Latest / Life Will Be the Death of Me with Chelsea Handler / Alone is Not a Bad Word with Chelsea’s Sisters, Simone and Shoshanna
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: Hello, Catherine, Hi Chelsea, how are you?
- 0:04Speaker 2: I am coming to you live from Los Angeles, Los Angeles.
- 0:10Speaker 1: I can't believe it, you're actually here in your house.
- 0:12Speaker 3: I know I'm not from Los Angeles.
- 0:15Speaker 4: I'm so.
- 0:15Speaker 2: I did Nueva yure Si, but I'm Pedro Estoi and
- 0:19Speaker 2: Los Angeles.
- 0:20Speaker 3: I am.
- 0:21Speaker 2: I have a new assistant who only speaks Spanish to me,
- 0:24Speaker 2: and I'm hoping that he will cut it out because
- 0:26Speaker 2: we are not communicating well. I'm like, I only want
- 0:29Speaker 2: you to speak Spanish and now then like three sentences in,
- 0:31Speaker 2: I'm like, okay, a little bit of.
- 0:32Speaker 1: English, you know what, starting with Panglish is fine.
- 0:35Speaker 3: But I'm home. I'm a home in Los Angeles. I
- 0:37Speaker 3: haven't been here in forever.
- 0:38Speaker 2: My house is still not done, but I'm living in it,
- 0:42Speaker 2: and Doug is here. And Doug loves me, and that
- 0:45Speaker 2: is really the most important part of this story.
- 0:48Speaker 1: Are you two having a love reconnection.
- 0:50Speaker 2: He's so sweet, he loves me, He gets into bed,
- 0:52Speaker 2: we play together, he follows me everywhere.
- 0:55Speaker 3: I mean, this is exactly what I was hoping for.
- 0:56Speaker 2: And my bell, he does not give a shit about
- 0:58Speaker 2: my bell, and that is exactly what I was looking.
- 1:00Speaker 1: For he's bonded with you.
- 1:02Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, we have a really ridiculous episode today.
- 1:05Speaker 2: And I want to preface this episode by telling our
- 1:07Speaker 2: listeners that I had my sisters back on the podcast
- 1:11Speaker 2: because everybody really seemed to enjoy it last time, and
- 1:14Speaker 2: everyone really enjoyed my niece episode, so.
- 1:17Speaker 3: I mistakenly booked them again.
- 1:19Speaker 2: And one of them is a hot fucking mess during
- 1:24Speaker 2: this entire podcast, and I can't wait for you guys
- 1:27Speaker 2: to figure out which person that is and understand why.
- 1:32Speaker 2: The other sister, who was also on this podcast episode,
- 1:36Speaker 2: has since told me they are no longer available to
- 1:39Speaker 2: do podcast.
- 1:42Speaker 4: When she said that is it.
- 1:44Speaker 3: We're done with your podcast and you were done with us.
- 1:48Speaker 1: I'm so sad. We love them, we love them on
- 1:50Speaker 1: the podcast.
- 1:51Speaker 2: I cannot believe this episode. I hope you guys enjoy it,
- 1:54Speaker 2: and please let us know your thoughts. Please welcome Shoshana
- 1:58Speaker 2: and Simone Handler.
- 2:00Speaker 4: Hello, what are we talking about?
- 2:07Speaker 3: You guys?
- 2:08Speaker 2: We're talking You guys are doing the same fucking thing
- 2:10Speaker 2: we did last time. We're giving counseling with Catherine. We're
- 2:14Speaker 2: taking live callers.
- 2:16Speaker 4: Before that, before the call, we're gonna well, I don't know.
- 2:19Speaker 3: What did you take today?
- 2:20Speaker 2: Anything special for your performance this afternoon? Are you on
- 2:24Speaker 2: anything that we need to know about, Shshana.
- 2:26Speaker 3: No, I'm not anything. That's a lie. I think you
- 2:30Speaker 3: took something.
- 2:32Speaker 4: No, I didn't.
