223. 11 Years at a Trauma Center: A Hospital Chaplain's Guide to Grief, Death, and Living with J.S. Park

Drop me a message or voice note!What happens when the person who holds space for the dying suddenly becomes the one who needs to be held?I sat down with J.S. Park, hospital chaplain of 11 years at a Level 1 trauma center, for one of the most profound conversations I've ever had on this podcast. And before we even hit record, life had already handed us a plot twist: our original recording date had to be pushed because J.S.'s own mother was struck by a drunk driver and became a trauma patient at the very type of hospital where he works. Just sit with that for a moment.What followed was a conversation I'll never forget, and one I know you won't either.We talk about:✨ What it's really like to be a chaplain in a Level 1 trauma center✨ What J.S. learned about grief from suddenly being "on the other side" when his mom became a patient✨ How he processes the emotional residue of caregiving✨ The concept of being a "mid-road companion"✨ Asynchronous grief in families and why everyone grieves on a different timeline✨ Why rituals and storytelling at the bedside matter more than most people realize✨ The grief literacy gap✨ End-of-life lessons: what people actually regret, and how J.S. is living differently because of it✨ His book, As Long As You NeedWhether you're a grieving person, a caregiver, or someone who loves someone who is hurting, this episode is going to meet you exactly where you are.Connect with J.S.:https://www.instagram.com/jspark3000/https://substack.com/@jsparkhttps://www.threads.com/@jspark3000Learn more about Letters of Light 💌✨ https://lossesbecomegains.com/lettersSupport the showLetters of Light 💌✨ https://lossesbecomegains.com/lettersSupport the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast📖 Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/Connect with me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gainsWebsite: https://lossesbecomegains.com/Work with me one-on-one: https://lossesbecomegains.com/work-with-taraShop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journalBy accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purpo...