28: Allowing death to change us, doctor grief, and a one-word goodbye: Ben's story

Talking with Ben is easy, comfortable, and quietly reflective. He voice carries the gravity of having been a part of the end of many lives, and perhaps even moreso, with the weight of how that impacts his relationships with the people in his life. He is earnest in his exploration of ideas and ponderings, a way of being which I readily relate to.

Our discussion is essentially a more formal, intentional recording of conversations we have had as colleagues working together for the past couple years. We quickly discovered a shared ethos in our approach to our work in the field of palliative care, and that expanded to a list of shared values both inside of and outside of our job lives.

What you can’t see when you are just listening to a podcast interview with Ben, is a sometimes silly, intensely introspective person who has a penchant for wearing shirts that espouse kindness and socks that curse the world. A perfect balance of his heart for compassion with his feet grounded in a cynical humor towards these unsettling times.

Our original conversation included some fun musings on media that has impacted our thoughts on grief and death. For timing, I had to edit those out, but wanted to share them anyway, and if you want to talk more about them with me, reach out and let’s record an interview together. :)

Poem: If You Knew by Ellen Bass

NYT article: Mattering

Check out the concept 4,000 weeks in an article or even read the book!