- 2:33Speaker 2: What would you prescribe doctor Handler a beta blocker? I
- 2:36Speaker 2: would prescribe her a beta blocker. Actually, I've prescribed Simone
- 2:39Speaker 2: a beta blocker before and with what success. Actually, for
- 2:43Speaker 2: anyone who's listening, these are my two sisters, Simone and yes, Shashaana,
- 2:50Speaker 2: I know that you're on something. I can tell by
- 2:52Speaker 2: the smile on your face that you took something, and
- 2:55Speaker 2: that's okay. You're allowed to take something if it calms
- 2:58Speaker 2: your nerves to talk to people.
- 3:00Speaker 4: Okay, let's go, do you.
- 3:04Speaker 3: Anyway?
- 3:04Speaker 2: These are my sisters, Simone and Shoshana, and they are
- 3:08Speaker 2: back by popular demand.
- 3:11Speaker 3: For ciss Cissy Advice.
- 3:12Speaker 1: Truly popular, like your episode is one of our most
- 3:15Speaker 1: listened to last year.
- 3:17Speaker 2: Don't tell them they're gonna want to get into my
- 3:18Speaker 2: cash flow if they know that, so don't give them
- 3:21Speaker 2: too much background.
- 3:22Speaker 5: Okay, please, Catherine, keep it to yourself.
- 3:26Speaker 3: Girls, you know what we can talk about.
- 3:27Speaker 2: Actually, to open up our episode today, we're going to
- 3:29Speaker 2: talk about the fact that this was funny.
- 3:32Speaker 3: I have a friend, Sophie.
- 3:33Speaker 2: She came to visit us on vacation and she she
- 3:37Speaker 2: was telling us about an recent experience she had at
- 3:39Speaker 2: work getting an anonymous three sixty review. So the people
- 3:44Speaker 2: that report to you or her in her case, reviewed
- 3:47Speaker 2: her performance as a CEO and gave her feedback about herself.
- 3:52Speaker 2: But I don't know why it's called an anonymous three
- 3:53Speaker 2: sixty because it's not that.
- 3:55Speaker 3: It's pretty obvious telling, you know.
- 3:57Speaker 2: So anyway, she pitched the idea at our life summer
- 4:00Speaker 2: vacation on the Vineyard when we were all together that
- 4:03Speaker 2: we should do a performance anonymous three sixty review our
- 4:06Speaker 2: family members our family members to see who fucking has
- 4:09Speaker 2: earned the right to be on the trip and who hasn't,
- 4:12Speaker 2: you know, like who's contributing? What does this person bring
- 4:14Speaker 2: to the table. Does this person make drinks for everyone?
- 4:17Speaker 2: Does this person cook?
- 4:19Speaker 3: You know what?
- 4:19Speaker 5: And everybody's on board.
- 4:21Speaker 2: Everybody got it very very nervous, and especially Shshana and
- 4:27Speaker 2: Simone were like, we're not doing that. And I was like,
- 4:30Speaker 2: I think it's a great idea, and Sewn is like, well,
- 4:32Speaker 2: who's gonna review you.
- 4:33Speaker 3: I'm like, I have no secrets review me. I already
- 4:36Speaker 3: know what you all think of me.
- 4:37Speaker 4: And the only ones that really need to be nervous
- 4:39Speaker 4: are the in laws.
- 4:40Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right, and they know why.
- 4:42Speaker 6: Yeah, but I mean, you know you can't you come
- 4:44Speaker 6: to the family. You know, your personality should have been
- 4:47Speaker 6: checked before the marriage, not now twenty years later.
- 4:50Speaker 4: Yeah, if they're gonna get booted.
- 4:52Speaker 2: No, because of the exposure, the repetitive exposure that I'm
- 4:56Speaker 2: subjected to, has made me rethink my strategy.
- 5:00Speaker 3: Gee, I didn't know twenty years ago.
- 5:03Speaker 2: That I wasn't gonna want a vacation with everybody all
- 5:05Speaker 2: the time. Now I know because I've done it so
- 5:08Speaker 2: many times that I have Like I it would be
- 5:12Speaker 2: called a non anonymous three sixty. Actually we renamed it
- 5:16Speaker 2: a non monogamous three sixty, which I'm not sure what
- 5:19Speaker 2: that has anything to do with, but that's where we
- 5:21Speaker 2: went with it. So anyway, just thoughts that are spinning around.
