tea time with the reaper podcast

for those who have listened to episode nine and our conversation with archie, there is no mistaking the love that he has for his wife Shelly and for his two kids.

as with all the conversations that we have shared this season, our chat with arch started before and continued after the mics were recording. and sometimes in those moments we capture special gems. in this bonus episode, archie was expanding on how his son and daughter were navigating their own grief, when our producer biff asked “how have you been able to help them with their journey?”.

his answer is something that everyone needs to hear and remember when their own cabin unexpectedly loses pressure, and oxygen masks drop from the overhead compartment

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host: d.mccormick producer: biff butler composer: andy huckvale

this episode is incredibly special to me. not because it is the ninth episode and nine was Angelas favorite number, or that it is the final episode of our first season, but because it is dedicated to the memory of my brother archie’s wife Shelly (1974 - 2014).

now... for a moment... imagine finding that one person. that special soul who becomes your best friend, becomes the partner who believes in you and inspires you to be greater. you spend over twenty years together. you build a home and life together, a family that includes two fantastic children. now imagine... getting the phone call. the call no one every expects to receive. the call no one ever wants.

words cannot express how thankful i am for archie’s friendship, support and willingness to share Shelly with us and recording this heart wrenching episode

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host: d.mccormick producer: biff butler composer: andy huckvale

this episode is dedicated to the memory of documentarian chris bell’s older brother mike, known to the world as Mad Dog (1971 - 2008).

now, unlike many of this season's other episodes, chris and the entire bell family are very much public figures. they are what many view as the classic all american family, whose story was first shared with the world in the award winning film bigger stronger faster. and much like their childhood wrestling heros, all three bell brothers mike, chris and mark dedicated their young lives to training, saying their prayers, and taking their vitamins. but unlike the scripted, good guy wins bad guy looses storylines they saw on tv, real life had other plans for maddog, boar and smelly.

over the years struggles with addiction, childhood programming, mental health, and physical trauma all took their toll, culminating with Mad Dog’s death while in sober living. then came the aftermath, the grief, which each family member choose to deal with in a very different way, on very different timelines.

i cannot thank chris enough for sharing Mike’s story with us in such a candid and open way. detailing the parallels he shared with his older brother, his hero, and how Mad Dog’s death has ultimately fulfilled his famous mantra of "i’d rather be dead than average"

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host: d.mccormick producer: biff butler composer: andy huckvale

this episode is dedicated to the memory of fanny’s childhood best friend Buddy.

as we know, death doesn't play favorites. it crosses every facet of our existence; cultural. religious. societal constructs. it grants no exceptions. yet nearly everyone approaches it the same way; they don’t talk about it. and when someone does dies, it is suggested that we “get over it”, “get past it” and “get back to normal” as quickly as possible

unfortunately that approach always fails. it fails when death takes away those who matter most. those who were always there for us. those who knew how to comfort us without saying a word. and those who gifted us with unconditional love. leaving us behind to question everything

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host: d.mccormick producer: biff butler composer: andy huckvale

this episode is dedicated to the memory of renee’s son Patrick.

while ever death is different, and nearly every one will say that their loved one was taken too soon, that they had more life to live. this is especially true when speaking about the death of someone young and is never more true than with Patrick.

as someone who will never experience the death of my own child this conversation touched me in a way others have not and for that i am eternally grateful to renee for sharing her story and Patrick with us. a story of how death can interrupt our dreams and plans for a future leaving behind a reality of doubt, guilt and isolation but also a story that should remind us all that love cannot be measured in units of time.

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host: d.mccormick producer: biff butler composer: andy huckvale