033 | What Death Taught Me About Living | Taylor Hayes

Vaccines | Medical Trauma | Public Trust | Fatherlessness | ForgivenessTaylor Hayes is a physician assistant, educator, researcher, author, wife, mother, and deep thinker. In this conversation we explore everything from social media algorithms, public trust, and healthcare to grief, trauma, parenting, faith, creativity, and forgiveness.Taylor shares what it was like growing up without her father, reconnecting with him decades later, working with critically ill patients, witnessing death on a regular basis, and ultimately transitioning into medical education. Along the way, we discuss family stability, raising children, burnout, writing, purpose, and the importance of asking difficult questions without losing our humanity.This episode is a reminder that some of life's most important conversations don't fit neatly into headlines, algorithms, or political camps.CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction To Hold This Thought01:31 Conspiracies, Algorithms, And Going Down The Rabbit Hole10:26 Vaccines, Public Trust, And Asking Better Questions19:22 Growing Up Black In Rural West Virginia28:20 The CDC Shooting And The Dangers Of Distrust36:32 End-Of-Life Care And The Conversations We Avoid44:17 Witnessing Death As A Healthcare Provider52:06 Leaving Clinical Medicine For Education01:00:08 Growing Up In A Single-Parent Household01:08:58 The Day Her Father Disappeared Again01:17:22 Forgiveness, Brothers, And Letting Go Of Bitterness01:25:08 Why Family Must Come Before Ministry01:33:16 Discovering Creativity Through Writing01:41:19 Fiction, Imagination, And Why Stories Matter01:49:12 The Reality Of Writing A Book01:57:43 Researching Burnout And Physician Well-Being02:00:03 Final Thoughts On Creativity And Pursuing Ideas