“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.”

In this deeply moving and unexpectedly funny episode of Life in Jest, Selene and Pascale honor Casey on the anniversary of his passing—not with solemnity, but with laughter, love, and the unforgettable stories that keep him vividly alive.

This episode weaves together humor and grief in the way only real life does. Selene shares hilarious, tender, and profoundly human memories of Casey: his hammock-that-wasn’t, the paddleboat adventure that went a little too far, wild dancing to Blue’s Clues, singing High School Musical at full volume, a runaway dog on Sunset Boulevard, and a cross-country RV trip that could only be survived with laughter. These stories reveal who Casey truly was—funny, musical, quirky, fearless, and deeply connected to animals and people alike.

The episode also introduces Casey’s Creature Kindness Day, inviting listeners to honor his spirit through compassion for animals. Selene highlights the work of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, discusses animal protection laws across the U.S., and reminds us why advocacy matters for those who cannot speak for themselves.

What emerges is a rare kind of conversation—one that doesn’t shy away from grief, but refuses to let it erase joy. This is an episode about remembrance without bitterness, mourning without silence, and love that continues to move, laugh, sing, and show up in the world.

If you’ve ever loved deeply, lost someone too soon, or found that laughter was the only way through—this episode is for you.

Topics include:

– Grief, remembrance, and humor

– Honoring a loved one through storytelling

– Animals, advocacy, and compassion

– Family memories that still sparkle

– Why laughter can be more powerful than screams

Listen, laugh, remember—and maybe do one small kind thing today in Casey’s name.

Here's a video Casey shot of us traveling in the RV from New York to California:

https://youtu.be/Jxw-rZIT5xQ?si=4-LScUBuCufEXQpq

Here's a video of Casey driving around LA, musing:

https://youtu.be/4YqYfrmYCEQ?si=_dbV0dcz6ZtxCroC

Here's a link to the Animal Legal Defense Fund:

https://aldf.org/

A classic Life in Jest Podcast fan favorite!

This is one of those episodes—the kind longtime listeners still quote, share, and come back to when they need a laugh that slowly turns into something deeper.

We kick things off with hilarious OCD confessions—the kind of honest vulnerability that's a Life in Jest trademark—before the conversation takes a sharp (and wildly entertaining) turn into the cultural touchstone that somehow shaped all of us as kids: Grease.

Because let’s be honest—Grease is completely inappropriate for children. And yet… we all saw it. Repeatedly. Sang along. Memorized it. Internalized it before we had any idea what half of it meant.

Selene and Pascale dig into what Grease looks like through adult eyes—and how, with maturity and lived experience, one character rises above the rest: Rizzo. Once dismissed as “the bad girl,” Rizzo reveals herself as the most complex, tragic, honest, and emotionally real character in the film.

That realization crescendos in a deep appreciation of her solo, There Are Worse Things I Could Do—arguably the most riveting scene in the entire movie. A raw, vulnerable moment that cuts through the camp and comedy with startling emotional truth… and nearly didn’t make it into the film at all.

It’s funny. It’s reflective. It’s nostalgic in the best way. And it’s full of those Life in Jest moments where you start out laughing and end up thinking, wow—how did I miss that when I was younger?

This fan-favorite classic episode is a reminder of why Life in Jest resonates so deeply: it revisits the stories we thought we knew, honors how we’ve grown, and finds meaning in the messiness of being human—without ever losing its sense of humor.

Press play if you love:

• Reexamining pop culture through adult eyes
• Laughing at what shaped us (for better or worse)
• Smart conversations with heart and humor
• Feeling seen without being lectured

Some episodes age well.

This one just gets better.

Is death really “the end”?

We say that phrase so casually—the end—as if it’s settled, obvious, beyond question. But what if it isn’t?

In this deeply intimate and searching episode of Life in Jest, Selene Castrovilla and Pascale Laforest step into one of life’s hardest and most universal questions: What happens after we die—and what happens to those left behind? What begins as a philosophical exploration of metaphysics becomes something far more personal, as Selene shares how the loss of her son, Casey, propelled her into a profound inquiry about grief, consciousness, and whether connection truly ends at death.

This episode weaves together philosophy, lived experience, humor, and vulnerability as Selene unpacks metaphysics in plain language, explores why humans across cultures report ongoing connections with loved ones after death, and introduces the ancient concept of alchemy—not as magic, but as transformation under pressure. Grief, she argues, is a kind of alchemical process: not something that disappears, but something that changes form.

Selene also discusses her personal experiences of continued connection with Casey, framing them not as belief or doctrine, but as lived reality—offered honestly, without asking anyone else to agree. The conversation touches on grief that doesn’t calcify, love that doesn’t end, and meaning that is still being forged, even after devastating loss.

Important note for listeners:

A short segment in which Selene visually demonstrates communication using divining rods has been removed from the audio version, as it doesn’t translate without visuals. The complete, uncut episode—including that visual segment—is available on YouTube, where you can experience it in full context.

Here's the link to the video: https://youtu.be/0NF1HXw_VnY

As always, Life in Jest balances depth with warmth, seriousness with humanity, and inquiry with laughter—because sometimes the truest things are spoken, quite literally, in jest.

🎧 Topics include:

• Is death the end—or a transformation?
• Metaphysics explained simply
• Grief, loss, and the human need for meaning
• Alchemy as emotional and psychological transformation
• Why shared human experiences matter more than belief systems

This episode isn’t here to tell you what to think. It’s here to invite you to think—and to feel.

Thank you for listening and for your support. As we head into 2026, we're feeling the love, and we're so grateful! XOXOXO