November 9, 2025 • 8 mins
Mindy and Mikaela speak with Jim about different ways of dealing with death.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Before this show is flying by. Today, we've had all
kinds of different conversations, from very serious to teenage suicide
to talking all about Broadway shows coming to Columbus, which
we're hearing in our ear right now. It's always fun
to talk about that. Just wanted to bring something up
because you know, we talk about all the time how
life happens, and you have to make the most out
(00:21):
of every day because honestly, we're never promised tomorrow. We
never know one day to the next when that will
be our very last day year on earth, or the
death of someone we're extremely close to. And I can't believe, Mikayla.
We've been doing this show together for so many years,
and we've been through each other's ups and downs and
family drama and job losses and losses of life, and
(00:45):
can you believe? On Thursday, November sixth, it was my
mom's two year anniversary of her death. It's been two
years already.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I feel like it was quick, but at the same time,
I feel like it's been a really long time. That
cold night that we were in the parking lot over
at Sheddinger, right.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Is that correct?
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Moreland about right by?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Over in Westerville and I it seems like it was
so long ago her memorial service, but it also seems
like it goes quickly. I don't know that's you know,
everyone explains things that way, but that's how I feel
about it.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
And death is so hard to deal with. You know.
You can look at it one or two ways. Oh
welle was me and feel so sorry for yourself that
this person has gone, or you can just be so
grateful that you had this person in your life, and
in Mom's case, for so long. She would have turned
ninety three a couple of weeks later on November twenty ninth.
(01:39):
So and I was always always so grateful that we
had the best mother daughter relationship you could probably ever
ever hope for. She was always picking at me for
something you're not wearing that many Oh my gosh, I mean,
but that's what made us so close for so many years.
And I put a post out there and I said,
it was so rare that we would go two days
(02:00):
without seeing one another because we lived five minutes apart
or talking to each other. And now it's been two years,
and I do miss her so much. I missed those conversations.
I miss seeing her and hugging her. But she was
such a fighter and such a strong champion of life.
I'm just so grateful that I was her daughter. And Jim,
we asked you to stick around from the last cap
A segment because you had almost the exact same thing
(02:24):
happened right around Christmas time.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Two days after Christmas twenty twenty three. Two days after
Christmas twenty twenty three, my mom passed. I got a call.
We went to church on Christmas Eve and I was
sitting in my car in look, my mom was already
in the hospital. My mom had actually moved in with
us a couple of years before that, and we took
(02:47):
help take care of her. But she was in the hospital.
And I pulled in the driveway after church on Christmas
Eve and I got a call from the doctor that said,
you guys probably need to call your family, and you
guys probably need to all come and be here at
the hospital because I don't know how much longer it's
(03:09):
going to be. So Christmas Eve, so Christmas Day were
spent at the hospital, and it was a couple ended
up being a couple of days. But yeah, that was
it was a rough experience for sure.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Two years later, almost How do you feel about the holidays?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
And how old was she? First of all, let me
ask you.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
That eighty three eighty four four.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Okay, So given the fact that happens specifically around the holidays,
does that make the holidays tougher? Or is it or
because she was able to live to eighty three eighty four,
does it feel it feels like it's more of a
memory of her and it's not a down time.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
That's a good question. It definitely brings it home a
little bit. I'll be frank. Last year, when we came
home from church and I pulled in the driveway, a
little tears, sure, because it's just like, oh, I remember
I was just a year ago, and that was not
kind of the phone call or the news or any
of that was not what I was expecting and certainly
(04:08):
not what I would have wanted. So it does bring
it home a little bit. You know. I think, no
matter what day it is, you're going to remember that day.
The fact that it was right around the holidays just
means that the holidays are going to be the days
that you're thinking about it more right, I agree with that.
So I mean, yeah, it does make the holidays a
(04:28):
little bit more bittersweet, but doesn't I mean, the holidays
were so cool in part because she made them that
way for so many years, right, so.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Exactly, But how lucky was she that you took care
of her for the last two years of her life.
A lot of times that falls on the shoulders of
daughters like we. My mom was living with us at
the very very end. She was adamant about being in
her own home, you know, in Westerville. I am not
going to and so we would take turns to go
(04:59):
take care of her. Yeah, And I was never ever
going to not take care of her. And I would
tell my sister and my brother, I would say, listen,
if this was us who wasn't doing our best or
feeling sick, Mom would be taking care of us wholeheartedly
with all her being. So I give you credit for that,
because a lot of times you don't have family here
(05:20):
to invite them have them into your home. And we
had to take mom fighting and kicking because we're like,
you're gonna stay with us now. Just so at the
very end, she was with Randy and me as well.
And I will always be so so appreciative of my
husband of how who took such great care of my
mom as.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Well, likewise with my wife for jumping right in.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Partners, you don't always have that, right.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
Yeah, we're really really fortunate to be in a situation
where we could do that. It was it was ultimately
ended up being the best thing for us and for mom.
