Life Happens Laugh Anyway

LIFE HAPPENS, GRIEVE ANYWAY Grief isn't just something we experience after losing a loved one. We grieve broken relationships, lost dreams, health challenges, career changes, empty nests, beloved pets, and seasons of life that don't turn out the way we expected. In this episode, Tracy is joined by special guest and substitute co-host Valerie DeGraaf for an honest conversation about the many faces...

🧠🎨 Left Brain vs. Right Brain: Why We Need Both Are you the person who plans every minute of vacation... or are you happy to hop in the car and see where the day takes you? 🚗🗺️ In this episode, Cathrine and Tracy dive into the classic "left brain vs. right brain" conversation. While modern science says our brains don't work quite this simply, many of us naturally lean toward being more analytic...

🎙️ Episode 272: Sarah's Oil Movie Review ⛽🛢️⭐ Have you ever watched a movie and then immediately started Googling because you realized there was a whole chapter of history you never learned in school? 🤯 That's exactly what happened to us after watching Sarah's Oil! This week, Cathrine, Emily, and Tracy discuss the inspiring true story of Sarah Rector, a young Black girl whose seemingly worthles...

🎙️ Episode 273: The Shocking Reality of Adulthood 😳😂 Stuff That Took Us by Surprise… No Matter When We Grew Up What did you think adulthood would be like? Freedom? Fun? Staying up as late as you want and eating ice cream for dinner? 🍦 Yeah... us too. In this episode, Tracy, Cathrine, and special guest Valerie (our favorite Millennial mom!) compare notes on the realities of adulthood from two di...

🎙️ Episode 270: Change Happens There are two kinds of change: 1️⃣ The kind you choose. 2️⃣ The kind that just happens. And honestly? Both can mess with your emotions a little. 😅 In this episode of the Life Happens, Laugh Anyway podcast, Cathrine and Tracy talk about the reality that change can feel uncomfortable, emotional, exciting, scary, heartbreaking, and beautiful… sometimes all at once.   ...

🎙️ Episode 268: “A Nostalgic Look Back in Time” 😂 A hilarious walk down memory lane for Gen X, Boomers, exhausted moms, and anyone born before Wi-Fi. This week on the Life Happens, Laugh Anyway podcast, Tracy and Cathrine dive headfirst into the weird, wonderful, mildly dangerous world of growing up before smartphones, streaming, GPS and Amazon Prime. 😂 If you ever: 📼 taped over a family weddin...

🎙️ Episode 267: Wise Decision Making How to Know if a Decision Lines Up with God’s Will 🎧 OPENING We all have decisions to make: Big ones Small ones Emotional ones Expensive ones 😅 And sometimes decisions that keep us awake at 2 a.m. replaying imaginary conversations. Today we’re talking about: 👉 How do you make a wise decision that truly lines up with God’s will? Not just: “What do I WANT to d...

🎙️ Episode 266: “Are you there God? It’s Me Margaret. (Faith, Feelings & the Awkward Years)” Ever wish you could go back and give your middle school self a hug… and maybe a better training bra? 😆 This week, we’re joined by Cathrine’s daughter Emily (film & theater grad 🎬) as we dive into the coming-of-age classic Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret—and WOW did it take us back. From awkw...

🎙️ Episode 265: Betrayal, Secrets & Lies — The “Bible Study Kidnapper” Story (😳 True crime vibes… but make it faith-filled, discerning, and a little bit “how did NO ONE see this coming?!”) ✨ 3 Takeaways 1. Not everyone who looks “godly”… is safe This story is a sobering reminder that appearances can be deceiving. Someone can sound spiritual, lead a Bible study, say all the right things… and...

🎙️ Episode 264: Why We Overcomplicate Things ✨ 3 Takeaways: We overthink EVERYTHING (from dinner… to texting “K” and spiraling for 3 hours 😅) Simplicity is usually the better path—but for some reason we fight it like it owes us money Peace comes when we stop complicating what God already made simple 😂 In This Episode: Ever taken something super simple… and turned it into a full-blown emotional...

🎙️ Episode 263: First-Time Mom: What No One Tells You (and What Actually Helps) ✨ Featuring Cathrine, Tracy and our special guest and Humor Contributor Valerie 1. You don’t have to be perfect to be a great mom—your baby just needs YOU. 💛 Let’s be real… the pressure is intense. But perfection isn’t the goal—presence is. 2. Shocking truths of motherhood 😳👶 No one tells you everything… but we wil...

