What if the strange visions at the end of life aren't confusion β but connection? πΏ
In this episode of Grief 2 Growth, I sit down with **Alexandra Grabbe** β former Paris talk show host, Cape Cod innkeeper, and author of the new home care memoir *Seeing Joy*. Alexandra spent seven months as her 96-year-old mother's caregiver, and what she witnessed in that room changed how she understands death forever: deceased relatives visiting, tea parties with invisible guests, and a mother who went from fearing death to whispering "I see joy."
This conversation will change the way you think about caregiving, hospice, and what happens as someone we love prepares to cross over.
β¨ Why deathbed visions happen β and why doctors call them "hallucinations" while hospice workers call them "visitations"
β¨ The exhausting, sacred reality of caregiving β and why Alexandra calls it one of the most meaningful experiences of her life
β¨ How Alexandra's own 1970 after-death communication prepared her to recognize what her mother was experiencing
β¨ Why her mother appeared on the cover of *Seeing Joy* at age 25 β and what that says about who greets us on the other side
β¨ The moment that gave the book its title, and why it took nearly 20 years to get published
If you've ever asked "was that really a hallucination, or was my loved one seeing something real?" β this episode is for you.
If you've ever wondered whether you have what it takes to care for a dying parent at home β this episode is for you.
If you've ever sat beside someone as they were moving on and felt the veil grow thin β this episode is for you. ποΈ
Alexandra's book, *Seeing Joy: A Story of Life, Death, and What Comes Next*, is available now from Kohler Books.
β β β Let's Connect: β β β
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00:00 π± Opening Meditation & Welcome
00:45 ποΈ Meet Alexandra Grabbe
03:23 π«π· From Paris to Cape Cod: Alexandra's Journey
05:27 π₯ Bursitis, Hospice, and Becoming a Caregiver
07:52 π‘ Bringing Mom Home
09:18 β¨ Alexandra's Own 1970 After-Death Communication
13:11 π΄ The Hardest Part: Sleep Deprivation
15:01 π» When the Visitors Began
19:20 βοΈ From Bedside Blog to Book Idea
21:07 ποΈ Her Mother's Final Passing
24:03 π« Why the Book Is Called "Seeing Joy"
25:04 π The Long Road to Publication
31:14 π What Caregiving Gave Back
36:33 π Has She Felt Her Mother Since?
38:17 π―οΈ End Well and Facing Aging as a Culture
39:44 π Now Facing Her Husband's Decline
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