Life Happens & Then You Die

She’s making her Life Happens and Then You Die debut, so naturally Jes decided the best way to welcome her was to start asking questions.

We get into who Gabby is, what her dating life looks like, the relationships and experiences that have shaped her, and what she’s learned along the way. We also talk about a pretty major new chapter in her life: becoming a published author and putting her own story out into the world.

There’s dating, nostalgia, childhood stories, writing, a little vulnerability, and plenty of detours.

Consider this your official introduction to Gabby.

We're back for Part 2 of our conversation about books, and this time things get a little more... spicy.

Melissa and I talk about The Wicker trailer, more books, and the growing popularity of spicy romance. We get into why people sometimes feel embarrassed about what they read and why, honestly, they shouldn't.

Whether you love literary fiction, fantasy, romance, thrillers, spicy books, or something completely different, reading is supposed to be enjoyable. So why are we so quick to judge someone else's bookshelf?

Grab whatever you're currently reading and join us for a conversation about book preferences, guilty pleasures, and letting people enjoy things without the shame.

What books did you grow up reading?

In this episode, Melissa and I take a trip down memory lane and talk about the books we read as kids, some of our favorites, and the books that have since been banned or challenged.

From there, the conversation takes an unexpected turn when we start talking about required reading in schools. That leads us into a larger discussion about what students should be required to read, who gets to make those decisions, and eventually, the role of the Bible and religion in public education.

What starts as a conversation about childhood books turns into a much bigger discussion about censorship, education, religious freedom, and what belongs in a classroom.

It's a little nostalgic, a little contentious, and very much a Life Happens & Then You Die conversation.

What happens when life gets busy, your podcast plans fall through, but you're determined to keep your posting schedule?

You call your sister.

What started as a simple random Q&A quickly turned into stories, unexpected tangents, and plenty of laughs. Sometimes the best conversations are the ones you never planned.

So grab your favorite drink and join us for a completely unscripted episode of Life Happens & Then You Die.

AI is showing up everywhere, from social media posts and Google searches to emails, dating profiles, artwork, and business marketing. In this episode, Jes and Melissa talk about how people are actually using artificial intelligence, where it can go wrong, and why it is getting harder to tell what is real.

They get into AI-generated content, stolen videos, copyright, small business marketing, data centers, misinformation, people-pleasing AI, mental health, and the very strange experience of two people using AI to email each other.

Are we using AI as a helpful tool, or letting it do too much of the thinking for us?

In this episode of Life Happens and Then You Die, we talk about dreams, recurring dreams, nightmares, and the strange ways our subconscious processes emotions while we sleep.

We explore dream symbolism, common dream interpretations, REM sleep, and the science behind why our brains may revisit stressful, emotional, or unresolved experiences at night.

We also get into visitation dreams, grief dreams, falling dreams, teeth falling out, being chased, sleep paralysis, flying, floating, and what it might mean when the same dream keeps coming back.

From spiritual interpretations to psychological theories, we look at dreams as more than random brain noise. And yes, we also talk about sex dreams, or in Jesica’s case, the frustrating lack of them.

My sister is back for Part 2 of Life Happens and Then You Die: The Company We Keep.

We attempt rapid-fire questions, which immediately become less rapid and more “accidentally wandered into an emotional cave with snacks.” This episode takes us through avoidance, death, memory, personal growth, and the strange places a conversation can go when you stop trying to control it.

After spending most of her life in the LDS Church, Melissa began asking questions she could no longer ignore. In this episode, she shares her deconstruction journey, the research that challenged her beliefs, the emotional impact of questioning her faith, and how her relationships, identity, and worldview changed along the way.

We discuss confirmation bias, information control, church history, LGBTQ issues, personal autonomy, and what it means to rebuild a life after leaving a belief system that once defined you.

What was it like growing up in the LDS Church? In this episode, Melissa shares her personal experience growing up Mormon, including church culture, expectations around marriage and family, missions, modesty, temple practices, and the impact faith had on her identity and worldview.

This isn't a debate about religion. It's an open conversation about lived experience, belief, community, and what it was like to navigate life inside a faith that shaped so much of her upbringing.

My sister joins me for a special two-part episode of Life Happens and Then You Die: The Company We Keep.

In Part 1, we talk about life, growing up, shared memories, and the stories we somehow remember both together and completely differently. It’s funny, personal, reflective, and occasionally proof that memory is less of a filing cabinet and more of a junk drawer with opinions.