In the Series 3 premiere, Rob Kaldor sits down with author Oliver Christen before a live audience at Better Read Than Dead bookstore in Sydney to discuss his remarkable book, As She Chose. This engaging conversation explores the final days of his mother’s life and her decision to use VSED (Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking). Oliver Christen's book is available at all good bookstores, including Better Read Than Dead.

🌟 Before We Go In the Before We Go segment, Oliver talks about his mother’s bucket list moment.

📩 Connect With Us We would love to hear from you. If you have feedback, topic suggestions, or would like to share your own experiences around grief, loss, aging, or caregiving, please reach out:


Email: You can email us at passingthoughts@2rph.org.au.

This podcast has been produced with the support of the Wicking Trust and the team at 2RPH.

In the Series 3 premiere, Rob Kaldor sits down with author Oliver Christen before a live audience at Better Read Than Dead bookstore in Sydney to discuss his remarkable book, As She Chose. This engaging conversation explores the final days of his mother&rsquo;s life and her decision to use VSED (Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking). Oliver Christen's book is available at all good bookstores, including Better Read Than Dead.
🌟 Before We Go In the Before We Go segment, Oliver talks about his mother&rsquo;s bucket list moment.
📩 Connect With Us We would love to hear from you. If you have feedback, topic suggestions, or would like to share your own experiences around grief, loss, aging, or caregiving, please reach out:
<ul data-path-to-node="5">
<li>
Email: You can email us at <a href="mailto:passingthoughts@2rph.org.au">passingthoughts@2rph.org.au</a>.
</li>
</ul>
This podcast has been produced with the support of the Wicking Trust and the team at 2RPH.

Passing Thoughts is an Australian podcast about death, dying, grief, and everything that comes with life’s final chapter. Hosted by Rob Kaldor, each episode covers topics Australians are increasingly asking about — palliative care, voluntary assisted dying, aged care, wills, near-death experiences, and the grief journey. Honest, warm, and sometimes surprisingly funny. Funded by the Wicking Trust, produced with Radio 2RPH.

For too long, death has been treated as a taboo. Passing Thoughts aims to shift that by improving death literacy through honest, engaging, and sometimes surprising conversations. Expect laughter, a few tears, and a whole lot of real talk. Funded by the Wicking Trust and produced with the support of Radio 2RPH, Passing Thoughts opens up the final chapter of life with warmth, curiosity, and humanity.

Our regular contributers are Barbara Sullivan, Jane Mundy and Connie Mason.

Passing Thoughts is an Australian podcast about death, dying, grief, and everything that comes with life&rsquo;s final chapter. Hosted by Rob Kaldor, each episode covers topics Australians are increasingly asking about &mdash; palliative care, voluntary assisted dying, aged care, wills, near-death experiences, and the grief journey. Honest, warm, and sometimes surprisingly funny. Funded by the Wicking Trust, produced with Radio 2RPH.
For too long, death has been treated as a taboo. Passing Thoughts aims to shift that by improving death literacy through honest, engaging, and sometimes surprising conversations. Expect laughter, a few tears, and a whole lot of real talk. Funded by the Wicking Trust and produced with the support of Radio 2RPH, Passing Thoughts opens up the final chapter of life with warmth, curiosity, and humanity.
Our regular contributers are Barbara Sullivan, Jane Mundy and Connie Mason.

Passing Thoughts

Oliver Christen

In Episode 2 of the 3rd series of Passing Thoughts, Connie Mason explores the deeply personal journey of "the farewell" and the choices we make when saying goodbye.She speaks with three remarkable women, Ewa, Jane, and Kathy—who generously share how they navigated the final send-offs for their partners. This engaging conversation explores the diverse and deeply personal ways to honor a loved one's life, from arranging a police guard of honor and organizing a waterfront celebration, to working with an end-of-life doula for an intimate home vigil.

🌟 Before We Go In the Before We Go segment, Jeff and Sue share their plans for a natural burial in a coastal forest and their desire to become one with nature.

📩 Connect With Us We would love to hear from you. If you have feedback, topic suggestions, or would like to share your own experiences around grief, loss, aging, or caregiving, please reach out:


Email: You can email us at passingthoughts@2rph.org.au.

In Episode 2 of the 3rd series of Passing Thoughts, Connie Mason explores the deeply personal journey of "the farewell" and the choices we make when saying goodbye.She speaks with three remarkable women, Ewa, Jane, and Kathy&mdash;who generously share how they navigated the final send-offs for their partners. This engaging conversation explores the diverse and deeply personal ways to honor a loved one's life, from arranging a police guard of honor and organizing a waterfront celebration, to working with an end-of-life doula for an intimate home vigil.
🌟 Before We Go In the Before We Go segment, Jeff and Sue share their plans for a natural burial in a coastal forest and their desire to become one with nature.
📩 Connect With Us We would love to hear from you. If you have feedback, topic suggestions, or would like to share your own experiences around grief, loss, aging, or caregiving, please reach out:
<ul data-path-to-node="3">
<li>
Email: You can email us at passingthoughts@2rph.org.au.
</li>
</ul>

Different Endings

In the final episode of Series 2, Connie Mason speaks with award winning photojournalist Julian Kingma regarding his remarkable book, The Power of Choice. They discuss Julian's deeply personal project documenting the final days and hours of individuals who have chosen voluntary assisted dying (VAD). Julian introduces his respectful approach to capturing these intimate moments, a process designed to empower patients by putting the camera away first and building profound trust. They also shed light on the intense emotional impact of the project, validating the extraordinary courage of patients like Sue Parker and Nigel as they made ultimate decisions about their own end of life.

