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Anonymous #35 — How Do You Keep Loving People When You're the One They're Going to Lose? This week's caller was diagnosed with a terminal illness at eight years old. They have never not known that death was part of their life.
They are an actor, a writer, a reader, a person who rescues snails and keeps a pet millipede and loves sharks becau
Time: 52:00
This week's caller was diagnosed with a terminal illness at eight years old. They have never not known that death was part of their life.
They are an actor, a writer, a reader, a person who rescues snails and keeps a pet millipede and loves sharks because they understand what it feels like to be misunderstood. They are also someone who has spent their entire life figuring out how to live fully inside a body that makes that complicated.
This is a conversation about what it looks like to choose life, loudly, intentionally, and without apology, when death has always been in the room.
We talk about the guilt of knowing you're going to hurt everyone who loves you, the difference between being afraid of death and being afraid of dying, and why so much of how we portray terminally ill people in media gets it completely wrong. We also get into what they hope they can do once they're gone, why they want to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival even though their doctors would disagree, and the one thing they still want to experience before they die, which is not what you'd expect.
In this conversation:
The difference between fearing death and fearing the process of dyingWhy "you don't look sick" is something we should all agree to stop sayingThe guilt of knowing your death is going to hurt the people you love mostBook recommendations: Reverie by Ryan La Sala; I Fell in Love with Hope by Lancali
More book recommendations from past episodes: View the full list
Video Episode: If you’d like to watch this conversation instead of just listening, you can find the video version on YouTube
Nemosené: Your Life StoryA guided audio interview to capture your story in your own words for the people you love.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show
About When We Die Talks: When We Die Talks is a podcast built around anonymous conversations about death, loss, and how contemplating mortality shapes the way we live. If you’re new here, start with the Episode Guide. It’s designed to help you find conversations that match where you’re at—curiosity, grief, hesitation, or openness.
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📚 Anonymous Book Recommendations
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Want to share your thoughts? Leave a voicemail at 971-328-0864 and share what you believe happens when we die. Messages may be featured in a future episode. If you’d like to have a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.
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Release Date: 12/05/2026, 08:00:00