- 5:24Speaker 2: That's the kind of vacations we have. I threaten my
- 5:26Speaker 2: family when we go away that this may be the
- 5:28Speaker 2: last trip ever.
- 5:29Speaker 3: And that's pretty much the pattern.
- 5:32Speaker 4: But let's face it, it's the in laws that are going
- 5:34Speaker 4: to be at the top of the list.
- 5:35Speaker 2: Okay, all right, well I guess you're trying to build
- 5:37Speaker 2: immunity for yourself.
- 5:38Speaker 5: But yeah, this is like survivor, it is.
- 5:43Speaker 2: But what I decided to do so another way for
- 5:46Speaker 2: me to avoid my in laws is I don't even
- 5:49Speaker 2: know why I have in laws.
- 5:50Speaker 3: I didn't get married, you know, why do I have
- 5:51Speaker 3: to deal with this?
- 5:52Speaker 2: So I decided to take all my nieces and nephews
- 5:54Speaker 2: to my Orca and I was like, this is a
- 5:56Speaker 2: good work around to avoid the other adult set, you know,
- 5:59Speaker 2: are kind of But now I have two interlopers, my
- 6:02Speaker 2: brother Glenn and Roy have invaded the trip. So we're
- 6:05Speaker 2: doing an all boys trip.
- 6:06Speaker 3: Apparently. I put them in.
- 6:09Speaker 2: A hotel together, in a hotel room with two beds
- 6:13Speaker 2: for two sixty year old men, and I think that
- 6:15Speaker 2: is going to be fucking out of this world an adventure.
- 6:18Speaker 4: And they're the two most opposite people you can put together, basically, like,
- 6:21Speaker 4: you know, one's neat and one's a big slum.
- 6:24Speaker 2: Well, Roy travels with a garbage bag as his suitcase.
- 6:29Speaker 4: Well no, no, he goes shopping wherever he ends up
- 6:32Speaker 4: and just buys some clothes there he travels.
- 6:35Speaker 2: Light shopping is in quotes because I wouldn't call what
- 6:38Speaker 2: he's doing shopping. It's like he picks up the basic necessities.
- 6:42Speaker 2: So he'll get boxer shorts and maybe a couple T
- 6:44Speaker 2: shirts and some gross, you know, sweatpant outfit thing.
- 6:48Speaker 6: And something is he buys the T shirt from the
- 6:50Speaker 6: place he's visiting, so all week long he's wearing the
- 6:54Speaker 6: T shirt from the place the tourist buy. So it's
- 6:58Speaker 6: like Martha's Vineyard all week or Edgartown and that's where
- 7:00Speaker 6: he is. It doesn't make any sense.
- 7:02Speaker 3: Roy is very much like our father.
- 7:04Speaker 2: Our father was a slob, but not when he was younger,
- 7:07Speaker 2: only when he was older.
- 7:08Speaker 4: Yes, he got older, everything went down.
- 7:10Speaker 2: It went downhill, right Like when I grew up. He
- 7:12Speaker 2: would show up to my softball games. It was the
- 7:14Speaker 2: sweaters covered in dog hair and just you know, embarrassing.
- 7:19Speaker 2: It's like, yeah, slip on sneakers, what are those things
- 7:23Speaker 2: that he wore?
- 7:23Speaker 5: Those where you little duck shoes, little l Yeah, but he.
- 7:28Speaker 2: Never put his foot fully in, so there's always half
- 7:30Speaker 2: of his foot hanging.
- 7:31Speaker 3: It was just so gross.
- 7:33Speaker 2: Anyway, Roy has picked up some Seanna you have picked
- 7:36Speaker 2: up some of the Dad's habits too.
- 7:38Speaker 4: By the way, Oh really, would you care to expand?
- 7:44Speaker 4: I'm not sure I want to hear this.
- 7:48Speaker 5: You're gonna have to give examples.
- 7:50Speaker 3: I don't know. I mean, Simone, I don't know. You're
- 7:53Speaker 3: not a slob.
- 7:54Speaker 5: I can give you one example that your driving skills
- 7:57Speaker 5: are very much like Dad. Like you. Stops are just
- 8:00Speaker 5: like a suggestion.