🌟 Before We Go

Stick around for our Before We Go segment, where Rob Kaldor offers an exclusive sneak peek into what is coming up in Series 3.  

📩 Connect With Us

We would love to hear from you. If you have feedback, topic suggestions, or would like to share your own experiences around grief, loss, aging, or caregiving, please reach out:


Email: You can email us at passingthoughts@2rph.org.au.


Community Support: Don't forget to rate and review Passing Thoughts, as it really helps others find the show.

This podcast has been produced with the support of the Wicking Trust and the team at 2RPH.

In the final episode of Series 2, Connie Mason speaks with award winning photojournalist Julian Kingma regarding his remarkable book,&nbsp;The Power of Choice. They discuss Julian's deeply personal project documenting the final days and hours of individuals who have chosen voluntary assisted dying (VAD). Julian introduces his respectful approach to capturing these intimate moments, a process designed to empower patients by putting the camera away first and building profound trust. They also shed light on the intense emotional impact of the project, validating the extraordinary courage of patients like Sue Parker and Nigel as they made ultimate decisions about their own end of life.
🌟 Before We Go
Stick around for our Before We Go segment, where Rob Kaldor offers an exclusive sneak peek into what is coming up in Series 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;
📩 Connect With Us
We would love to hear from you. If you have feedback, topic suggestions, or would like to share your own experiences around grief, loss, aging, or caregiving, please reach out:
<ul data-path-to-node="7">
<li>
Email: You can email us at<a href="mailto:passingthoughts@2rph.org.au"> passingthoughts@2rph.org.au</a>.
</li>
<li>
Community Support: Don't forget to rate and review Passing Thoughts, as it really helps others find the show.
</li>
</ul>
This podcast has been produced with the support of the Wicking Trust and the team at 2RPH.

The Power of Choice

In episode 9 of Series 2, Barbara Sullivan speak Jen Seyderhelm regarding grief in the workplace. They discuss how loss continues to affect employees long after standard bereavement leave ends, and why the silence surrounding grief at work can be so isolating. Jen introduces the concept of "Grief First Aid" a framework designed to help employers and colleagues show up for grieving team members and navigate the fear of saying the wrong thing. They also shed light on "unrecognized grief," validating the profound pain of losing a beloved pet or experiencing a major life change.

🌟 Before We Go

Stick around for our Before We Go segment, where Rob explores how one of the world’s greatest artists channeled deep personal loss into a legendary musical catalog. He reflects on U2 lead singer Bono, whose mother, Iris, died suddenly when he was just 14 years old. Rob discusses how this profound grief mapped the evolution of his music over the decades, echoing through iconic songs like I Will Follow, Mofo, and Lemon.

📩 Connect With Us

We would love to hear from you. If you have feedback, topic suggestions, or would like to share your own experiences around grief, loss, aging, or caregiving, please reach out:


Email: You can email us at passingthoughts@2rph.org.au.


Community Support: Don't forget to rate and review Passing Thoughts, as it really helps others find the show.

This podcast has been produced with the support of the Wicking Trust and the team at 2RPH.

In episode 9 of Series 2, Barbara Sullivan speak Jen Seyderhelm regarding grief in the workplace. They discuss how loss continues to affect employees long after standard bereavement leave ends, and why the silence surrounding grief at work can be so isolating. Jen introduces the concept of "Grief First Aid" a framework designed to help employers and colleagues show up for grieving team members and navigate the fear of saying the wrong thing. They also shed light on "unrecognized grief," validating the profound pain of losing a beloved pet or experiencing a major life change.
🌟 Before We Go
Stick around for our Before We Go segment, where Rob explores how one of the world&rsquo;s greatest artists channeled deep personal loss into a legendary musical catalog. He reflects on U2 lead singer Bono, whose mother, Iris, died suddenly when he was just 14 years old. Rob discusses how this profound grief mapped the evolution of his music over the decades, echoing through iconic songs like I Will Follow, Mofo, and Lemon.
📩 Connect With Us
We would love to hear from you. If you have feedback, topic suggestions, or would like to share your own experiences around grief, loss, aging, or caregiving, please reach out:
<ul data-path-to-node="11">
<li>
Email: You can email us at passingthoughts@2rph.org.au.
</li>
<li>
Community Support: Don't forget to rate and review Passing Thoughts, as it really helps others find the show.
</li>
</ul>
This podcast has been produced with the support of the&nbsp;Wicking Trust and the team at 2RPH.

Oliver Christen

In 1 playlist(s)

Passing Thoughts

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips