Lauren Talks About How Her Mother’s Alzheimer’s Affected Her Life

I think one of the character traits I admire most in another person is the ability to fully throw themselves into something they’re passionate about. I’m not just talking about the normal levels of fandom or interest either. I mean the people who find an interest and set out to understand it at the most mechanical level. You’ve met these people before - the ones who mention a new interest in cooking to you in passing and then a few months later they can cook a high-end, four-course meal. Or the person who gets interested in guitar and makes it their goal to be the next Jack White (some people would say Eric Clapton here and fair enough but I have a special place in my heart for the White Stripes).  There are a lot of reasons people do this. Curiosity is certainly a big driver but I don’t think that fully explains it. It’s more than curiosity - bordering perhaps on obsession. There are those among us who just want and need to know and I love that. I love reading about their passions, hearing about them, and talking about them. My guest this week has made an incredibly successful career out of learning and sharing - and I promise you that I’m not fully doing her work justice. I present to you one of the more interesting conversations that I’ve been fortunate enough to do and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.   CW: this show does talk about death so please be mindful as you listen. Learn more about Lauren Kessler at her website. You can also follow her on Instagram or Facebook and check out her books here. I would also encourage you to read her essay, Still Life. If you like what I'm doing, visit the website at ⁠⁠⁠Our Last Meal⁠⁠⁠ or at [email protected]; you can also find us at ourlastmealpod on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube ⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠.  If you're interested in being on the show, reach out via ⁠⁠⁠Share Your Story⁠⁠⁠. If you like what you hear, please consider subscribing, sharing with your friends & family or leaving a rating & review.  I'm also experimenting with Substack so please give that a follow if you're interested - I promise I won't blow up your inbox.