The Mourning Crew

After a Spring Break of their own, the Crew is back with an episode devoted to finances. Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads talk about the different costs associated with loss, including immediate expenses like funerals, burials, memorials as well as long-lasting impact. Kathy opens up about how her family's financial state changed after the loss of her dad, while Kelsey describes the behind the scenes finan...

Building on last week's topic, the Crew discusses anticipatory grief - how common it is even though it's hard to talk about, the anxiety that comes with it, and how it can be heightened after already going through a big loss. They share their best tips for how to reframe and cope with it, how modern technology like Find My Friends can both help and hurt those anxieties, and how your "sad-o-meter"...

Pop, Fizz, Clink! The Mourning Crew celebrates one year! Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads take a moment to thank both the listeners & each other for an incredible year. In this episode, the Crew talks about what it's like when life feels "too good". They explain how the "waiting for the other shoe to drop" feeling creeps in and what it takes to get rid of it. They also discuss how mental health can be...

In this week's episode, Kelsey's younger sister Kylie joins the Mourning Crew! Kathy and Mads take the reins asking questions and we hear about the differences between the sisters, how their parents helped "mastermind" them being close growing up and how their relationship changed after losing their mom. Kylie shares how she endured her graduation one day after her mom passed, her biggest takeaway...

Kathy and Kelsey tackle the topic of health and how watching a parent battle a terminal illness (both physically & mentally) changed how they both think about health. In this ep, they talk about the importance of their own health, how they view the health of others, and things they do or don't do for themselves. They talk about experiences in hospitals, how they want to remember their parents...

In this episode, Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads discuss milestones and how those days especially shine a light on loss. Kathy shares the special gift her dad left her for various life milestones. She shares the complexity of having such a beautiful gift but also how it leaves her wanting more. They also talk about John Mayer's poignant Instagram post, which marked the one-year anniversary of Bob Saget's...

Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads are back for Season 2! They all share a post-holiday recap. Mads visited her dad over the break and shares a sweet moment with him. Kathy talks about going on offense with grief and “sharing a drink” with her dad. And Kelsey discusses how her family chose to honor her mom at Christmas. The three gals also discuss cemetery visits and some unexpected triggers. Instagram @them...

In the last episode of 2022, Kathy, Mads, and Kelsey tackle the holidays--the many ways grief comes in stronger than usual and how they've each coped with it. They cover how they approach traditions, interacting with other family, social media and the added layer that grief brings to a very stressful (but also fun) time of the year. They also catch up on Mads' Good Morning America appearance and t...

Kathy, Mads, and Kelsey are back after a Thanksgiving break! Kathy explains how grief managed to creep into her week of stressful events, even when it was the last thing on her mind. We also discuss the viral Podcrushed clip featuring Andy Grammer's theory about going on "offense" with grief. Although this approach can seem daunting, we talk about the baby steps we can take to try to get there. In...

In the third and final part of our series about getting to know the hosts as people beyond grief, Mads steps into the hot seat. Learn what advice she would have given herself in high school, what makes her the happiest (other than Mamma Mia 2), and why she almost ghosted Kathy during the tryout process. Plus hear her top four Taylor Swift songs of all time (not including Midnights) as one of Taylo...

We are back with part two of our three part special series, where Kelsey takes the hot seat. We learn about her love languages, who her biggest confidant is, career moves, and how she's navigated her year of firsts with grief. She also shares her favorite qualities of Kathy and Mads! Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Res...

Kathy is in the hot seat in part one of our new three part special series all about getting to know each co-host as people, not just surrounding grief. Learn about Kathy's personality type, dating life, career background, RBF, life goals, and the qualities she feels like she inherited from her dad. Plus hear her first impressions of Kelsey and Mads. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningc...

Kathy & Kelsey share a casual chat this week. They talk about what grief is like in those "in between moments," the times where there is no holiday, anniversary, or big milestone, just regular "everyday grief." After talking about their meetup in LA, they start to discuss the headspace that comes with grief, especially when it's brought on by natural and unavoidable triggers in life. Kathy &am...

The Mourning Crew welcomes Shannon, Mads’ best friend for nearly 15 years! Shannon’s dad passed away years before they became friends, so it wasn’t until Mads experienced grief herself that she was able to really connect to and understand what Shannon had been through. We reflect on things related to grief and loss that they only recently started talking about and all that they’ve learned about ea...

The Mourning Crew welcomes their first male guest... Shane! Kathy and Shane have known each other for years, but only recently started sharing stories about their grief journey with each other. Shane lost his dad about 7 years ago and assumed the role "male of the house." Kathy, Mads and Kelsey ask Shane about the expectations, differences, and common stereotypes that males face with grief. Shane...

Kathy, Mads and Kelsey breakdown the many dynamics between grief and social media (and we all know social media is complicated enough as it is.) There's the harder stuff like seeing triggering posts and posting about your loved one, but there's also incredibly positive outcomes like community (this podcast included) and finding accessible resources. They talk about how much the unwritten social me...

Kathy, Mads and Kelsey welcome their first ever guest of the Mourning Crew, Claire! Claire and Kathy met as counselors for Camp Kesem and she lost her dad when she was 12 too. Claire is recently engaged, so we cover how losing a parent impacts wedding planning--both what she wants to do to honor him and what she wants to avoid. Additionally, we talk about experiences attending weddings and how thi...

Kathy shares her approach to Father's Day and what has made her feel guilty in the past. Mads, Kelsey and Kathy also talk about graduation days and why those can sneakily be loaded with grief too. Plus, they talk anticipatory grief on bigger milestone days and how sometimes that can feel heavier than the actual day. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew...

Mads, Kathy and Kelsey dive into how TV shows and movies tackle grief and loss and the difference between a thoughtful and lazy approach. There’s a wide range of examples that they breakdown (spoiler alert!) between This Is Us, the new Top Gun: Maverick, One Tree Hill and Summer House, but each have impacted them in some way. They also talk Disney movies and reality TV because grief is really port...

Most people don't know what to do or say when someone close to them is grieving. They want to be there for them, but they don't want to do the "wrong" thing. Kathy, Mads, and Kelsey share a wide range of examples they've each experienced to help give ideas and tips for supporting your loved ones grieve. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page...

Kelsey talks about it being her first Mother's Day without her mom. Kathy and Mads share their support and advice from other big firsts that they've experienced. They discuss the impact of companies sending Mother's and Father's Day "opt out" emails. Kathy and Kelsey also talk about meeting for the first time in person--Mads was there in spirit! Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@...

Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads share how guilt and jealousy have been intertwined in grief for each of them. And layered with that, there’s comparison, regret and so many other emotions that we don't love talking about but are important to tackle. (Trigger Warning- throat cancer treatment)

Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads dive into how grief impacts all of the non-romantic relationships in their lives--from siblings, parents, friends, grandparents, and coworkers. Each of their experiences are unique, and this conversation is a reminder of all the layers of grief and how it shifts your perspective on just about everything.

Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads talk about what complications grief can add to an already rough dating landscape (as if dating apps didn't make it hard enough!) Hear about what it's like dating someone when you lose a loved one, handling an ex reaching out, grappling with the idea that a future partner wouldn't know your loved one, and much more. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.c...

Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads discuss what you do when you’re prompted or triggered to think about the person you lost. Sometimes it’s fleeting, sometimes it makes you smile, and sometimes it’s a gut punch. The moments can be big or small, subtle or obvious, but they're happening all the time. Listen to the similarities, differences, and sometimes funny stories they share about these moments in their li...