TAL #008 APRIL KOONTZ

October 09, 2017

TOPICS OF NOTE:

The attic of memories we carry within us
The magic of being close to the thin veil
Advice to anyone who experiences a sudden loss
The "eyeball exercise"
Self-medication + how to nip it in the bud
Allowing pain to move through us
Ways to move through grief
Sacred spaces

QUOTES OF NOTE:

“Love fiercely. Dream big. Never take one minute for granted.”

— April Koontz

“You can’t put a box around the mystery and the wideness of God.”

— April Koontz

“A broken heart is more painful than a bone and it takes longer to heal. But it will heal.”

— April Koontz

LISTEN TO THE SHOW:

SHOW NOTES:

Daughters Unite

April K Music

Daughters Unite on Facebook

Daughters Unite on Instagram

Daughters Unite on Twitter

April's song to family caregivers

"Death: Life's Greatest Teacher" blog post

Rich Mullens: The Love of God song

LET'S DANCE:

Subscribe to the podcast: THE AFTER LIFE

Subscribe to the newsletter: THE LONGEST DANCE

Follow me on: Instagram or Facebook

Email me: Colleen@TheLongestDance.com

If you really like what you're hearing, pass the show on to a friend.

If you really, really like it, SUBSCRIBE / RATE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / REVIEW on iTUNES so friends of friends can hear!

TAL #007 CATHY BRAXTON

October 02, 2017

TOPICS OF NOTE:

Cathy's son was diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia at 34 weeks gestation
What happened for her and her husband when the shock of this news was delivered
What one thing her husband did, against the pediatrician's advice that saved their son's life
What went through Cathy's mind during her son's emergency three a.m. baptism
How one doctor's reading error opened the door to a miracle
The real fear of wondering if you are able to keep your child alive at home
Surprising advice from doctors about second children
What it was like being captive in her own home out of fear of her son catching a germ-filled infection that he would not be able to fight off
How to connect with Cathy if you are in a similar situation

QUOTES OF NOTE:

“People were giving birth to normal, healthy babies. That was super hard for me.”

— Cathy Braxton

“There were so many things every day that could make or break this.”

— Cathy Braxton

“Follow your gut, listen to your instincts.”

— Cathy Braxton

“Somebody’s always got to be the first... He was a pioneer... they have learned from him and have been able to save other children’s lives.”

— Cathy Braxton

LISTEN TO THE SHOW:

SHOW NOTES:

Dementia Raw

Silver Dawn Training Institute

Start with Yes! A Unique Way to Communicate with Person's Living with Dementia book

Jack and his younger sister Maddie today

LET'S DANCE:

Subscribe to the podcast: THE AFTER LIFE

Subscribe to the newsletter: THE LONGEST DANCE

Follow me on: Instagram or Facebook

Email me: Colleen@TheLongestDance.com

If you really like what you're hearing, pass the show on to a friend.

If you really, really like it, SUBSCRIBE / RATE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / REVIEW on iTUNES so friends of friends can hear!

TAL #006 FEYLYN LEWIS

September 25, 2017

TOPICS OF NOTE:

How caring for her mom at a very young age grounds her advocacy work
Thoughts on the shame the person receiving care may feel
Ways of flipping losses to see the gains
The invisibility of young caregivers in society
Ambiguous loss
The invisibility of young family caregivers
The importance of taking time to stop and reflect on who you are after loss
How to help younger children understand the illness and how to notice their emotional distress

QUOTES OF NOTE:

“For me growing up I actually thought me and my brother were the only ones. I didn’t have any other friends who were caregivers”

— Feylyn Lewis

“It’s a process and it’s always messy. But just know we can handle it, we can handle messy.”

— Feylyn Lewis

“Use what your experience has been like to help other people as much as you can.”

— Feylyn Lewis

(Psst! This conversation took place with an ocean between us. The first 12 minutes of sound are not as optimal as the rest. Please hang in there - you will be rewarded with amazing content. ❤️+✨ Colleen)

LISTEN TO THE SHOW:

SHOW NOTES:

Feylyn on Twitter

Felylyn's collection of articles in The Huffington Post

American Association of Caregiving Youth

Feylyn's list for Sandwich Generation parents to be aware of in their young children:

Use age appropriate language when discussing medical issues
Look for signs of anxiety / depression
Be aware children pick up on shifts in emotions inside the home
Mention to their teachers that they are exposed to a caregiving experience

LET'S DANCE:

Subscribe to the podcast: THE AFTER LIFE

Subscribe to the newsletter: THE LONGEST DANCE

Follow me on: Instagram or Facebook

Email me: Colleen@TheLongestDance.com

If you really like what you're hearing, pass the show on to a friend.

If you really, really like it, SUBSCRIBE / RATE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / REVIEW on iTUNES so friends of friends can hear!

TAL #005 THE KAVANAUGH BROTHERS + SISTER

September 13, 2017

TOPICS OF NOTE:

How siblings experience loss and memory differently - from the diagnosis to deaths of our parents
Breast Cancer awareness for men
How our parent's need for privacy limited the support they (and consequently we) were able to receive
What Christmas tree shopping looked like for our family (Hint: it's not normal!)
How the last Christmas with our Mom signaled the shift in our family structure
Which one of us was grounded more than the other
What we'd tell adult children caring for parents with a terminal illness
The power of a supportive partner
The biggest lesson learned from caring for someone with Alzheimer's

QUOTES OF NOTE:

“Don’t live in denial. Get an action plan.”

— Joe Kavanaugh

“When you can help people, do it.”

— Dan Kavanaugh

“We set an intention to be closer.”

— Colleen Kavanaugh

LISTEN TO THE SHOW:

SHOW NOTES:

Daniel K Pictures website

Daniel K Pictures instagram

Daniel K Pictures facebook

The Vanishing Mind: New York Times Alzheimer's Series

LET'S DANCE:

Subscribe to the podcast: THE AFTER LIFE

Subscribe to the newsletter: THE LONGEST DANCE

Follow me on: Instagram or Facebook

Email me: Colleen@TheLongestDance.com

If you really like what you're hearing, pass the show on to a friend.

If you really, really like it, SUBSCRIBE / RATE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / REVIEW on iTUNES so friends of friends can hear!

TAL #004 PRIYA SONI

September 13, 2017

TOPICS OF NOTE:

How spirituality relates to our growth and understanding of the world
How caregiving for 12 years, beginning in her late 20's, has shaped her life's mission
How unique skills we already have can help us cope (wait til you hear hers!)
The power of meditation - and you don't need a lot of time or a special space
Why community is key in the caregiving experience
How being happy now looks and feels different after her father's death

QUOTES OF NOTE:

“You will greive. You will heal.”

— Priya Soni

“Spirituality really is about being a collective.”

— Priya Soni

“Your thoughts also can affect your experience.”

— Priya Soni

“I want to beg you, as much as I can, dear sir, to be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”

— Rainer Maria Rilke