Farewelling: The Podcast

Farewelling founder Karen Bussen asks licensed therapist Grace Lin why a bucket list is important, what it means, and how we should create one that combines big goals and daily dreams with our true values as people and members of a community. Should a couple have their own individual bucket lists? How often should we review our list? And how can we use bucket list thinking to be more connected to the people in our lives?Karen shares details from her own bucket list (hint: Benicio del Toro!), heads out to the streets of New York City to ask strangers about their lists, and takes Grace Lin through a delightful lightning round of “Abso-bucket-lutely or No-bucket-way”... Do you have a bucket list? Is it purely made up of places you want to see, or does it have other elements--such as running a marathon or learning a new skill? Please tell us all about it on social media and use the hashtag #livingmybucket and tag us @myfarewelling. You may just inspire others!To read more, visit us at MyFarewelling.com.

Farewelling co-founders Karen Bussen and Elizabeth Karansky sit down with Adam Rabinovitch, Executive Director of COPE Foundation, a non-profit grief and healing organization dedicated to helping parents and families living with the loss of a child.Adam offers advice on navigating loss, finding community, and why he thinks of grief not in stages, but in waves. He shares a personal story, and tells us how we can be supportive if we know someone who has lost a child or sibling. Liz opens up about her experiences as a funeral director working with families to plan for a child who has died.The COPE Foundation offers a variety of services and resources to families who’ve lost a child, including Camp Erin, a summer camp and regular schedule of events that bring families together to share, heal, and even celebrate.To read more, visit us at MyFarewelling.com. If you’d like to speak to someone from the COPE Foundation, you can email [email protected] or call 516-832-2673.

What is like to lose a spouse? How have attitudes around death changed over the past decades? In this upbeat but heartfelt episode, Karen and Liz host Liz’s mom and her best friend (both of whom are named Trish!) for a conversation filled with laughter, wisdom, and real talk about end of life attitudes. Liz’s mom explains why she doesn’t fear death and how she feels about her daughter being a funeral director. The other Trish talks about moving on after a loss and wonders what she’ll look like in the next world. Both women tell us what they want for their own farewellings, and what three items they’d pack for the afterlife (hint: shoes and handbags!). A lighting round reveals their feelings about everything from open caskets to telling jokes at funerals and whether it’s cool to play rock and roll music at a farewelling. They share the lesson that life has taught them--to treat yourself well and enjoy the ride!During the conversation, Liz’s mom touches on how she felt when she first learned her daughter wanted to become a funeral director. If you’d like to listen to Liz’s whole story, check out this episode that features her journey toward finding her passion in life...helping others through death.The two Trishes really aren’t into making jewelry out of your loved one’s ashes, but if you’d like to know more about that, visit us at MyFarewelling.com. If you’re inspired to make your own plan, download our free Farewelling Worksheets here.We’d really love it if you’d join our community. Farewelling is a movement to celebrate a beautiful life, beautifully, and it’s all happening! Click the icons above to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

If you had a choice, would you want to specify what you’d wear for all eternity? Have you ever had to choose funeral clothing for a loved one? Tradition often dictates how a person who has died is dressed or shrouded for their funeral. But more and more, we may want to take charge of what reflects our style, and even our values. Liz and Karen talk eco-friendly options, interesting accessories, how funeral professionals often double as fashion stylists, and why it’s important to leave clear instructions for your loved ones.Like what you hear? We’d be mighty grateful if you’d review us on Apple podcasts and maybe send a link to someone you think might find the show helpful or interesting. If you’d like to know more about final fashion and choosing funeral clothing (including eco-friendly options), visit us at MyFarewelling.com. And hey, f you’re inspired to make your own plan, download our free Farewelling Worksheets here.

Farewelling founder Karen Bussen and Erica Cantley, educator, writer, and New York food industry insider, talk about celebrating the life of each individual in a personal and beautiful way, and why a potluck farewelling just isn’t right for either of them (hint: it’s a control thing). Erica tells us how she came to write her upcoming book, Teaching Hamlet as My Father Died, and explains what she’d do if she only had three weeks left to live. They touch on themes of legacy and remembrance, and what it means to be immortal.To find out more and see some extra content, visit us at MyFarewelling.com. If you’re inspired to make your own plan, download our free Farewelling Worksheets here. Erica, who works as a maitre d’ in a fancy New York restaurant, would love to answer any questions you may have for her, so feel free to write us at [email protected] and we’ll get them to her!