🎙️ Episode 262: Dear Cathrine & Tracy – Part 2 Marriage, Boundaries & When Your Kids Choose Differently 💥 HOOK: Marriage gets tired. Kids grow up and get opinions. And suddenly you’re asking… “Wait… what just happened to my life?!” Welcome to Part 2 of our Dear Cathrine & Tracy series—where we tackle real-life questions with honesty, humor, and just enough wisdom to keep us all out of...

🎙️ Episode 261: Dear Cathrine & Tracy 💌 Anniversaries ✈️ Airplane Etiquette 😳 & Adult Friendships 🫶 Ever wish you had a couple wise (and slightly sarcastic) friends to answer your real-life questions? Well… you do. 😄 In this episode, we pulled from YOUR submissions and tackled everything from dreamy anniversary trips to airplane drama to the age-old question… 👉 “Why is it so hard to m...

🎙️ Episode 260: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Sometimes the simplest messages are the most powerful. ❤️ In this episode, Tracy and Cathrine dive into the heartwarming documentary about the life and legacy of Fred Rogers — the gentle soul behind the beloved children’s show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. What we discovered surprised us… moved us… and honestly made us tear up a little. 🥹 This episode take...

🎙️ Episode 259: Little Joys Make a BIG Difference Life doesn’t always hand us giant, fireworks-level moments of happiness. 🎆 But you know what it does give us? Tiny, everyday joys… the kind we usually rush right past. ☕🌿🚿 In this episode, Cathrine & Tracy slow down and celebrate the little things that make a BIG difference in our mood, our mindset, and even our faith. Because sometimes the...

🎙️ Episode 258: Ways People Can Serve “We all love serving… until it’s inconvenient.” 😅 In this episode, we’re getting honest about what serving really looks like — when it’s beautiful, when it’s exhausting, and when it’s horribly wonderful (yes, Camp Daniel, we’re looking at you 👀). From caregiving to mission trips, from BSF leadership to grandkids, from election judge duty to marriage… we’re u...

🎙️ Episode 257: Raised Like Feral Cats 🐾 vs. Parenting Like Helicopters 🚁   Were we wildly independent woodland children… or just lightly supervised chaos goblins? 😆 And are today’s parents overprotective… or deeply intentional? In this episode, we laugh, reflect, and gently challenge both generations — because the truth is rarely found at the extremes.   🧃 Segment 1: The Nostalgia Ahhh yes… t...

🎙️ Episode 255: SHIFT HAPPENS Redefining Identity After Life Changes 💥 Ohhhhhh SHIFT… what just happened?! One day you’re needed 24/7. The next, the house is quiet. One day your title defines you. The next, it’s gone. And suddenly you’re asking the question no one prepared you for: 👉 Who am I now? In this episode, we’re talking about identity shifts — the kind that come with motherhood, empty ne...

🎙️ Episode 254: Faith Lessons Learned the Hard Way Let’s be honest—most of our faith lessons didn’t come from a comfy Bible study with great snacks. They came from mistakes, heartbreak, criticism, parenting panic, and moments where walking away felt like failure… until it didn’t. In this episode, Cathrine and Tracy get real about the faith lessons that only come the hard way—and why we wouldn’t tr...

🎙️ Episode 253: The Benefits of Journaling Have you ever written something down and thought, “Ohhh… so THAT’S what’s going on inside me”? That’s the magic of journaling. In this episode, we’re unpacking why journaling matters, how it helps us emotionally and spiritually, and why putting pen to paper can be a game-changer for your faith and mental health. 🧠 I. Why We Journal & What Are the Ben...

🎙️ Episode 252 Stupid Laws and Taxes in Illinois 🤦‍♀️📜💸 Illinois is famous for deep-dish pizza, Lincoln… and apparently some truly head-scratching laws and taxes. In this episode, Cathrine and Tracy dive into the ridiculous, outdated, and downright dumb things still on the books — and what we’re supposed to do with all that frustration as people of faith. 🆕 Segment 1: Cathrine’s 4 NEW Illinois...

🎙️ Episode 251: Cruise Control 🚢 Tips & Tricks for Better Cruising (Especially for First-Timers!) What do you get when two women turn 60, bring their husbands, invite best friends, and put four first-time cruisers on a 7-day Caribbean cruise? A whole lot of laughter… and a whole lot of lessons. 😄 In this episode, Tracy and Cathrine share practical, funny, real-life tips for first-time cruise...