26: Final words, a range of losses, and gratitude: Michael's Story

Jul 20

Michael lives in my neighborhood, and to my delight, used to work for the library that we ended up having our conversation in. He speaks warmly of his friends and loved ones, including a unique set of conversations that led him to seek out some old photos and mementos, and led to the discovery of some poetry of a friend of his who died that he shares in this episode.

I appreciate the way Michael brims with warmth and honesty and gratitude when he talked about his experiences. He tells of a wide range of losses in his life, from his cat Lulu, his mother, his aunt, and two dear friends he lost to very different circumstances.

A thread within our conversation was about final words and the impact they can hold, a unique inquiry into an element of being with dying that I haven’t explored much yet in this project, and he explored this topic with real attentiveness and displays of heartfelt emotion.