From SGI USA, I'm Cassidy Bradford, and this is bootability.

The weekly series where I talk with Buddhists from all walks of life about the power we each have to change our lives and the world around us.

How can one of the most inevitable things in life still be so shocking and confusing when it happens? The original Buddha, Shakyamuni, realize that all people, no matter their circumstances, experience what's called the four sufferings.

They are birth, aging, illness, and death.

Buddhism teaches that although we all inevitably face these four aspects of life,

we can surmount the suffering associated with them and ultimately transform them.

Unfortunately, no one can tell us what that process will look like for us or how long it will

take. Through hearing the experiences of others, though, we can gain the hope and perspective

to keep going. Today, I'm talking with

Una Friedland of Berkeley, Michigan, who had to grapple with a changing and unexpected reality.

She shares how she navigated the sufferings of illness and death and creates new meaning for her life today.

Welcome, Una to bootability.

Thank you so much for joining.

And I always, every episode, have folks start with an introduction and introduce themselves.

So if you can just tell me a little bit about who you are and then I think maybe for our conversation today just a little bit about like your

life growing up. Sure. Hey, happy to be here. I'm Una Friedland. I live outside of Detroit, Michigan

in a little suburb called Berkeley. I was born and raised in Michigan.

And growing up, I was raised by a single mom who was a lawyer who worked, worked endless hours.

And was super dedicated to her career. She was a lady for the people. A total, like, I always call her, like, my justice

warrior. And she's really kind of, like, where I got, I would say, like, my fighting spirit from.

She was constantly just, like, instilling the values of, like, equality, justice, like,

just really always looking out for your community and those around you. And really, I would say,

...