- 8:01Speaker 6: To you, but behind places like you're like weaving in
- 8:05Speaker 6: and out of traffic.
- 8:05Speaker 3: Vashume he's a lunatic driver. I'm also not.
- 8:08Speaker 2: I'm also a driver that's better on my own than
- 8:10Speaker 2: having any passengers because I don't want to hear about
- 8:12Speaker 2: it what I'm up to on the road.
- 8:14Speaker 4: Listen, in New Jersey, it's every man for himself. You
- 8:16Speaker 4: have to just survive, so you gotta do what you
- 8:18Speaker 4: gotta do. It's genetic, though, is it. Yeah? I mean
- 8:22Speaker 4: I learned to drive from him. We had to follow
- 8:25Speaker 4: him to pick up used cars. And in order to
- 8:27Speaker 4: follow him, you had to go through every red yellow
- 8:30Speaker 4: light that existed just to stay with him because there
- 8:34Speaker 4: was no you know, cell phone with directions like if
- 8:37Speaker 4: you lost him, you were on your own and you
- 8:39Speaker 4: would find a pay phone.
- 8:40Speaker 2: He would be like, Hey, I need you to come
- 8:42Speaker 2: with me to pick up a car, and you're like fuck.
- 8:44Speaker 2: And then you had to go follow him to Verona
- 8:46Speaker 2: or West Orange or something. And he never would stop
- 8:49Speaker 2: at stop signs. Yellow lights meant go, red lights meant
- 8:52Speaker 2: go slow through them while you look both ways.
- 8:55Speaker 3: It was.
- 8:55Speaker 2: And then if you didn't keep up with him, he'd
- 8:57Speaker 2: scream at you and be like, why weren't you following me?
- 8:59Speaker 3: It's like, because I'm he's not a fucking lunatic.
- 9:02Speaker 4: Yeah, that's why I drive that way.
- 9:04Speaker 3: Yeah.
- 9:04Speaker 2: I have some special driving skills too. They're not they're
- 9:07Speaker 2: not great. I mean I I think they're great, but
- 9:10Speaker 2: most people don't. Most people don't drive it with me
- 9:12Speaker 2: because they they'll get sick. But Shashana when Charlie was
- 9:15Speaker 2: a little girl, remember she she got cars sick the
- 9:20Speaker 2: whole time. When you would take her to school every morning,
- 9:24Speaker 2: they thought she was she had motion sickness, which she does,
- 9:26Speaker 2: but it was because Shawna gave it to her drivers,
- 9:29Speaker 2: which she was.
- 9:30Speaker 3: Shana.
- 9:31Speaker 2: She would just and then in Africa this summer she
- 9:33Speaker 2: threw up on the plane.
- 9:35Speaker 5: No, she's had motion sickness. Every trip we've ever been on.
- 9:38Speaker 4: She really had motion sickness and it was more like
- 9:40Speaker 4: for long drive.
- 9:41Speaker 3: Yeah, but she got the motion sickness from your driving.
- 9:46Speaker 4: Well, you're entitled to your opinion, Simon.
- 9:51Speaker 3: What do you have to say for yourself?
- 9:53Speaker 5: Not much. I'm at work, girl, So this is you know,
- 9:56Speaker 5: this is a little low.
- 9:58Speaker 2: Well it's not that down low, Simon, because we have
- 10:01Speaker 2: a lot of people that listen to this podcast, so
- 10:03Speaker 2: they're gonna.
- 10:03Speaker 3: Find out, Oh, I'm at work.
- 10:04Speaker 2: Okay, So you're at work giving it life advice to people.
- 10:07Speaker 4: This is your lunch hour. It's fine.
- 10:10Speaker 5: Okay.
- 10:10Speaker 4: So you want to talk about menopause.
- 10:13Speaker 2: Sure, let's talk about that, because actually this is a subject.
- 10:15Speaker 4: Where are you with your menopause journey?
- 10:17Speaker 2: I don't know because I got an ablazion after Simone
- 10:20Speaker 2: got one and she told me about it, and then
- 10:23Speaker 2: I went and got one immediately, and I don't know
- 10:26Speaker 2: if I where I am because I don't get a
- 10:28Speaker 2: people the way, have.
