Recent Episodes
33: Why You Should Prearrange Your Funeral
Nov. 11, 2022
Maybe you've told people what you want done with your body when you die. Have you also written down exactly what you want for your funeral? And have you paid for it? Dean Lambert from the Love Always Project knows firsthan…
32: Holidays for the Dead (replay)
Oct. 27, 2022
Samhain. Halloween. All Saints Day. All Souls Day. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). All of these holidays are about the connection between the living and the dead. And they all present the dead in different ways. Taking…
31:Trusts vs Wills
Oct. 14, 2022
What is a revocable living trust and who needs one? What's the difference between a will and a trust? If you have a will, do you need a trust? Mentioned: Natural Organic Reduction in California: https://recompose.life/202…
30: Eco-Friendly Burial Options – You Can Help Expand Them
Sept. 30, 2022
A discussion with Edward Bixby of the Green Burial Council on eco-friendly burial options – and the consumer's role in helping expand what's available.
29: Who They Gonna Call?
Sept. 14, 2022
In addition to choosing an emergency contact, you should prepare contact lists for who they should call if you ended up in a crisis or need longer-term support. In this episode, Cianna goes over what kinds of contact lists y…
28: Preparing for Writing Your Will
Aug. 17, 2022
We all know we should write a will, but how do you get started? Here are some tips on what to prepare that will make it easier and will save you time and money when you sit down to write your own will.
About the Host
Cianna Stewart
Dying has been a fact of Cianna's life.
Cianna was first drawn to reading about death and death rituals in childhood and never stopped. Maybe it was growing up next to a cemetery. Maybe it was from knowing many people who died in all kinds of circumstances at all different ages. Maybe it was being a teenager when her mom died.
For whatever reason, death has always been part of Cianna's conversation and experience. This was amplified and reinforced by working in HIV during the 1990s in San Francisco. During this period, Cianna experienced the death and memorialization of many friends, and became the primary caretaker for her roommate who died from AIDS.
After Cianna's father and stepmother died in 2019, she resolved to get her own paperwork and other affairs in order so that she wouldn't leave behind the same kind of disorganized mess she and her siblings were left with. To support that effort, she started a group on Facebook. The Dying Kindness podcast emerged out of that group as an effort to encourage others to join in the effort to make key decisions now, well before they're needed, as an act of kindness to those left behind.
Professionally, Cianna has been a writer, documentarian, speaker, coach, event producer, startup founder, nonprofit manager, consultant, workshop leader, and more. Her tagline is "super curious about nearly everything."