'Heaven's receptionist' is on TikTok and she's helping people cope with loss in a beautiful way
Taryn Delanie Smith first created Denise, a New Yorker receptionist working in heaven, as pure comedy. After one heartfelt request, everything changed.

What started off as pure comedy became something else altogether.
Taryn Delanie Smith might have won the title of Miss New York in 2022, but these days she is repping her hometown in a whole new way. Over on TikTok, Smith plays Denise, a gum-chewing, white bathrobe-wearing receptionist ushering folks to the pearly gates—all with a quintessential New York accent and nonchalance.
As you can probably imagine, most of the videos in this delightful series lean toward comedy. I mean, Smith's receptionist impression is 100% spot-on, and many of her greatest hits involve talking about ghost outfits, for crying out loud. However, after one fan’s heartfelt request, things took a deeper turn.The request was fairly simple. A viewer asked if Denise could greet their late mother Geraldine in the afterlife. Smith obliged, and according to Insider, she emailed the viewer asking for more details. A few days later, Denise was seen giving Gerry the warmest welcome into heaven. It’s really the sweetest thing.
Watch:
@taryntino21 Replying to @jennifertavernier13 for you and your mama ❤️ she absolutely qualified for angel premium plus btw! #heaven #receptionist ♬ Somewhere Over The Rainbow_What A Wonderful World - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
The sincerity of Smith’s video left viewers touched (and maybe a bit wrecked).
“This just made me cry sitting in my car in a drive thru. That was so sweet of you to make this video,” one person commented.
“This is a moment of genuine humanity. The love you’ve shown to someone I assume you have never known and take the time to help a soul heal. Beautiful,” added another.
Since posting that clip, other requests have flooded in asking Denise to help their loved ones who have passed on be welcomed into heaven. Though Smith told Insider that creating these personalized videos was an emotionally taxing and time-consuming process (since she wants to make sure they’re “special”), it’s a responsibility she gladly takes on.
Here are a few more:
@taryntino21 @michelleprice27 this one really weighed on my heart for a few days. Sorry it took me awhile. ❤️ #heaven #receptionist ♬ original sound - Taryn Delanie🤠
@taryntino21 Parts of this email were shared with permission from @Becca Darling ❤️ it took me awhile to be able to record this one without getting teary. Hugs becca. #grief #heaven #receptionist ♬ original sound - Taryn Delanie🤠
@taryntino21 Replying to @ashleynoelle29 #greenscreen ♬ Somewhere Over The Rainbow_What A Wonderful World - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Smith never expected Miss Denise’s popularity to take off in this way and has been moved by the overwhelmingly positive response. Something about the fictional character’s perfect blend of humor and heart have really helped people process grief and feel a little less anxiety towards death.
This is perhaps a bit of Smith’s own life philosophy shining through. “I think the best part of life is laughter,” she told her viewers. “I think the best part of life is finding joy and silliness in as many moments as you can and I cannot help but feel that the afterlife is gonna be the same.”
It’s true we have no idea what, or who, awaits us on the other side, but there is great comfort in imagining a possibility where our loved ones are never truly gone. God bless Denise for making that dream feel a little more real, one premium angel package at a time.
Catch even more of Denise doing heavenly deeds on TikTok here.
- Brené Brown shares her heartfelt thoughts on how long grief should last ›
- Andrew Garfield sums up the grief of losing his mom in a simple and captivating way ›
- 102 days after his wife's death, Patton Oswalt describes grief as only he can. ›
- Arnold Schwarzenegger says Heaven is a 'fantasy' - Upworthy ›
- Mom creates hilarious grocery cashier for playtime - Upworthy ›
- Woman's rant about 'pirate' directions is going viral - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.