So not easy either. Wait, no, it's no. I probably
yelled a lot.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
I did too, to be honest. I mean it's a
tough thing.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
You know. I say that it's sort of scolding myself,
but also to tell people that it's going to happen.
Probably if you're in that same situation, that you're not alone, right,
other people are. It's not it's hard. It could be hard.
You're a parent hard, probably don't want to be taken
care of. They're not used to being in that.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Position exactly right, But they're so appreciated And.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
It's not that they don't appreciate it. But I think
that there sometimes can just be sometimes when you're just
like ah, and you throw up your hands, right, oll,
mom can drink water? Can you just rat this water?
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Come on? But I wouldn't trade it for anything, And
I am so so blessed. So yes, I'm sad. And
I miss her wholeheartedly. I can't stand the thought of
not being able to talk with her, even though you
still talk, you know, you can't have those conversations back
and forth. But I know she's always still with me.
There's so many signs. I always look for signs. Do
you look for signs?
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Oh? Sure, and they're always there.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Just have Ben take his Tesla.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
With you in it to the graveyard, and she's standing
by a ray. We had a converse about ghost, Tesla
ghost earlier today.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
So that's why family was everything to mom though. So
on the anniversary of a two year death, my sister,
her daughter, Corey, Corey's husband, and my brother Matt, and
my husband Brandy and Camy all got together and went
to dinner, and then when we came home, Camey and
I randomly played you know, hey, let's up play Berry
Manlo and the very first song and it wasn't even
(07:24):
his far number one hit, but the very first song
that popped up was my mom's favorite Beary Manla song.
And it was a miracle. There you go, there's my sign.
I'm like, it could have played, Mandy, it could have
played I write played for song was my mom's all
time favorite. I'm like, there you go, that's a song.
You gotta look for those sizes.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
It helps you deal with death, it does, and I'm
so glad you guys got to share.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yeah, I think it's important for everybody to think about it.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
So Jim, thanks for sticking around.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
You got two seconds.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
We have, yeah for twenty seconds, but go ahead.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Right after I met Mindy was just a month or
so after her mom had passed, and I was already
going through this, and so I'm just going to say
thanks to Mindy for being such a good friend.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Well, dittoh, I mean, you know what, misery loves company,
but you have to know that you're not alone. You
go through stuff, and we kind of fed off each other.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Absolutely, But Joey is a better party.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Indeed, I just quoted that today misery loves company, but
joy is a better party.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I like that you two were all joy. This is
what matters on six ten WTV in
Before this show is flying by. Today, we've had all
kinds of different conversations, from very serious to teenage suicide
to talking all about Broadway shows coming to Columbus, which
we're hearing in our ear right now. It's always fun
to talk about that. Just wanted to bring something up
because you know, we talk about all the time how
life happens, and you have to make the most out
(00:21):
of every day because honestly, we're never promised tomorrow. We
never know one day to the next when that will
be our very last day year on earth, or the
death of someone we're extremely close to. And I can't believe, Mikayla.
We've been doing this show together for so many years,
and we've been through each other's ups and downs and
family drama and job losses and losses of life, and
(00:45):
can you believe? On Thursday, November sixth, it was my
mom's two year anniversary of her death. It's been two
years already.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I feel like it was quick, but at the same time,
I feel like it's been a really long time. That
cold night that we were in the parking lot over
at Sheddinger, right.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Is that correct?
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Moreland about right by?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Over in Westerville and I it seems like it was
so long ago her memorial service, but it also seems
like it goes quickly. I don't know that's you know,
everyone explains things that way, but that's how I feel
about it.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
And death is so hard to deal with. You know.
You can look at it one or two ways. Oh
welle was me and feel so sorry for yourself that
this person has gone, or you can just be so
grateful that you had this person in your life, and
in Mom's case, for so long. She would have turned
ninety three a couple of weeks later on November twenty ninth.
(01:39):
So and I was always always so grateful that we
had the best mother daughter relationship you could probably ever
ever hope for. She was always picking at me for
something you're not wearing that many Oh my gosh, I mean,
but that's what made us so close for so many years.
And I put a post out there and I said,
it was so rare that we would go two days
(02:00):
without seeing one another because we lived five minutes apart
or talking to each other. And now it's been two years,
and I do miss her so much. I missed those conversations.
I miss seeing her and hugging her. But she was
such a fighter and such a strong champion of life.
I'm just so grateful that I was her daughter. And Jim,
we asked you to stick around from the last cap
A segment because you had almost the exact same thing
(02:24):
happened right around Christmas time.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Two days after Christmas twenty twenty three. Two days after
Christmas twenty twenty three, my mom passed. I got a call.
We went to church on Christmas Eve and I was
sitting in my car in look, my mom was already
in the hospital. My mom had actually moved in with
us a couple of years before that, and we took
(02:47):
help take care of her. But she was in the hospital.
