Grief and April Fool’s Day
Susan Koen Susan Koen

Grief and April Fool’s Day

Grief is tricky. It’s sometimes deeply sad and sometimes surprisingly joyful but never the same at any given moment. And April 1st, the day for jesters and fools, now brings this multidimensionality of grief into my heart and soul every year. You see, this day reminds me I once was a fool, acting contrary to the facts in front of me.

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Featured Podcast: Remember Me: Stories of FTD — “Barbara”
Tayler Ava Friar Tayler Ava Friar

Featured Podcast: Remember Me: Stories of FTD — “Barbara”

Today you'll meet Susan and her late wife, Barbara. Susan joined us all the way from Mexico, where we saw her beautiful Milagro wall as she spoke so vulnerably about her love story with Barbara. Susan has a way of telling her story with so much tenderness and adoration that we could feel the beauty of their relationship across the miles. This story also so delicately discusses genetic FTD, and the incredible dedication Barbara and Susan had to research and clinical trials.

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Courage, Caregiving, and the Practice of Healthy Love
Susan Koen Susan Koen

Courage, Caregiving, and the Practice of Healthy Love

I had my first experience with real courage in my family of origin. I had come to realize I was a lesbian as a teenager, during my first few years of college. I was terrified to tell my parents, who were Southern, strict Christians, and very conservative, for fear they would disown me.

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