Reflections

How Losing a Parent Young Reshapes Your Relationship with Life and Death

Episode Summary

How does losing your parent at a young, formative age affect the rest of your life? Beth Deer lost her father during the COVID-19 pandemic, and invited family friend Kayla to share her story about losing her father too. As these women move through their lives, start their families, and grapple with such huge loss at a young age, they’ve courageously shared how the loss of their fathers has impacted every major life milestone since. Thanatologist Cole Imperi explains how loss differs from grief, and how grief is the crucial tool to handle loss. Plus, as someone who works so closely with death and grief, Cole shares a powerful message of what death has taught her.

Episode Notes

How does losing your parent at a young, formative age affect the rest of your life? 

Beth Deer lost her father during the COVID-19 pandemic, and invited family friend Kayla to share her story about losing her father too.  

As these women move through their lives, start their families, and grapple with such huge loss at a young age, they’ve courageously shared how the loss of their fathers has impacted every major life milestone since.

Thanatologist Cole Imperi explains how loss differs from grief, and how grief is the crucial tool to handle loss. Plus, as someone who works so closely with death and grief, Cole shares a powerful message of what death has taught her.