PinnedChristen O'BrieninHuman PartsWhat It Felt Like to Almost DieMy near-death experience taught me not to fear those final momentsJan 18, 2019170Jan 18, 2019170
Christen O'BrienMy Brush with Anthony Bourdain“Tony wears fucking espadrilles now!”, she said to me as the three of us huddled together at the after-party, her voice laden with humor…Aug 27, 2021Aug 27, 2021
Christen O'BrienAs I Stood on the Edge of DeathRealizing I was dying was like being pushed into a pool. No sliver, no ounce, no existence of control. I kept my story secret for a…Aug 18, 202112Aug 18, 202112
Christen O'BrienHow to Lose Your Best FriendNo one tells you what it’s like to put your dog down, to hold your best friend as they take their last breath. Here’s what no one told me…May 17, 2021May 17, 2021
Christen O'BrienThe Truth About His DivorceThe beginning of the actual divorce long predated the beginning of the legal one. You could say it started when his business sank into…Dec 12, 2020Dec 12, 2020
Christen O'BrienWe Are Made of Stars: A Look at Human Ashes Under a High Powered MicroscopeEverything changed for Gabriela Reyes Fuchs the day she got that phone call from her Father. A physician who saved many lives during his…Jul 11, 20203Jul 11, 20203
Christen O'BrienI Ignored My White Privilege in a Mixed Race FamilyIn my high school class, I was the only white O’Brien. My Aunt Judy had adopted seven children from Brazil many years earlier, two of whom…Jun 10, 20204Jun 10, 20204
Christen O'BrieninHuman PartsMy Dog Lay With Me at the Hour of My DeathShe helped me survive with a new understanding of the world around usMay 29, 202026May 29, 202026
Christen O'BrienWe’re All Living in a Spaceship Now: The Oddity of Our Pandemic POV“This is Major Tom to Ground Control I’m steppin’ through the door And I’m floating in the most peculiar way And the stars look very…Apr 11, 2020Apr 11, 2020
Christen O'BrienWhy We Struggle to Talk About DeathIt wasn’t until I almost died that I began to understand death. After surviving a massive pulmonary embolism that the E.R. physician…Jan 29, 2020Jan 29, 2020