Talk Deathy to Me

Most of us remember our first big loss — the moment grief became personal and permanent. In this episode, Kaylee and Sheila reflect on first losses and how they shape the way we experience grief moving forward. They talk about how early encounters with death or loss quietly influence our expectations, coping, and understanding of mortality for the rest of our lives. Please consider leaving us a re...

Returning to work after a loss can feel disorienting and surreal. In this episode, Kaylee and Sheila talk about the shock of stepping back into routines, expectations, and productivity while grief is still raw. They explore the pressure to perform, the quiet ways grief shows up at work, and why it’s okay if loss changes how you move through your professional life. Please consider leaving us a revi...

At the end of life, people don’t only wrestle with big existential questions. They worry about unfinished chores, awkward conversations, pets, plants, and small loose ends that still matter deeply. In this episode, Kaylee and Sheila explore the everyday concerns that show up near death, and why paying attention to these “small” worries can be one of the most meaningful ways to care for someone at...

What does dying really feel like in the body? In this episode, Kaylee and Sheila talk about the physical and emotional changes that often happen near the end of life — the slowing down, the turning inward, the gradual letting go. Drawing from lived experience and end-of-life work, they explore how death is often gentler than we’re taught to expect, and why it can be harder on the people watching t...

This episode is for the adult kids quietly worrying — and the aging parents who still feel capable, even as living alone gets more complicated. Kaylee, Sheila, and Kelsey talk about the moment families realize home may no longer be the safest option, and why waiting for a crisis takes choice away from everyone. Drawing from Kaylee’s experience in nursing homes, they share real tools, honest storie...

Today, Kaylee, Sheila, and Kelsey dive into listener-submitted stories about grief, loss, and the complicated emotions that follow. Together, they unpack real situations where mourning intersects with messy human behavior — and help determine whether the storyteller is the a**hole. Our hosts offer gentle guidance, tough love when needed, and a safe space for listeners to reflect on their own grief...

Dating after loss is… complicated. Some people feel ready. Some people swear they’ll never date again. And some of us are just trying to figure out why the apps look like a yard sale of red flags. In Dating Again: Yes, No, or Hell No, Sheila opens up the real conversation about what it means to tiptoe, leap, or run-screaming back into the world of dating after losing a spouse. With humor, honesty,...

In Opening the Door for Grief, we explore how to gently help others open up about their pain. This episode offers simple, compassionate ways to create space for honest conversation—because sometimes, being present and willing to listen is the most healing thing we can do. If you've enjoyed this episode please leave us a review on iTunes or Spotify. And if you think someone you know will enjoy it,...

Once meant to heal, these asylums became places of silence, suffering and forgotten souls. From unmarked graves that still rest beneath the earth to echoes of voices unheard. We explore the tragic history and talk about the emotional imprint these hospitals left behind. If you enjoyed this episode, we would LOVE for you to leave a review! Thank you. And if you have any stories (or topics for us to...

The girls talk about a different kind of gratitude today—the kind that grows roots in your grief. Gratitude isn't always about being thankful for the easy things... Sometimes it's about being open to the hard things too. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend. Please leave a review on iTunes or Spotify, too.

The holidays are supposed to be merry and bright, but what happens when they're not? In this episode Sheila and Kaylee talk about the quiet ache that comes with grief during the holidays season. From empty chairs to traditions that feel different now, they offer comfort, perspective, and gentle ways to honor both love and loss. This isn't about pretending to be okay, it's about finding small momen...

In a world that never stops talking, what can silence teach us? Kaylee and Sheila explore how quiet moments can become spaces for healing, reflection, and reconnection—with ourselves and others. When was the last time you truly listened to the silence? Please consider leaving us a review on iTunes and Spotify and following us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/talkdeathytome Email your stories...

Kaylee brings forward an idea — grieving the other versions of ourselves. The lives we might’ve lived if we’d made different choices, taken other jobs, stayed, left, or said yes instead of no. It sparks an open conversation about how we all carry those “what ifs.” Kaylee and Kelsey realize just how differently they each think about paths not taken, while Sheila reflects on raising three children w...