- 10:28Speaker 5: You told your listeners about that procedure, because that.
- 10:30Speaker 6: Procedure is not very like well known and doctors don't
- 10:34Speaker 6: talk about it.
- 10:35Speaker 2: An ablazion we've talked about it, Yeah, we have we have. Yeah, yeah, no,
- 10:38Speaker 2: it's it's amazing. It's the best thing I've ever done.
- 10:41Speaker 2: I mean not ever, but it's one of the best
- 10:42Speaker 2: things I've ever done. It's amazing once you stop getting
- 10:45Speaker 2: your period, that you just forget about periods altogether. Like
- 10:48Speaker 2: it should be like more of a season of gratefulness
- 10:51Speaker 2: to celebrate no more periods before you just ease into
- 10:54Speaker 2: the rest of your life.
- 10:56Speaker 3: Because if someone.
- 10:57Speaker 2: I mean I would have gotten rid of it when
- 10:58Speaker 2: I was sixteen, if I had known about this Ablasian thing.
- 11:01Speaker 4: But for most people, they have to go through everything else.
- 11:04Speaker 4: I mean, most people are not getting an Ablasian to
- 11:06Speaker 4: start menopause.
- 11:07Speaker 5: But they should.
- 11:08Speaker 6: Like that's my point, Like if people like goo, they suffer,
- 11:11Speaker 6: they have heavy periods, they have accidents then, and the
- 11:14Speaker 6: doctor never brings up that this is an option. That's
- 11:17Speaker 6: my point is that it's like such a great option
- 11:19Speaker 6: if you're done having kids.
- 11:20Speaker 1: And you had a good experience with that, Oh my.
- 11:23Speaker 6: God, it took like fifteen minutes and then my life
- 11:25Speaker 6: was like back on track.
- 11:26Speaker 1: That's amazing.
- 11:27Speaker 6: It was literally anemic for like two years before that,
- 11:30Speaker 6: and it just solved that problem overnight.
- 11:32Speaker 3: SHAWNA. Do you still get your period?
- 11:34Speaker 4: No, So a lot of people don't know this. The
- 11:36Speaker 4: definition of menopause is the day. It's one day, twelve
- 11:41Speaker 4: months after you've stopped getting periods. It's literally one day.
- 11:46Speaker 3: So good to know.
- 11:47Speaker 4: You're either premenopausal, which happens like for years before you
- 11:51Speaker 4: actually go through menopause, or your postmenopausal, or you have
- 11:55Speaker 4: menopause for one day. So there's pretty much before or after.
- 11:59Speaker 4: So yes, I have I probably a year and a half,
- 12:02Speaker 4: so I am postmenopausal, but I'm suffering from hot flashes,
- 12:07Speaker 4: night sweats, mood swings, poor sleep, weight gain.
- 12:12Speaker 2: You wouldn't say that's menopause. You would say that's postmenopausal
- 12:16Speaker 2: because those are all menopausal symptoms.
- 12:18Speaker 4: Now, all these symptoms can happen before, during, and after.
- 12:21Speaker 2: Yes, okay, So so menopause is the day you said,
- 12:24Speaker 2: twelve months after you've had your last period. Yes, and
- 12:28Speaker 2: it's just that one day, Yeah, like Halloween.
- 12:31Speaker 4: Exactly one day. I've never heard that before.
- 12:34Speaker 6: I always thought it was a period of time that
- 12:36Speaker 6: you're having symptoms.
- 12:37Speaker 5: It's not the whole period of time.
- 12:39Speaker 4: No, people just confuse the term and it's just become like,
- 12:42Speaker 4: you know, vernacular. But really it's not, you know, it's
- 12:44Speaker 4: just the literally that one day that you're one year
- 12:47Speaker 4: without any period.
- 12:49Speaker 3: So okay, well that's that's good information to know.
- 12:53Speaker 4: You know, but that all these symptoms can last from
- 12:56Speaker 4: you know, a year to ten years even.
- 12:58Speaker 5: Yeah.
- 12:58Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't know if I have symptoms.
