Some of us fear death.
Some of us are in so much pain that we may look forward to it. While others may face it with a fiercely practical, “it is what it is,” attitude. But one thing is certain: we will all experience it. It’s one thing that unites us all.
Death is a natural process, but it is often couched in euphemisms and medical jargon. Through interviews with people with a terminal illness, experts in the field of death and dying, conversations with my family, and my own explorations of what it means to die, 6 Months or Less raises questions that often go unasked.
Why is it so difficult for most of us to talk about death and dying? Does an estimate of when we might die change the way we want to live? Could individuals given a prognosis of six months or less to live help us face and understand our own eventual mortality? Might they help us live our finite lives more fully, with more intention?
By speaking with people who are nearing the end of their life, and seeing this deeply personal process through their eyes, I hope to illuminate a topic that is too often in the shadows.
We have the honor of listening to what they have to say. And maybe by doing so, we will all have the chance to grow in ways we don’t expect.
Why 6 Months or Less?
When I first started this podcast, the plan was to interview people given six months or less to live. Because six months or less is a common criteria used for hospice, a type of comfort care given near the end of life, this timeframe seemed like a natural title for a podcast about death and dying. What I’ve discovered though is that estimating prognosis is not so simple, and that it is common for people who are near death to turn inward. These are just a few of the lessons I have learned. And so in this podcast, you will hear interviews with people who have been given anywhere from months to years to live.
About the Host
My name is Alexandra Salmon, and I live in Madison, Wisconsin, with my husband and two children. I’ve been thinking a lot about death since I was a young kid, and I often feel a mixture of curiosity, wonderment, and terror about my own eventual mortality. While working in cancer information and education for nearly a decade, I had the honor of talking to people faced with a life-limiting illness and listening to how they grapple with everything. Their stories matter.
I’d like to say that I’m at peace with the whole idea of dying someday, but that would be a lie. Instead, I try to focus on how to answer my four-year-old son’s questions about time, where food comes from, space, and of course, his questions about death. I also marvel that my one-year-old daughter has no idea that death exists. I’m looking forward to all the conversations I’ll have on this podcast, and feel so grateful to the people who are willing to share their thoughts and feelings, whatever they may be. And thanks to you for stopping by and listening!
