What Happens When We Die? Mike Oppenheim on Loss, Hope, Faith, and Coffin Talk

Send us Fan Mail Most people expect a conversation about death to feel heavy. This one feels surprisingly hopeful. This week on Here's What We Know, we sit down with Mike Oppenheim, host of the podcast Coffin Talk, for a conversation about fatherhood, grief, faith, forgiveness, and the question every person eventually asks: What happens when we die? Mike shares the heartbreaking story of losing his son, how he found healing without living in anger, and why spending years with hospice patients changed everything he believed about what matters most. Whether you share these beliefs or not, you'll find something meaningful in this episode. In This Episode: Growing up in Berkeley and the culture that shaped Mike's early years How a spur-of-the-moment college application sent him to the University of Pittsburgh The custody battle and international parental child abduction that took his son to Thailand Working through the U.S. State Department and the reality of cross-border custody cases Volunteering at Hospice of the Valley in Phoenix and choosing the dementia ward Why hospice families struggle more than the patients themselves The origin story of the Coffin Talk podcast America's discomfort with aging and mortality compared to other cultures Faith, fear, and why anger never solves anything Blended family life, his current wife, and his two young daughters The moment his daughter finally got to talk to her brother This episode is sponsored by: Mike Counsil Plumbing & Rooter (Use code “Gary” to get $89 off any service!) License #: 679261 Bison Junk Removal Bio: Mike Oppenheim is an author, speaker, and the creator of the Coffin Talk podcast, where he asks guests one timeless question: What do you think happens when you die? After experiencing profound personal loss, Mike found purpose in hospice volunteering and helping others have honest conversations about life, death, grief, and hope. Through his writing and podcast, he encourages people to live with greater compassion, curiosity, and appreciation for the time we have. Substack: https://mikeyopp.substack.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikeyopp38/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mikeyopp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-oppenheim-8a5562186/ Tags: what happens when we die, grief, loss, healing, parental alienation, international child abduction, fatherhood, hospice, end of life, faith, purpose, podcast interview, Coffin Talk Podcast, personal growth, storytelling, meaningful conversations, forgiveness, hope, mortality Connect with Gary: Gary's Website Follow Gary on Instagram Gary's Tiktok Gary's Facebook Watch the episodes on YouTube Advertise on the Podcast Thank you for listening. Let us know what you think about this episode. Leave us a review!