About this episode

Candace Dellacona and Karen Shepard discuss complex parent-child relationships and the emotional journey of assisted death.

Season 4 of The Sandwich Generation Survival Guide opens with an extraordinary conversation as host Candace Dellacona welcomes celebrated novelist and essayist Karen Shepard. Widely recognized for her powerful storytelling and contributions to some of the country’s most respected literary publications, Shepard joins the podcast to discuss her deeply personal and widely discussed essay, “The World Is an Easier Place Without You In It.” In this unforgettable episode, Shepard shares the complicated realities of her relationship with her mother, the emotional journey of accompanying her to Switzerland for an assisted death, and the difficult questions surrounding autonomy, dignity, caregiving, and regret. Together, Candace and Karen explore what it means to love a difficult parent, set boundaries without losing compassion, and redefine what being a “good daughter” truly looks like. Raw, intelligent, and profoundly moving — this is a powerful season premiere you won’t want to miss. (00:00) - Season Four Kickoff (01:05) - Meet Karen Shepard (02:45) - Why Tell It This Way (03:26) - Primary Documents Approach (07:15) - End of Life Shift (10:24) - Little Karen Big Karen (11:59) - Planning…

People in this episode

Host: Candace Dellacona

Guest: Karen Shepard

Topics covered

• parent-child relationships
• autonomy
• caregiving
• dignity
• emotional journey

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The World Is an Easier Place Without You In It

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