchise called Death Cafe, where strangers gather to discuss death. We chat with Sue Barsky Reid, whose son, Jon Underwood developed and launched the concept in 2011 based on the ideas of Bernard Crettaz. Learn about how Death Cafe began and how the legacy lives on today after Jon's untimely death in 2017. Death Cafe is a not-for-profit organization, that has since gone global. "Our mission is to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives." This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's desire to understand grief's lasting effects on our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

Welcome to season 2 of The 20-20 Grief Project Podcast with Diane Brennan and Kristin Lajeunesse. This season, we've invited guests to join us in discussions related to end-of-life planning. Meet doctors, lawyers, and other real people who share their experiences and expertise on the matter! About The 20-20 Grief Project Podcast Exploring real, uninhibited conversations about loss and grief—The 20-20 Grief Project Podcast was created by Diane P. Brennan, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor—inviting everyday discussions, conversations, and storytelling around death, dying, grief, and loss. It also explores the psychology of loss and grief, allowing listeners to be more curious and less afraid of the topic of death and dying. Are you looking to better understand grief with all the loss in the world right now? Have you been wanting to make sense of or navigate life after loss? Or wish to better support someone else who is grieving? The 20-20 Grief Project Podcast strips away the taboo nature of talking about death, grief, and loss and focuses on true stories directly from those who have experienced it. If you've been questioning life and death after your own loss, want to understand someone else's loss, or are simply curious about the topic of death and dying, this podcast is for you. This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's desire to understand grief's lasting effects on our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. -- “A way to look back in a way that allows us to move forward.” Can't wait for the next episode or want to learn more? Check out some of our earlier stories at 2020GriefProject.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

Join Diane and Kristin as they define and discuss what's possible and to what extent we can each be prepared for our own death and the deaths of those we care about. This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's own desire to understand the lasting effects of grief in our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

Join Diane and Kristin as they define and discuss death anxiety, how to become aware of it, how it shows up for many of us, and what we can do to help accept and address it. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Worden's Four Tasks of Mourning / Death Positive Movement / Headspace / EndWell / Cake / Death Cafes / Death Doulas / Staring at The Sun: Overcoming The Terror of Death / Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory / This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's own desire to understand the lasting effects of grief in our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

Join Diane and Kristin as they discuss what it means to find acceptance of our losses; what that can look like, why it can be so challenging, the pressure we put on ourselves to find it fast, and how we know we've finally gotten there. To share your own grief journey and story of loss, from at least 20 years ago, go to: https://2020griefproject.com/share-your-story/ This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's own desire to understand the lasting effects of grief in our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

NOTE: This episode includes the topics of murder and traumatic accidents. Join Diane and Kristin as they reflect on stories of sudden and traumatic sibling loss that include adolescent grief, shifting family dynamics, grief coping mechanisms. These are real stories shared by real people featured in The 20-20 Grief Project. See Shani's full interview: https://bit.ly/3mkMx6Y See Sara's full interview: https://bit.ly/3FfDWKe See some of Paul's interview: https://bit.ly/3mmfnDR This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's own desire to understand the lasting effects of grief in our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. Thank you for being here! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

Someone once said, “Grief is best done with others." Many times people talk about the importance of community when they're grieving. Join Diane and Kristin as they discuss the power of being a part of a community during or after a loss. Learn about the different types of groups and communities available, where to find them, and how they can help ease pain, lift sadness, and alleviate guilt or regret someone might be working through as it relates to their grief. This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's own desire to understand the lasting effects of grief in our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

Join Diane and Kristin as they explore how diverse and wide-ranging various types of loss can be. This includes clearly defining loss, expanding our thinking around death- and non-death-related losses, grief related to these different types of losses, and the best ways to approach difficult conversations when acknowledging and validating someone's loss. This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's own desire to understand the lasting effects of grief in our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

Join Diane and Kristin as they reflect on thoughts and lessons from specific stories surrounding sudden and traumatic losses, from at least 20 years ago—shared by real people featured in The 20-20 Grief Project. See Fiona's full interview: https://bit.ly/33ylqyO See Trina's full interview: https://bit.ly/3IXcdjU See Linda's full interview: https://bit.ly/3EZsa6w This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's own desire to understand the lasting effects of grief in our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. Thank you for being here! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message

Exploring real, uninhibited conversations about loss and grief—The 20-20 Grief Project Podcast was created by Diane P. Brennan, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor—inviting everyday discussions, conversations, and storytelling around death, dying, grief, and loss. It also explores the psychology of loss and grief, allowing listeners to be more curious and less afraid of the topic of death and dying. Are you looking to better understand grief with all the loss in the world right now? Have you been wanting to make sense of, or navigate life after loss? Or wish to better support someone else who is grieving? The 20-20 Grief Project Podcast strips away the taboo nature of talking about death, grief, and loss, and focuses on true stories directly from those who have experienced it. If you've been questioning life and death after your own loss, want to understand someone else's loss, or are simply curious about the topic of death and dying, this podcast is for you. This podcast is an extension of The 20-20 Grief Project, started in 2018 in response to Diane's own desire to understand the lasting effects of grief in our lives. Inspired by the phrase, “hindsight is 20-20,” this project features real people, real stories, and real grief. -- “A way to look back in a way that allows us to move forward” Can't wait for the next episode or want to learn more? Check out some of our earlier stories at 2020GriefProject.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diane-brennan/message