Produced by the ILAB at WBUR Boston.

The universe has good news for the lost, lonely, and heart sick.

Sugar is here, the both of us, speaking straight into your ears.

I'm Cheryl Strayed.

I'm Steve Almond.

This is Dear Sugar Radio.

Oh dear, so won't you please.

Share some little sweet days with me.

I check my bedbite every day.

Oh, and this sugar, you see in my way.

Hi Steve.

Hi Cheryl.

So this week, pretty serious topic.

Yeah, this is a tough one.

So when we think about people in our lives dying,

I think the way we see all the time in TV and movie images,

for instance, the worst nightmare is just receiving that phone call.

And this is to inform you.

I have some bad news for you.

And you think, oh my God, how calamitous, you know,

not even a chance to say anything.

This person's gone.

...