An audio documentary
about finding the people we’ve lost, even after they pass away.
When my parents died, I was left feeling angry, abandoned, and unsure of a lot of facts about our family and my childhood. They both suffered long, protracted declines which made it hard to remember them clearly.
I was sick of carrying around the weight of all the suffering we had experienced over the years. I wanted to replace it with something new, a fresh perspective, a more accurate understanding of who they had been, what they’d experienced, and all of the events that shaped our lives - before I was born, and after.
And so, I asked for help. After a lot of time, distance, and therapy, I began to reach out to the people who had known them - and us - when we were a family and after. I asked my questions, learned new things, and pieced it all together.
In the end, this journey took me several months. And it changed me. The weight lifted, the fog cleared, and I finally found the understanding I had been looking for.
This is my story - and, our story - about how the things we lost, were found again.
Listen on –
Cat O’Shaughnessy Coffrin
I’m a writer, a speaker, and a brand consultant living in Stowe, Vermont. I grew up in Seattle, the daughter of a teacher and a cop who showed me great love and also carried great pain.
From them, I learned how to fight for what you care about and how to follow your heart. After my parents died, and after spending my career helping others find and tell the stories of their lives, I decided it was time to do the same for me - and for us.
It was a journey that changed me. I am grateful to share it with you.
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