Grief and joy are not opposites.

In this episode, I’m joined by Allen Klein — known as “The Jollytologist” — for a deeply human conversation about loss, resilience, and the surprising role humor can play in hard seasons of life.

After his wife’s three-year battle with a rare liver disease, Allen found himself navigating profound grief while raising their 10-year-old daughter. In the midst of hospital rooms and uncertainty, something unexpected kept showing up: laughter.

We talk about:

• The hospital moment that reshaped his understanding of grief
• Why humor can be healing — even in hospice
• Getting kicked out of Yale Drama School (and why it turned out to be a gift)
• The power of play, perspective, and choosing how we respond

Allen’s life and work are now the subject of a new documentary, The Jollytologist, directed by Sky Bergman. In our next episode, I’ll be speaking with Sky about the making of the film and why this story feels especially relevant right now.

There will also be an upcoming online screening before the film heads to festivals — I’ll be sharing details as soon as registration opens.

This isn’t a conversation about pretending everything is fine.

It’s about holding sorrow and joy at the same time — and discovering that sometimes laughter isn’t denial… it’s relief.

If you’re navigating loss, transition, or simply wondering how to stay open and playful in a complicated world, I hope this episode brings you comfort.

It’s National Heart Month. And if loneliness affects the heart as much as research suggests… we need to widen the conversation.

When we talk about heart health, we usually focus on cholesterol, steps per day, and cardio routines. All important. But what about the relational side of heart health?

In this solo episode of Late Bloomer Living, Yvonne Marchese explores how midlife transitions — parenting adult children, career pivots, menopause, divorce, retirement, grief, and reinvention — can quietly shift our sense of belonging.

Because you can feel lonely even in a crowded room.

Drawing from her own recent experience of losing a dear friend, Yvonne reflects on how meaningful conversations, community, and play helped soften grief and metabolize the heaviness of the world.

She weaves in research from:

• U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has called loneliness a public health crisis
• Harvard psychologist Dr. Ellen Langer on the mind–body connection
• Yale researcher Dr. Becca Levy on how beliefs about aging impact longevity and cardiovascular stress

This episode also explores:

• Why loneliness isn’t just emotional — it’s biological
• How chronic self-criticism activates stress in the body
• Why self-care is more than bubble baths

If you’re navigating a season of identity shift and craving deeper belonging — with others and with yourself — this conversation is for you.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, this episode offers a reminder that love doesn’t only live in romance — it also lives in friendship, shared purpose, and meaningful connection.

In this conversation, Yvonne sits down with Gail Zelitsky and Catherine Marienau, co-hosts of the podcast, Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined, to talk about how a friendship formed later in life grew into a powerful creative partnership.

Gail and Catherine share their individual paths — from unexpected reinvention and advocacy work to mentoring women returning to school later in life — and how their shared values eventually led them to build a platform amplifying the voices of women in their 70s, 80s, and beyond.

Together, they explore what it means to form deep friendships later in life, why collaboration looks different as we age, and how purpose and possibility don’t disappear with time — they often deepen.

This episode is part 2 of a series highlighting women who found friendship later in life and turned it into something meaningful. Gail and Catherine aren’t just talking about what’s possible after 70 — they’re living it.