I have been listening to Anderson Cooper’s new podcast about grief, “All There Is,” and so much of it reminds me of the conversations we are having in this space. Among many other deep, raw observations about loss, Hottie Anderson’s recurring reflection is that we don’t talk about grief and loss enough, and how healing it is to give voice to our sorrow or share comfort with those who are experiencing it. Why does a conversation about death have to be so hard, so taboo? It happens to every human being on this planet, no one gets through life without it. So why the reluctance? I feel the same way about the difficulties of caregiving and managing the elderly and navigating the real life sh** that goes down (for everyone in some form!) before and after a loved one dies. Talking about it helps! It heals! It can transform or improve another person’s similar experience, perhaps our own one day. I have never felt so understood since yammering on about geri-issues during the past few months, it has been freeing. Yet, I’m also utterly addled — angry even — so few adults before me could even muster a warning about the difficulties of the challenges ahead. We tell new mothers what to expect when they’re expecting and spill the tea about postpartum depression, the terrible twos and the perils of parenting teenagers. Why not the same with geri-prepping? And death? Maybe that sweet, pale, real-men-cry A-Coop can reveal the secrets to this mystery while we work the geri-case together. #GrandPlans