- 13:00Speaker 2: I mean I sometimes wake up sweaty and that that's something,
- 13:03Speaker 2: But I don't know about other symptoms.
- 13:04Speaker 3: I don't know what are the other symptoms, memory.
- 13:07Speaker 4: Memory loss or memory problems, trouble, sleeping, hot splashes, night sweats,
- 13:12Speaker 4: vaginal dryness.
- 13:14Speaker 2: Thank you, that sounds hot. Thank you for bringing that up.
- 13:16Speaker 2: So it's like, what time is it is? It's not
- 13:18Speaker 2: even noon. I want to talk about vaginal dryness. What
- 13:22Speaker 2: are people supposed to do about vaginal dryness?
- 13:24Speaker 3: Lube? Is that what you're supposed to do?
- 13:26Speaker 2: And are you supposed to lubricate your vagina when you're
- 13:28Speaker 2: having sex only or are you supposed to lubricate it
- 13:30Speaker 2: all the time?
- 13:31Speaker 3: How does that work?
- 13:32Speaker 5: That seems like a subject for another project.
- 13:34Speaker 2: No, guys, this is a health podcast shown us A
- 13:37Speaker 2: registered nurse, Simone works in the healthcare industry and I'm
- 13:40Speaker 2: a doctor.
- 13:41Speaker 3: So between the three of us we can figure out.
- 13:43Speaker 4: So you can't explore hormones, hormone replacement or bioidentical hormones.
- 13:48Speaker 4: And yes, you can supplement with loub.
- 13:53Speaker 3: Supplement with lube.
- 13:54Speaker 2: You're not supposed to lubricate your cayslopis every day, right.
- 13:58Speaker 5: I don't think we know the answer to that questioned Again.
- 14:00Speaker 2: I think the answer is no, no, no, pun intended
- 14:07Speaker 2: or pun intended.
- 14:09Speaker 1: I do have a question about have you both been
- 14:11Speaker 1: through menopause or like postmenopausal?
- 14:13Speaker 5: Yeah?
- 14:13Speaker 1: Yeah, So aside from the physical manifestations of it, are
- 14:17Speaker 1: there any sort of like emotional positive emotional feelings that
- 14:20Speaker 1: you've gotten, Like, yeah, great. You know, some cultures believe
- 14:23Speaker 1: that postmenopausal women are like basically your like goddesses because
- 14:27Speaker 1: you have that sort of strength of character and not
- 14:30Speaker 1: giving a fuck that you do before you go through puberty.
- 14:33Speaker 1: Are you feeling any of that? Are you feeling extra confident, happy,
- 14:37Speaker 1: anything like that?
- 14:38Speaker 6: I feel like you get that with age, but I
- 14:40Speaker 6: don't know that it's directly related to hormones or menopause.
- 14:44Speaker 5: I feel like after you get to a certain age,
- 14:46Speaker 5: you start to give less and less of a fuck.
- 14:47Speaker 6: I mean about everything, and that you don't like people
- 14:50Speaker 6: have opinions. You're like whatever, you just don't care. But
- 14:53Speaker 6: I don't know that that's an effect of menopause. I
- 14:56Speaker 6: think that menopause does have some like emotional like valleys,
- 14:59Speaker 6: kind of like this same thing when you're having your
- 15:01Speaker 6: period or whatever, you're on this sort of you know,
- 15:03Speaker 6: emotional roller coaster your whole life. I think you go
- 15:06Speaker 6: through that during menopause too. Some people get really really
- 15:09Speaker 6: sad and emotional, and some people don't.
- 15:12Speaker 5: Like it's very very individual.
- 15:14Speaker 2: And it's just so annoying that there's not a barometer
- 15:17Speaker 2: to tell you when you're feeling those mood swings that
- 15:19Speaker 2: it's related to your hormones. Like it would be more
- 15:22Speaker 2: beneficial to say, you have a mood coming on for
- 15:25Speaker 2: the next two to four days and you're going to
- 15:28Speaker 2: be a bitch, Like I want to know that information,
- 15:30Speaker 2: Like there should be some sort of smart app that
- 15:32Speaker 2: can tell you, But.
- 15:33Speaker 3: Sure there is, actually there has to be.
