What Now? On the threshold of life, death, and grief.

What happens when the ordinary objects of a life become extraordinary after loss? In this episode the co-hosts sit down with acclaimed playwrights and actors Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus to discuss their deeply relatable play: Big Stuff.

We explore how grief can surface in unexpected places—through the belongings we inherit, the stories attached to them, and the emotional weight they carry. With warmth, (lots of) humour, and honest...

What happens when grief meets artificial intelligence? In this thought-provoking episode, the co-hosts welcome Steve Joordens, professor at the University of Toronto and a leading voice on the use of AI in education and beyond.

Together, they explore the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in the world of grief and bereavement. From practical applications to emerging ethical questions, the conversation examines how AI i...

Someone once said that statistics are just numbers with the tears wiped away. But behind every number is a life, a family, and a story that matters. 

Last year in Canada, 7,146 people died from drug overdoses. Today, we remember that those numbers are not just statistics — they are sons and daughters, parents and friends, deeply loved and deeply missed.

In this episode, Bob Campbell shares the story of his daughter, Kathleen, who die...

In this episode co-hosts Julie, David, and Red sit down with Dr. Natalie Whiting, a palliative care physician, and Emily Lamothe from Trillium Gift of Life Network to explore the life-changing impact of organ and tissue donation. Together, they walk listeners through how to become a registered donor, what the donation process can look like for individuals and families, and how Trillium Gift of Life supports donors and loved ones ev...

Grief touches every part of us—not just our hearts, but our bodies too. In this episode, co-hosts Red and Julie speak with nutrition counsellor Vera Decena about what happens in the body when we experience loss. Vera explores how grief can disrupt our energy, appetite, and daily rhythms, and why everyday tasks like eating or resting can feel so different after a loss. Blending science with lived experience, Vera offers thoughtful s...

We are honoured to welcome Dr. John Beamish back to the podcast for a thoughtful conversation about the physical process of dying and the bodily needs of those at the end of life.

With his customary ability to speak knowledgeably and compassionately, Dr. Beamish helps families and caregivers understand what is happening in the body during the dying process. Focusing on appetite and hydration, he explains why our instinct to encourag...

We are honoured to speak with best selling ghost writer Samantha Rose about her mother’s death by suicide and the bewildering yet healing journey of grief that followed. That journey is at the heart of her memoir, Giving Up the Ghost: A Daughter’s Memoir.

 In this open and honest discussion Samantha shares the initial shock of her mother’s death and the complexity of losing someone to a death by suicide. Samantha guides us through t...

In this episode, co-hosts Julie and Red sit down with Dr. Joshua Black, a leading researcher on grief dreams, to explore the powerful ways our minds process loss while we sleep.  Dr. Black explains what grief dreams are, why they’re so common after losing someone we love, and how these dreams can range from deeply comforting to emotionally unsettling.

We discuss the emotional meaning people often attach to dreams and why dreaming of...

In this returning episode of The Written Word, the co-hosts revisit a familiar and much-loved format—this time in conversation with Dr Natalie Whiting. Having explored the power of the written word together before, they now welcome Natalie, a palliative physician,  to share some of her own writing and reflections from the edges of lived experience.

Together, they  explore how poetry and lyrics can speak where ordinary language falte...

In this podcast we are delighted to welcome Dr Jan Hux, a retired physician and past CEO of Diabetes Canada. Jan’s husband Edwin died in 2020 and she shares with us her journey of grief as a widow. Jan reflects on the past 5 years and candidly explores the challenges of spousal death and the transition to a life in which Edwin is physically absent. She shares with clarity some of the surprises, both difficult and healing that she e...

 As the What Now? podcast closes out 2025, the hosts are offering a compassionate tool for the season.  

 Recognizing that the holidays can carry many experiences, Julie guides  a “compassionate friend” meditation for listeners who may be grieving, feeling alone, or needing extra support as we navigate the holidays. This practice is an invitation to pause, breathe, and receive kindness—imagining a wise, loving presence who sits with...

In this episode, co-hosts Julie and Red interview author and psychotherapist, Kelley Raab about her latest work, Who Am I Now? Reflections on Spirituality and Grief. The conversation examines how bereavement unsettles personal identity,  why spiritual frameworks can both support and complicate the grieving process, and how the death of a parent can create profound emotional and existential disorientation. Kelley offers insights fro...

In this episode we have the great honour and privilege of speaking with Kathryn Rhoden. You will remember our soulful conversation with her husband Chris Rhoden in the previous podcast episode: What Does It Mean To Live A Meaningful Life (S3E16).  

Kathryn joins us to speak about her life and experiences since Chris’ death on April 25th, 2025. With grace and genuine humanity Kathryn speaks candidly about her grief, the ups and downs...

What if a tattoo could carry more than a memory — what if it held a piece of someone you loved? In this episode, we sit down with artist Kerri Parnell, who’s redefining the meaning of memorial art through her deeply personal cremation tattoos.

These aren’t your average tattoos. Kerri blends a trace of a loved one’s ashes into the ink — creating designs that are both beautiful and intimate. But how did she start doing this? What does...

Red and Julie are delighted to welcome colleagues and friends (and past What now? guests) Dr. John Beamish and Dr. Kaetlen Wilson. The foursome gathered for a robust conversation about some of the unique aspects of grief with a MAiD (medical assistance in dying) death. They discuss how MAiD can be disenfranchised grief: grief that is not recognized or supported in a culturally normative manner.  

They also delve into how family dyna...

This episode was sparked by an email from a listener who had been the primary care provider to a person who was not family, but over the course of many years became a dear friend, leaving them to feel as if their grief was unrecognized or disenfranchised after the friend's passing. 

It caused us to stop and take a moment to consider situations and relationships when particular losses are not acknowledged or supported by our cul...

Dr. Robert Macauley helps us kick off Season 4 with his powerful book Because I Knew You – How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed a Doctor’s Soul. At first glance, a book about children living with and dying from terminal illness might sound unbearably heavy, but listeners will find this episode surprisingly uplifting. Through his words and stories, Dr. Macauley reminds us of the deep goodness and resilience in our world.

His personal...

In this lively short wrap-up to the season the co-hosts take the opportunity to give "shout outs" and thank yous to those who have supported and offered feedback (so listen up, you may hear your name). Julie surprises Red and David with a "lightning round" of questions as a way to reflect and discuss this jam-packed season. It's a short episode and worth a listen: it may prompt you to go back to episodes pa...

Regular listeners will remember back in season 2 when Mary-Frances O’Connor joined us to discuss her groundbreaking book The Grieving Brain. For those who haven’t had the chance to hear this episode (S2E9) it is worth the time. 

In this episode, we are very pleased to have Mary-Frances return to discuss her follow-up book, The Grieving Body. In this conversation, we explore how grief is experienced in our bodies—specifically the hea...