What if the people who've spent the most time at the threshold of death have something to teach the rest of us about how to live?

Christa McDonald has spent more than 20 years as a hospice nurse, watching thousands of people take their final breaths. What she's witnessed has reshaped everything she believes about death, grief, connection, and the soul. In this conversation, she brings that hard-won wisdom straight to you — and some of it will unsettle you in the best possible way.

In this episode, we explore:

How Christa's calling found her — from candy striper at 13 to hospice nurse, EMT, and founder of a national bereavement community
Why she believes the way you live is the way you will die — and what that means for the choices you're making right now
What terminal agitation really is, and why the soul has more to do with a difficult death than morphine ever could
The myth of closure — and why "moving on" may be one of the most harmful things we say to grieving people
How to maintain a genuine continuing bond with someone you've lost
The power of presence — Christa's #1 lesson from her book and her career
Broken heart syndrome: what it is, how real it is, and who's most at risk
What shared death experiences look like from the bedside
How Christa's stepfather's passing became the catalyst for GLADD — and why she says we need to stop being sad and mad and start being GLADD

About Christa McDonald:

Christa McDonald is a hospice nurse, death doula, soul worker, speaker, and the founder of GLADD (Grieving Loss After Death and Dying) — the world's first international online bereavement community. She is the author of Eight Lessons Dying Has Taught Me and runs a hospice home dedicated to transforming the way we approach death and dying. Her coaching practice, Soul Worker, helps people heal on a soul level — in life and at the end of it.

Connect with Christa:

Website: ChristaMcDonald.com

GLADD Community: GLADDcommunity.com

Instagram: @grievewithchrista

What resonated with you from this conversation? Was it Christa's take on terminal agitation? The idea that how we live shapes how we die? The continuing bond with a loved one who's passed? Drop a comment and let us know — your reflection might be exactly what someone else needs to hear today.

You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.

Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back.

I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.

All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.

https://grief2g

The International Association for Near-Death Studies or IANDS will host its annual conference at the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue. The event features an all-star lineup of keynotes like Proof of Heaven Author Eben Alexander, MD, and Dying to Be Me Author Anita Moorjani. I Early bird registration rates are available through July 15.

Visit IANDS.org to register

Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth.

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