We Lost A Good One

From St. Louis, Missouri, my guest Libbie Higgins is a hilarious up and coming comedian. She hosts her own podcast, Slop City, and can be found on social media @libbiehiggins. Despite being in the midst of a national tour, she was kind enough to sit down with me to chat about losing her dad, Charles, aka Chas, far too soon. Always, the life of the party, Charles was know for having too much beer and too many cigarettes, but also an amazing spirit and a never-ending love for his children. For more info about Libbie and where she’ll be performing you can visit https://libbiehiggins.com/

Content Warning: Aimee Poulin lost her cousin to suicide just over a month ago. I was honored to have her join me while the thoughts of him were so fresh in her mind. We chatted about their childhood adventures and their relationship that was part cousin and part friend. We also veered off into other directions as we discussed suicide, loss, and how when someone we know dies, a little bit of us dies too. So hey, come along and process mortality with us! This week's music is OOB by none other than Aimee Poulin herself. If you are from Maine or have been to Old Orchard Beach it is a must listen. Listen to OOB here. 

As I stumble my way deeper into the world around death and dying, I recently discovered the concept of Death or End of Life Doulas. It really piqued my interest, so I searched for some on Instagram, sent some messages, and found one willing to chat! Sabrina Singh is and End of Life Doula based in London, England. She was kind enough to take a moment of her time to discuss how she helps those coming to terms with their end of life, as well as their loved ones, to find light and meaning during this unique time. In typical We Lost A Good One fashion, we also took some time to honor her late father Yoda who passed away this last year. If you would like connect with Sabrina or find out more about her services, you can find her on; Facebook, Paperbell, and Instagram.

Tim Finkel was 30 years old when he lost his brother Don. He joined me to talk about his life and what it was like losing a brother that early. Right before I posted this episode, I listened to it one more time. After that listen I realized this one was as much about the person who passed as it was about the resilience and strength of the people left behind. Tim shares some great insight into battling through a loss to come out a better person on the other side as well as honoring the resilience of his sister-in-law and her family. It reminded me to remember that after you're gone, your loved ones are going to be ok. That said, Don was surely an amazing brother, son, father, Corvette designer and all around great guy; genuine and always present for those he was with. We definitely lost a good one. The music in this episode is No Hard Feelings by The Avett Brothers. Generally, I enjoy using older songs in the public domain but this is one of my favorite songs about passing on and in addition to being written by a pair of brothers, I felt like it really captured the way it sounds like Don lived his life everyday. 

We also discussed Tim's upcoming teen comedy class at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle. If you are interested, you can find more information at https://www.comedycastle.com/comedy-classes/

Our first Aunt! My old comedy buddy and all-around great guy Pat Sievert was kind enough to join me for episode 5. We talked about his Aunt Mickey Phillips, an amazing person and a beloved teacher. A true linch pin who brought friends and family together throughout her life. This episodes music is You'll Miss Me by Blind Albert Reed.

Join me and my guest Micaela Tepler as we follow her Bubbe Faye on an epic journey that includes fleeing Nazis, traveling through Europe and Russia, surviving Kazakh floods, refugee camp romance, a transatlantic crossing, a bathtub full of pike, two immigrations, a mafioso boyfriend, Micaela's bat mitzvah, indigestion, and a battle with dementia that she never really lost. This episode's music is a song called Tumbalalaika. A Jewish folk love song that was one of the last things Faye Tepler remembered. 

I had the pleasure of talking with my friend and former coworker Lia who lost her best friend in the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. Strangely enough, we recorded this right before two more mass shootings occurred in the US. Then again, at times it feels like one is always just around the corner. I hesitated to release this episode but I think we discuss aspects of this topic in a way that is respectful and potentially helpful to those who are going through something similar or know someone who is. If you would like to learn more about the individuals lost at Sandy Hook and how to support the many charities started in their honor, go to https://mysandyhookfamily.org/ This episodes music is Keep On The Sunny Side by The Carter Family. 

For the first episode of We Lost A Good One, I sat down with my old friend and fellow comedian, Nick Leydorf. We talked about his dad Jeff who passed away 17 years ago. Nick and I went to the same high school where his dad was a beloved art teacher so it was nice to get to know him a little better. As mentioned in the episode, Nick is also a lawyer with a focus on estate planning. To connect with Nick for legal services, he can be found at www.leydorflawfirm.com. For his comedic side he can be found at @comedianatlaw or check out his podcast, Free Consultation, available on all platforms. This episodes music is Grave in the Pines by Clayton McMichen.

Comedian Will Green explains the fever dream and poor reasoning that led him to want to sit down with friends, family, and anyone else who will talk to him to look back fondly on the life of someone in their life who has passed away.