- 15:36Speaker 6: Yeah, I'm sure it has to do with your temperature,
- 15:38Speaker 6: Like you could put something, you could put a monitor
- 15:40Speaker 6: on you that would be able to show your cycles,
- 15:42Speaker 6: but nobody you know, because women's health is such a
- 15:45Speaker 6: low priority in terms of what people are working on.
- 15:48Speaker 6: It's probably just not out there, but I guarantee that
- 15:50Speaker 6: that can be easily created.
- 15:52Speaker 2: And ablationions are recommended highly for people with endometriosis, right, yeah,
- 15:58Speaker 2: because of the Yeah, so if you have endometriosis, you're
- 16:01Speaker 2: definitely a candidate. Before we take callers, here's an upbeat question.
- 16:05Speaker 2: Where do your favorite memories from childhood? Lie, Shauna, you
- 16:09Speaker 2: go first?
- 16:10Speaker 4: I would have to say Martha's Vineyard for sure. It's,
- 16:12Speaker 4: you know, still to this day, my favorite place in
- 16:14Speaker 4: the world. And I just remember like there always being
- 16:18Speaker 4: somebody around to play with, to hang out with, to
- 16:21Speaker 4: do something with because we had six kids, and just
- 16:24Speaker 4: like an endless summer, you know, that just was seemed
- 16:28Speaker 4: like forever and it was like Cameloin just beautiful, just
- 16:32Speaker 4: beautiful memories of the beach and the water and warm
- 16:35Speaker 4: weather and good food and laughing and playing and ticks.
- 16:40Speaker 4: That would definitely be it.
- 16:41Speaker 3: Yeah, what about you, Simone?
- 16:44Speaker 6: Actually this came up recently because I was talking to
- 16:46Speaker 6: someone about mom and different memories that came up, and
- 16:49Speaker 6: this really really strong memory came up of a trip
- 16:52Speaker 6: I took with her when I was about ten years old.
- 16:56Speaker 6: For some reason, she just I don't know, you were
- 16:59Speaker 6: like an I think she chills. And I took a
- 17:02Speaker 6: trip with her to California. So it was my first
- 17:04Speaker 6: trip to Seattle and then LA and it was just
- 17:07Speaker 6: the two of us, or mom and me, and we
- 17:10Speaker 6: just did all of.
- 17:11Speaker 5: This cool stuff together.
- 17:12Speaker 6: And we rented a car together and I got a
- 17:14Speaker 6: map and we like went all around LA and all
- 17:17Speaker 6: around Seattle and it was just like this really really
- 17:20Speaker 6: I have no idea again why nobody else came, but
- 17:23Speaker 6: it was just such a really fond memory that I
- 17:25Speaker 6: have my first plane ride and my first like big city,
- 17:29Speaker 6: and I don't know, I just had have been thinking
- 17:31Speaker 6: about that for a while because it was just one
- 17:33Speaker 6: on one time.
- 17:34Speaker 2: I remember a time when I was eight or nine
- 17:37Speaker 2: and Mom took you to look at colleges.
- 17:38Speaker 3: I think, Simone, now I.
- 17:40Speaker 2: Must have been seven, because you would have been seventeen,
- 17:41Speaker 2: and she was taking you to look at colleges. And
- 17:43Speaker 2: I remember being so fucking pissed at her for leaving
- 17:46Speaker 2: me alone with Dad, and I was like unforgiving, like
- 17:51Speaker 2: I wrote her the nastiest letter.
- 17:53Speaker 5: You wrote her a letter in response.
- 17:55Speaker 2: I was like I cannot believe that you would leave
- 17:57Speaker 2: a seven year old daughter alone with your husband. Been like,
- 18:00Speaker 2: this is ridiculous and you've deserted me and I Yeah,
- 18:05Speaker 2: I was so pissed at her for taking that trip.
- 18:07Speaker 2: So that was another trip you got to take with
- 18:09Speaker 2: mom alone while I stayed at home with dad.
- 18:11Speaker 6: All about that, Seanna, where were you in that scenario?
- 18:14Speaker 6: It seems like you would have been like helping out?
- 18:16Speaker 4: Now, Yeah, I mean, how old would I have been five?
