“Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love.”
George Eliot
This hour-long show is about the mental health benefits and challenges of saying a good goodbye at the end of life. Through stories, we explore different facets of goodbyes, including why so many of us avoid saying goodbye even in the most life-changing moments. We also discuss how initiating a goodbye conversation can make us more emotionally resilient long-term. We combine compelling storytelling with practical expert guidance to give you the tools you need to start your own difficult conversations.
Tips & Strategies for Saying a Good Goodbye (PDF)
Listen to Stories From the Episode
Resources
From Our Guests
- Now You See the Sky
Catharine Murray - Parenting at a Challenging Time Program
Paula K. Rauch MD—Massachusetts General Hospital
Further Reading & Listening
Books
- Bearing the Unbearable
Joanne Cacciatore - It’s Okay That You’re Not Okay: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand
Megan Devine - Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
Atul Gawande - When Breath Becomes Air
Paul Kalanithi - Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief
David Kessler - On Grief and Grieving
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler - Hot Young Widow’s Club
Nora McInerny
Talking to Kids About Saying Goodbye
- The Invisible String
Patrice Karst - Ida, Always
Caron Levis - The Goodbye Book
Todd Parr - Helping Kids Grieve
Sesame Street in Communities - Help Me Say Goodbye: Activites for Helping Kids Cope
Janis Silverman
Hospice Care & Palliative Care
- End of Life Care and Saying Goodbye
Caring.com - Helping a Friend Who Is Dying
Hospice Foundation of America - What to Say to Someone Who’s Very Sick
Hallie Levine—AARP - End of Life Care Guide
Mayo Clinic - Providing Care & Comfort at the End of Life
National Institute on Aging - 20 Stats to Know About Hospice in the U.S.
Wesley Life - When You Can’t Be With a Dying Family Member
WYG
Resources Related to COVID-19
- We’re Going to See What Else the Word Funeral Can Mean
Jodi Kantor—New York Times - Coronavirus is Changing How We Say Goodbye
Peter Kramer—USA Today - My Dad Has Coronavirus—I Don’t Know if I Should Say Goodbye
Amelia Nierenberg—New York Times - How to Grieve a Loved One When You Can’t Say Goodbye
Lauren Turner & Alice Evans—BBC
Helpful Organizations
- Actively Moving Forward (AMF) for Young Adults (18-24)
- Caring Matters
- Compassionate Friends
- Cope Foundation
- David Kessler’s Free Online Grief Group
- GriefNet
- Hospice Foundation of America
- MISS Foundation for Grieving Families
- National Alliance for Grieving Children
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO)
- Our House Grief Support Center
We’d love to hear from you! If you have a story about saying goodbye—or a comment for one of our guests—please leave us a voicemail at 617-600-8419.
