Making Peace with Mortality, Or “Dying, Fast and Slow” (#371)

2026-01-05

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These are the notes I just worked on: I sit down with our friend Kristen Tideman for one of those conversations that starts heavy and somehow leaves you feeling more alive. Kristen recently received a complicated diagnosis just months after becoming a new mom—a gut-punching reminder of mortality. We talk about what I'm calling "dying fast and slow" and how we avoid thinking about death in Western culture, why that avoidance might actually rob us of meaning, and how limitations—whether from illness, mortality, or just being human—can paradoxically give ...

These are the notes I just worked on: I sit down with our friend Kristen Tideman for one of those conversations that starts heavy and somehow leaves you feeling more alive.

Kristen recently received a complicated diagnosis just months after becoming a new mom—a gut-punching reminder of mortality. We talk about what I'm calling "dying fast and slow" and how we avoid thinking about death in Western culture, why that avoidance might actually rob us of meaning, and how limitations—whether from illness, mortality, or just being human—can paradoxically give us freedom.

Drawing on existential therapy, C.S. Lewis, Sufjan Stevens' darkest song, and even the psychology of Mormon communities, we wrestle with questions I keep coming back to, like: What does it mean to face our finitude honestly? Why does religious art sometimes feel less authentic than secular art? Can we find meaning in this life even when we're unsure what comes after?

This one goes to some vulnerable, uncomfortable places, but I promise it's worth the journey.

Kristen's Website | Kristentideman.com

Tatiana Schlossberg⁠'s Article | Battle with My Blood

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