There was a thought at the start of this project that maybe the setting would mean as much as the title. That the physical space would reflect the walker as much as the content. So walks took place in city centers, at sports arenas, in shopping malls for those who knew the ‘secret’ mall walker entrances. Our subseries, Meet Me on the Playground, was originally meant to meet school leaders on...you guessed it...the playgrounds of their schools. It was a fun idea to find another bit of connection or comfort within the piece, if also not a little extra and unnecessary. And while we didn’t abandon it completely, many times, we just met when and where we could, which also meant Liz took special trips on occasion, flying around the country even when it didn’t exactly match the travel schedule at hand. And then today, she walked with an old friend along Lake Tahoe, with sounds of the unending waves slapping against the shore in the distance, droplets separating briefly before reentering as one, and it feels like we’re ending this whole thing in about the most on-the-nose place yet.
Today, Liz walked with William Peters, the author of At Heaven’s Door and founder of the @sharedcrossingproject, and someone who has dedicated much of his life to compassionate care for others at the end of theirs. He talks about some of his early experiences with death, from his own injury to working in a hospice ward, and Liz speaks to his invaluable guidance during her own parents’ passing, particularly when it came to closing unfinished business and accepting the peace that came with it. They also talk about the general mindset around ‘fighting’ death and how a medical model based around framing the most predetermined thing in existence as a failure may need some adjustments.
Thank you. I love you. Goodbye.
What a remarkable conversation. Thanks for walking, William.
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