Maria Vassiliou Reflects on Losing Her Mom at Age 2
I had such a great discussion with Maria Vassiliou for this episode. Maria lost her mom when she was just two years old. As an adult, she’s studied thanatology and started a podcast dedicated to exploring and expanding the conversation about death. Her podcast is called Philotimo Life.
Some topics Maria and I discuss include:
Maria and her dad moving in with her dad’s parents a few years after her mom died;
Why she avoided talking about death or about her mom for many years growing up;
How hard it was as a child to deal with other people’s pity and awkwardness when they learned about her mom’s death;
How much she appreciates that her dad talked with her teachers ahead of each new school year;
Using some of the storylines in Disney movies to start conversations with your kids;
Her thoughts on the conventional wisdom ‘kids are resilient’;
Why she decided to study thanatology and to start a podcast talking about death; and
Why she believes we need a human-centered approach to grief and bereavement.
I hope you enjoy my discussion with Maria Vassiliou.
Links & resources for this episode
The Deadliest Place On Earth? Death In Disney (Episode 10, Philotimo Life Podcast)
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