Farewelling founder Karen Bussen and Sallie Tisdale, palliative care nurse, Buddhist, and author of the revolutionary guidebook, “Advice for Future Corpses and Those Who Love Them” speak frankly about how planning for end of life and funeral details is a gift. Sallie gets real about the idea of dying at home, why she doesn’t like the term “death with dignity” and why she thinks it’s crazy that at one of the most singular moments of our human experience, we are so reluctant to give instructions that would help us and our loved ones. Note: this conversation includes suicide, assisted death, and other topics that may be sensitive, so please use discretion if you or someone you’re listening with might find them difficult.If you’d like to hear more from Sallie Tisdale, check out Part 1 of her conversation with Karen here.Sallie Tisdale is an award-winning author of nine books, including “Advice for Future Corpses and Those Who Love Them,”.To read more, visit us at MyFarewelling.com. If you’re inspired to make your own plan, download our free Farewelling Worksheets here.

Everything we do in life down to the smallest detail is affected by design. But our end of life experience has been largely overlooked, leaving most of us confused, disappointed, and even upset by what we don’t know and what we can’t control. Farewelling founder Karen Bussen sits down with two innovators in the space--Shoshana Berger and Dr. BJ Miller--co-authors of A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death, to talk about how we might think about, and share, our wishes for a more personal approach. Along the way, they look at how to honor our senses and how some of the simplest things are what make life worth living. They each share the one thing they’d change about our attitudes toward death. As a bonus, Karen asks them some personal questions about what they imagine for their own farewellings.For more behind the scenes photos and info, visit our show page at MyFarewelling.com. Check out their book here.Please talk to us! We’d love to see you @myfarewelling on Instagram and Facebook. Share part of your Farewelling Worksheet or ask us a question using #myfarewelling. Come on over and join the movement and the community!

What do you get when you invite an ensemble of fabulous women to toast and talk about a topic that touches us all: death and dying? Well, that’s exactly what we did. You’ll find the delightful results in your ears: Lively conversation and fascinating insights--from moms, wives, daughters, and working women--about all things end-of-life (and living well in this moment!). At this first-ever Farewelling Fête, our own Funeral Guru Elizabeth Karansky gifted each woman with a personalizable Farewelling Worksheet, and Karen invited them into a portable podcast room to chat about broaching end-of-life planning discussions with aging parents (“What? You think I’m dying? Is that why we’re having this conversation?”); why even responsible grown-ups (some of whom are actually lawyers) don’t have wills; and the challenges of navigating age-old and changing cultural practices around funerals and grief.  How can you personalize when your tradition doesn’t encourage that?If you’d like to read more about talking to parents about death and dying, we’ve got a helpful article here. And if you’d like to start a Farewelling Worksheet for them or for yourself, right here’s where to get them (they’re free!). Please talk to us! We’d love to see you @myfarewelling on Instagram and Facebook. Share part of your Farewelling Worksheet or ask us a question using #myfarewelling. Com on over and join the movement and the community!

We welcome Hysteria Radio’s Joseph Fusaro for a funny--and frank--conversation about his experience with mental illness, drugs and a post-breakup suicide attempt, and how coming through it all has shifted his perspective on living (ummm, he’s obsessed with it!). They chat “mushroom suit” burials, the FBI body farm, and the difficulty of saying farewell to a pet. Joe encourages us all to remember good times with loved ones while they are still here and to do what you love, not necessarily what others would love for you to do.Joe is a musician and a poet, too. To read more about Joe and his work, and to check out his rockin’ Farewelling Playlist come on over to the Farewelling site.

If you think it’s uncomfortable dealing with death among humans, it’s even more awkward sharing the grief we feel when we lose a dog, cat, bunny, or other cherished pet. Karen and funeral director Elizabeth Karansky talk to an expert on the topic--therapist and animal activist Jamie Gleicher, who herself is the mother to “five fur babies,” four of whom are rescue animals and three of whom are “tri-pawed.” Gleicher teaches us about the liberating power of radical acceptance, and tells the harrowing story of losing her first pet, Sam, and who she called first when it happened. We talk how to create loving memories of our pets (pawprint tattoos are one option!), and learn about one amazing pet cemetery. Liz gives us some solid advice for how to help a friend who is grieving a pet. Karen goes on the street to talk to some young people about losing a pet, and they talk about a beautiful, helpful poem that is meant to comfort those who are hurting from the loss of a dear animal companion.To learn more about Pet Farewelling and what to do when a pet dies, check out this article. To see photos of Karen, Liz, and Jamie in studio, visit us here If you have a question or a comment for Jamie Gleicher about Pet Farewelling or grieving a pet, write us an email at info@myfarewelling, or catch up with us on social media @myfarewelling. If you’d like, include a photo of your sweet pet with their name and how you remember them. We might share it with the world and keep their story flourishing!