In this episode, Taylor James and I dive head-first into the messy, tender, absolutely-not-linear world of grief — especially that tricky thing we don’t talk about enough: anticipatory grief. You know, when you're grieving someone who’s still alive but has changed in ways that break your heart a little (or a lot).

We swap stories, laugh, tear up, and highlight the wild cocktail of emotions that comes with loving people through big life shifts. We talk about the strange comfort of humour, how certain dates can hit you like a freight train, and why healing sometimes looks like blasting a song that makes absolutely no sense to anyone but you.

We also chat about funerals — not in the morbid way, but in the “how do we celebrate the humans we adore?” kind of way. At the end of the day, the whole conversation is one big reminder that grief is weird, personal, beautiful, brutal, and entirely yours to navigate. And you don’t have to do it alone.

Takeaways :

• Grief isn’t linear — it wiggles, loops, sprints, naps, and occasionally kicks you in the shins.

• Anticipatory grief? Just as real, just as heavy.

• Your feelings deserve airtime — don’t bottle them.

• A bit of humour can be a lifeline when everything feels too much.

• Significant dates can sting; you’re not “going backwards.”

• Celebrating life matters — joy can sit alongside pain.

• Music = therapy

• Support is everything. Please don't do it on your own

• Take your time — there’s no deadline for “feeling better.”

• Legacy and remembrance keep love alive long after loss.