What can autumn teach us about grief, change, and letting go? The Talk Deathy to Me team reflects on the season’s lessons — release, rest, and renewal. As the leaves begin to fall, nature reminds us that letting go can be its own kind of grace. In this episode, Sheila helps us explore autumn as a quiet teacher — one that shows us how to release, rest, and find beauty in transition. From the gentle...

Trigger Warning: This episode includes sensitive themes related to grief, loss, and emotional well-being. Not all grief is seen. Some losses are deeply felt but quietly dismissed — relationships that didn’t have a title, people we weren’t “supposed” to love, lives that ended before they began, or even the versions of ourselves we’ve had to leave behind. In this episode, we explore disenfranchised...

What if a lake monster wasn’t something to fear—but something that watches over the dead? In this episode, Talk Deathy To Me looks at Champ, the legendary creature said to inhabit Lake Champlain, through the lens of death, memory, and protection. Creature or legend, Champ has been part of regional folklore for centuries. But unlike typical monster stories, some traditions—especially Indigenous Abe...

In this episode, we dive into the real-life accounts of animals who seemed to sense death coming long before any human could. There’s Oscar the Cat, who curled up beside nursing home patients in Rhode Island—and was almost never wrong about who was about to die. Dogs who jolted their owners awake moments before fatal heart attacks. Pets who discovered hidden cancers, years before doctors could. An...

Inspired by a listener’s comment, we dive into the strange world of posthumous marriage—when “I do” happens after death. Sheila explores the tragedy of loved ones lost too soon, the cultural roots of this practice in China, Sudan, France, India, and even America, and why these unions exist at all. Kaylee reminds us to not judge with the “don’t yuck someone’s yum” approach, while Kelsey can’t help...

The process of diagnosing cancer is never straightforward—it’s a mix of medical steps, emotional weight, and the unknown. Sheila outlines how it unfolded when her husband was diagnosed, giving listeners an intimate view of the waiting, testing, and results. Kaylee grounds the conversation with clear explanations of the medical reality, walking through symptoms, scans, and what patients and familie...

They say you die when your body dies, then again when the last person speaks your name. It is the five year anniversary of Shane’s death, and this week’s episode is full of memories, laughter, a few tears, and of course, moments of “I wonder what he’d say”.  We’d love to share YOUR stories about your loved ones, let us speak their names and stories for you. Please consider leaving us a review on i...

We're back from our summer break! Dive into the world of the Algea with us—the spirits of pain, grief, and sorrow in Greek mythology. Born from Night itself, the Algea walked among the grieving and the wounded, reminding the ancient Greeks that suffering was as natural and inevitable as the dark. Kelsey shares their mythological origins, how the Greeks understood and lived with sorrow, and even wh...

If you're needing to "let it all out on paper" but don't know where to start, start here! This episode gives questions for journal prompts to get the grief moving. Please consider leaving us a review on iTunes and Spotify and following us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! Email your stories, questions, and musings to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠talkdeathytome@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠.   Thi...

What if you knew someone was going to die — before it happened? In this episode, Kaylee and Sheila dive into an anonymous listener story that sparks a conversation about the strange pull some people feel right before a loved one passes. From the urge to call, to the sudden need to visit someone’s bedside, they explore the theory that dying people may somehow “choose” who is with them in their fina...

Some children speak of past lives with startling detail—names, places, causes of death, even people they claim to have loved before. Are they just imaginative… or is something bigger at play? In this episode, Sheila and Kaylee explore the strange and fascinating world of children who remember past lives. They talk about why these memories might surface in childhood, the common threads researchers...

Trigger Warning: This episode includes sensitive discussion around neglect and substance use. If you or someone you know is in need of support: National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 800-422-4453 Kaylee and Sheila read and discuss a story from an anonymous listener in this week's episode! This listener’s experience becomes a mirror, showing how hea...