And I pulled in the driveway after church on Christmas
Eve and I got a call from the doctor that said,
you guys probably need to call your family, and you
guys probably need to all come and be here at
the hospital because I don't know how much longer it's
(03:09):
going to be. So Christmas Eve, so Christmas Day were
spent at the hospital, and it was a couple ended
up being a couple of days. But yeah, that was
it was a rough experience for sure.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Two years later, almost How do you feel about the holidays?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
And how old was she? First of all, let me
ask you.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
That eighty three eighty four four.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Okay, So given the fact that happens specifically around the holidays,
does that make the holidays tougher? Or is it or
because she was able to live to eighty three eighty four,
does it feel it feels like it's more of a
memory of her and it's not a down time.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
That's a good question. It definitely brings it home a
little bit. I'll be frank. Last year, when we came
home from church and I pulled in the driveway, a
little tears, sure, because it's just like, oh, I remember
I was just a year ago, and that was not
kind of the phone call or the news or any
of that was not what I was expecting and certainly
(04:08):
not what I would have wanted. So it does bring
it home a little bit. You know. I think, no
matter what day it is, you're going to remember that day.
The fact that it was right around the holidays just
means that the holidays are going to be the days
that you're thinking about it more right, I agree with that.
So I mean, yeah, it does make the holidays a
(04:28):
little bit more bittersweet, but doesn't I mean, the holidays
were so cool in part because she made them that
way for so many years, right, so.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Exactly, But how lucky was she that you took care
of her for the last two years of her life.
A lot of times that falls on the shoulders of
daughters like we. My mom was living with us at
the very very end. She was adamant about being in
her own home, you know, in Westerville. I am not
going to and so we would take turns to go
(04:59):
take care of her. Yeah, And I was never ever
going to not take care of her. And I would
tell my sister and my brother, I would say, listen,
if this was us who wasn't doing our best or
feeling sick, Mom would be taking care of us wholeheartedly
with all her being. So I give you credit for that,
because a lot of times you don't have family here
(05:20):
to invite them have them into your home. And we
had to take mom fighting and kicking because we're like,
you're gonna stay with us now. Just so at the
very end, she was with Randy and me as well.
And I will always be so so appreciative of my
husband of how who took such great care of my
mom as.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Well, likewise with my wife for jumping right in.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Partners, you don't always have that, right.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
Yeah, we're really really fortunate to be in a situation
where we could do that. It was it was ultimately
ended up being the best thing for us and for mom.
So not easy either. Wait, no, it's no. I probably
yelled a lot.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
I did too, to be honest. I mean it's a
tough thing.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
You know. I say that it's sort of scolding myself,
but also to tell people that it's going to happen.
Probably if you're in that same situation, that you're not alone, right,
other people are. It's not it's hard. It could be hard.
You're a parent hard, probably don't want to be taken
care of. They're not used to being in that.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Position exactly right, But they're so appreciated And.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
It's not that they don't appreciate it. But I think
that there sometimes can just be sometimes when you're just
like ah, and you throw up your hands, right, oll,
mom can drink water? Can you just rat this water?
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Come on? But I wouldn't trade it for anything, And
I am so so blessed. So yes, I'm sad. And
I miss her wholeheartedly. I can't stand the thought of
not being able to talk with her, even though you
still talk, you know, you can't have those conversations back
and forth. But I know she's always still with me.
There's so many signs. I always look for signs. Do
you look for signs?
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Oh? Sure, and they're always there.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Just have Ben take his Tesla.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
With you in it to the graveyard, and she's standing
by a ray. We had a converse about ghost, Tesla
ghost earlier today.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
So that's why family was everything to mom though. So
on the anniversary of a two year death, my sister,
her daughter, Corey, Corey's husband, and my brother Matt, and
my husband Brandy and Camy all got together and went
to dinner, and then when we came home, Camey and
I randomly played you know, hey, let's up play Berry
Manlo and the very first song and it wasn't even
(07:24):
his far number one hit, but the very first song
that popped up was my mom's favorite Beary Manla song.
And it was a miracle. There you go, there's my sign.
I'm like, it could have played, Mandy, it could have
played I write played for song was my mom's all
time favorite. I'm like, there you go, that's a song.
You gotta look for those sizes.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
It helps you deal with death, it does, and I'm
so glad you guys got to share.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yeah, I think it's important for everybody to think about it.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
So Jim, thanks for sticking around.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
You got two seconds.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
We have, yeah for twenty seconds, but go ahead.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Right after I met Mindy was just a month or
so after her mom had passed, and I was already
going through this, and so I'm just going to say
thanks to Mindy for being such a good friend.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Well, dittoh, I mean, you know what, misery loves company,
but you have to know that you're not alone. You
go through stuff, and we kind of fed off each other.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Absolutely, But Joey is a better party.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Indeed, I just quoted that today misery loves company, but
joy is a better party.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I like that you two were all joy. This is
what matters on six ten WTV in
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