Peaceful Exit

Dr. Jackie Ogden is a behavioral psychologist who spent her career working in leadership positions at world-renowned institutions like the San Diego Zoo and Disney's Animal Kingdom. In this episode, Jackie tells Sarah what animal behavior can teach us about grief and mortality, and why it's critical for conservation efforts to be about people, in addition to animals. Then, Jackie talks candidly about much more personal topics: the humor and daily practice required to care for a spouse with Alzheimer's disease, and what it was like for her to recently receive her own early-stage Alzheimer's diagnosis. Jackie reveals her desire to be intentional during her final chapter, and what she thinks it truly means to make peace with the end of life.

Paisley Rekdal, a former poet laureate of Utah, has spent her career writing about history, memory, and loss. These include her own personal losses, as well as collective losses, like from war and immigration. In this episode, Paisley tells Sarah about caring for her father as he died, the complicated emotions that came from that experience, and what poetry uniquely offers grievers. They also discuss her grandmother's choice to die by euthanasia at over 100 years old— what Paisley calls "the gold standard of death"— and why she believes there's a lightness that can follow loss.

For more information about Paisley's work and her new book "Heritance," visit her website: www.paisleyrekdal.com

Glaciologist Twila Moon studies Earth's ice, the glaciers and ice sheets that have built up over millennia, but that are now disappearing much more rapidly. In this episode, Twila and Sarah talk about the visceral sensory experience of standing next to a living glacier, and what it's like to watch something that once felt permanent, something that has animated her heart and mind for decades, vanish within her lifetime. They also discuss learning to sit with climate grief, and Twila shares why taking action in the face of overwhelming ecological disaster can actually generate hope.

Estate planning attorney Brittany Cook helps people get their legal affairs in order before they die, and in this episode she and Sarah dig into everything you need to know about wills, trusts, powers of attorney, executors, and why it's never a "set it and forget it" exercise. Brittany breaks down what happens when someone dies without a plan, why communicating your wishes matters just as much as the paperwork itself, and how to manage who gets access to your online accounts after you're gone. Brittany also shares tips for actually starting these conversations, and the three most important things you can do — right now — to protect your loved ones.

Psychologist and author Dr. Elaine Kasket is an expert in what's known as the digital afterlife, and in this episode she tells Sarah about the complex intersection of technology, identity, and grief. Elaine covers topics most of us have never even thought about: the rise of grief bots and AI resurrections, as well as the practical challenges of managing our digital footprints after we die. Elaine also explains how technology can shape a legacy, as well as what it truly means to stay human in the digital age.

For more information about Elaine's work and her books, please visit her website.