Weddings, Whack-a-Mole & Wisdom

In this playful, soul-stirring episode of Soul Decodes, Dr. Tia Jolie Phillips and Sarah Tirri tackle something both deeply modern and timeless: the cost of missing the moment.

Kicking off with Sarah’s personal account of her son’s wedding, the women explore how today’s celebrations—especially weddings—are often hijacked by the pursuit of the perfect photo. Sarah’s reflections morph into a cultural critique: are we living for memories, or just manufacturing content for Instagram? She draws comparisons to the communal, joyous feel of The Godfather’s wedding scene, lamenting how true fellowship is lost in the lens.

The episode evolves into an unscripted meditation on presence and memory. The hosts contrast filtered images with the internal visuals created by audio-only podcast listening—emphasizing that real memory is  ...