This is, as they say, a Very Personal Episode™. In April of 2022, I lost my life partner of 17 years. It was every kind of horrible, as such things are, and I was lucky to have a solid bulwark of family and friends.

Additionally, I'll always be grateful to Earth™ for their amazing service during this time. Richard hadn't committed his preferences to paper, but I knew what they were. He wanted to leave the earth gently, no coffin, no chemicals, so I contacted Earth, and they took it — and him — from there.

Science, technology, innovation, and compassion don't always line up as neatly as we'd like. This is one of those magical moments when they do. Please take a moment to hear from Earth co-founder & COO Carolyn Maezes. Check out their website, which even includes a glossary of terms to help us avoid confusion and misunderstanding.

Then, if you're like Richard and me and want your final goodbye to be a gentle one, consider signing up if you can or advocating for soil transformation in your state.

Earth phone number: 877-327-4109

Opening music by Danail Draganov from Storyblocks.