Rest in Peace Now

"We hear celebration of life in reference to funerals when it comes to people's death. And I don't think we should wait until someone dies to celebrate their life. We should learn to celebrate now ourselves, the people we love. Also, why do I have to wait to die to rest in peace?"

Lily Truong is an existential Earthling existing as a first-generation Vietnamese-American queer femme, a squishy human with a squiggly brain psychotherapist, healing arts practitioner, coconut ninja, lover of life, companion of death, dot connector, community builder, rebel anarchist, cool rich auntie, and proud cat mum.

Lily's dad died when she was two. Her partner was murdered in 2020. And her mother died in 2021 on Mother's Day.

Lily has been walking with death her whole life. In this episode, Lily shares about her personal experience with grief while supporting her mother through her death journey, and how this experience has changed her perspective on life. She also talks about how her mother's unexpressed grief affected her understanding of death as a child.

Lily and Ellen discuss the importance of celebrating life now rather than waiting for death, as well as prioritizing rest and peace in everyday life. And they reflect on the transformative nature of grief and the need its expression.

About Lily Truong

Lily Truong is a pre-licensed therapist working in community mental health and private practice, whose ultimate intention is to share the transformative possibilities and benefits of counseling and communal care with those in search of healing. She operates through a social justice lens with the perspective of a first-generation Vietnamese-American queer femme weaving between the intersections of Eastern philosophies of mindfulness and contemporary depth-oriented theories in clinical practice. As a mental health counselor and healing arts practitioner, she is passionate about decolonizing and deconstructing oppressive ideologies; healing relational wounds and intergenerational trauma; reconnecting to ancestry to honor the lands and our lineages; merging inner worlds with outdoor environments by integrating nature’s healing into therapeutic practice; embracing life as an embodied experience; discharging shame for radical self-acceptance, bridging the interconnective synergy of mind/body/spirit through psychosomatic awareness and integration; and promoting diversity consciousness, community empowerment, and compassionate action.

Learn more about Lily's work at heavyhearts.club

Follow Lily on Instagram @cocolily.

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