017: "the house of mourning" & casper: grief, death, & childlike wonder

We're getting spoOoOky! In this week's brb crying Halloween special, Nins explores grief, death, and childlike wonder through Kate Braestrup's unforgettable story "The House of Mourning," performed on The Moth. Through the eyes of a five-year-old girl saying goodbye to her cousin, the story challenges our fears around death and reminds us that love is often stronger than grief. Arns revisits the 1995 film Casper and discovers a completely different movie than the one she remembered as a child. What starts as a nostalgic Halloween rewatch becomes a heartbreaking reflection on loneliness, loss, belonging, and the universal desire to be loved. Together, these stories spark a conversation about mourning, friendship, childhood innocence, fear of death, loneliness, letting go, and the ways love helps us navigate life's hardest transitions. Content warning: death of a child, grief, mourning, funeral discussions, accidental death, loss of a parent, loss of a spouse, bereavement. 0:00 - Intro 4:58 - Nins: The Moth 26:21 - Arns: Casper 47:50 - Outro Referenced in this episode: About The Moth About Kate Braestrup, storyteller behind "The House of Mourning" on The Moth 1995 film Casper (IMDB) Collider article on Casper's CGI by Elisa Guimarães Casper lighthouse/lullaby scene Casper Halloween party scene Join the brb crying community—a heartfelt, cozy comedy podcast about friendship, vulnerability, emotional storytelling, and all the movies, books, music, and life experiences that leave us in tears. Follow us: » Instagram: @brbcrying.podcast » TikTok: @brbcrying.podcast » YouTube: @brbcrying.podcast Want episode recaps, behind-the-scenes/community updates, and occasional emotional damage delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our newsletter at brbcryingpodcast.com. Have a sob story or cry recommendation that absolutely wrecked you? We'd love to be wrecked, too. Submit your story at brbcryingpodcast.com or email us at [email protected]. brb crying—hosted by longtime best friends Nins & Arns—is a podcast where we explore the songs, books, TV shows, films, pop culture moments, and personal stories that help us laugh, cry, heal, and feel a little less alone. Crying is our superpower, and by sharing what makes us cry in a way that makes us laugh, we show how crying helps us connect with ourselves and each other.