Like, could you recognize kids that had friends versus kids that didn't have friends?

Oh, well, no doubt, yeah.

That, um, there no question, because ki- ki- kids who are a little more, more, um, quiet, they get kind of pushed around a little bit because nobody cares about them.

I worked real hard on getting the really great kids, I mean, a good personality, kids that care about people, and I would try to get them to see that this other child was having a problem and get them to become their friend, or at least participate as a partner with them in activities.

And so it was hard because, you know, a lot, and a lot of kids who were lonely and felt un- unneeded or unwanted could be very, um, hard to work with, too.

Sure.

Like, you know, you're, you're all taking off and you're doing this, and you're doing some activity, whatever it is, and suddenly you notice that this, well, you know, this kid hasn't done anything for a little bit, and they're kinda just moping around a little bit.

Wonder what's going on.

And So I just thank you for being you and putting the work that you do out into the world and letting us learn from the people whose stories are being left behind.

Well, that means so much to me.

I love that.

And he's not my typical demographic, but that's fun.

I love it.

Yeah, it's funny with this content because you can get deep and philosophical and complicated, and it's really easy to start asking those existential questions about what's it all about.

But at the same time, it's also utterly simple.

Is there anything that you could share or how's the writing going?

[laughs]

... uh, in your youth.

[laughs] And I just hated that book 'cause it's like, I don't have one color.

I don't know what it is that I need to do.

What if I'm a generalist? Isn't that okay too? Or, you know, this whole idea that you have to find your passion, I always chafed and rebelled against that.

So I think the people who know me best know that that's sort of been my history.

So to f- In a way, sort of back into this hobby that has become something more.

Mm-hmm

Pardon? Read us another.

Oh, okay.

Sorry.

Um, Okay, this one was fairly personal, and I'll tell you why after I read this.

This is Jacqueline.

Mom, the minute you left us in the early morning hours of March 2nd, we forgot this horrible disease and its accompanying indignities that you so hated.

We won't think again about the fear, anger, and sorrow that tagged along with the confusion.

Well, do you have one more for us? I do.

So tell me why you've had this contentious relationship with achievement and finding passion.

Happy to talk about that all day.

So I grew up in a time where the best advice to high school college students was find your passion.

And I always did really well in school.

I am an ambitious person.

I come from a family of very high achievers.

But I don't think I ever honed in on a passion, so to speak.

How are young people going to be approaching obituaries?

Like, tell us about how you what you do and how you got into it, because some listeners may be familiar, but some may not.

OK, I'm always happy to talk about this crazy story of tips from dead people.

Well, I am originally from South Dakota and I went to college in Indiana.

And then after college, I moved to New York City to do a program kind of like AmeriCorps.

And I stayed there for three years doing social work, essentially.

Then I got a master's in public policy and public administration, really thinking I wanted to be a nonprofit administrator.

So then my husband and I moved down to the Texas-Mexico border and I was the executive director of a health clinic for two years.

I have so