During these unprecedented times, I find myself experiencing waves of emotions. How about you? How are you coping? In this episode, I reflect with my husband about the pandemic and the lives lost, what it’s like to talk to our son about death, and how to find balance. Music: “Walking Down the Street” and “Our Home” by Borrtex

Being human is pretty great. Our brains are large and sophisticated, which allows us to think and do things in ways that other animals cannot. With this intelligence, however, comes an existential burden: an awareness of our own mortality. In this episode, I interview social psychologist Sheldon Solomon. Sheldon Solomon is Professor of Psychology at Skidmore College in New York. He studies the effects of death awareness on human thoughts, feelings, and behavior. He, along with his colleagues Jeff Greenberg and Tom Pyszczynski, developed terror management theory, which posits that our awareness of our own mortality affects our daily lives in profound ways. You can read more about terror management theory in their book, The Worm at the Core: On The Role of Death in Life. You will also hear parts of a conversation with my very insightful and healthy three-year-old son as he realizes for the first time that he too is mortal. Music: “Glitter” and “Wavy Glass” by Podington Bear and “Come As You Were” by Blue Dot Sessions

In 1926, a 16-year-old girl was told that she was going to give birth to a stillborn. That baby was Manuel Antonio Santaella, and to everyone’s amazement, he was born alive. This was just the beginning of Manuel’s many brushes with death throughout his life. Hear how these experiences have shaped Manuel’s gratitude for life, as well as his relationship with death. Music: “Peaceful Morning” by Lobo Loco, “Snow Day” by Pictures of The Floating World, and “Stars Above” by Alan Spiljak