CBC Interview - They Died Doing What They Loved
I had a chat with the incredibly awesome Ash Kelly over at CBC Radio One the other day. The root of the discussion was weather people dying doing what they love somehow makes it easier for the survivors.
The reason Ash was talking to me was because my Dad died skiing. It was years ago, it was a freak accident, and it sucked. It's something I've written about before.
It was a really interesting opportunity and there were two aspects about the whole thing that I really, really appreciated.
- Ash Kelly understands the mountains. She talked the talk. She understood mountain people. Compared with a lot of mountain coverage (especially about accidents) this was awesome.
- The experience felt genuine, not judging people for how they process grief, Ash was simply asking me about my experience so she could understand - not insinuating it was somehow wrong.
Every person handles grief differently. People who do stuff in the mountains accept risks and sometimes it goes wrong. I accept those risks and I accept having friends and a partner who accept those risks. We minimize them wherever we can, but they're there. We also live amazingly full and happy lives. I'm happy, that's what matters to me. My dad was happiest skiing, his last moments were happy. It might not comfort everyone, but it comforts me.
Anyway, thanks to everyone involved and if you missed the interview, there's an article you can read.
Grumpy, cantankerous, wildly opinionated and so much more! Getting really tired on skis is what makes me happy.