- 18:19Speaker 3: Twelve? If I was seven?
- 18:21Speaker 2: You were twelve once Simone went for the second trip,
- 18:24Speaker 2: is what I'm talking about. Oh, so you were twelve,
- 18:27Speaker 2: so you were probably torturing me as usual.
- 18:31Speaker 4: Probably probably, or vice versa.
- 18:34Speaker 2: Okay, Well, my favorite memories are for Martha's Vineyard, for sure.
- 18:37Speaker 2: I have only fond memories from Martha's Vineyard, even though
- 18:40Speaker 2: that is where we found out our brother died and
- 18:42Speaker 2: my brother's favorite place. I think of Martha's Vineyard as
- 18:45Speaker 2: like the most idyllic childhood scenes. Everything was so nice,
- 18:50Speaker 2: our bikes and riding into town and hitchhiking and walking
- 18:54Speaker 2: around in bare Feet and Main Street and Egertown and
- 18:56Speaker 2: going to South Beach and just the food and the
- 19:00Speaker 2: blueberries and all this. Yeah, it was really Those are
- 19:02Speaker 2: my favorite memories.
- 19:04Speaker 5: Yeah, I think it's part of it.
- 19:05Speaker 6: It's just the freedom we had up there, Like we
- 19:07Speaker 6: were so lucky that I think that was the single
- 19:09Speaker 6: best decision probably my father ever made, was to buy
- 19:11Speaker 6: a house up there. As opposed to all the kids
- 19:14Speaker 6: that we grew up with, they all went down to
- 19:16Speaker 6: the Jersey Shore every summer, and I was like jealous
- 19:19Speaker 6: of that until I realized that Snooky.
- 19:21Speaker 2: Then she met Snooky and was like, wait a second,
- 19:23Speaker 2: and we were in the right place at the right.
- 19:25Speaker 5: Time, in the right place. We got to escape.
- 19:28Speaker 6: Like I literally had a completely different friend set, different personality,
- 19:33Speaker 6: like a whole different life up there. It was like
- 19:34Speaker 6: having literally having a double life. Like living up there
- 19:37Speaker 6: in the summers was so awesome, and we had so
- 19:40Speaker 6: much freedom because our parents were always out to lunch.
- 19:43Speaker 3: Yeah, not out to lunch. Not No, they wouldn't even
- 19:46Speaker 3: go out to lunch. That would have been an improvement.
- 19:51Speaker 2: Okay, we're going to take a break and we're going
- 19:52Speaker 2: to be right back to take some calls.
- 19:58Speaker 1: This week. We'd love for you to write in questions
- 20:00Speaker 1: you have about your new relationship. If you're newly dating
- 20:04Speaker 1: someone and you're not sure how to proceed with a
- 20:06Speaker 1: certain element of your relationship. Right into Dear Chelsea podcast
- 20:09Speaker 1: at gmail dot com.
- 20:11Speaker 5: And we're back.
- 20:12Speaker 3: We're back with Shashana and Simonehmmler.
- 20:14Speaker 2: These are my sisters and they are back by popular
- 20:18Speaker 2: demand to give it.
- 20:19Speaker 3: We're giving family advice, right.
- 20:21Speaker 1: We're giving some sister advice. Yes, we've got some kids advice.
- 20:25Speaker 4: Well.
- 20:25Speaker 1: Our first question comes from Jeannette. She is in Illinois.
- 20:28Speaker 1: She's in her sixties. I'm from a small town in
- 20:31Speaker 1: northern Illinois, and my husband and I have been married
- 20:33Speaker 1: for twenty seven years. Our two sons have graduated college
- 20:36Speaker 1: and moved to Nashville. They love it. We travel to
- 20:39Speaker 1: see them once a month. We love the city too,
- 20:42Speaker 1: comedy clubs, live music, art. We'd like to buy a
- 20:45Speaker 1: second home in Nashville, but wonder if we should wait
- 20:47Speaker 1: until the market changes. There are so many opinions on
- 20:50Speaker 1: both sides whether to wait or not. Financially, we can
- 20:53Speaker 1: afford it, especially because we spend money on a hotel
- 20:55Speaker 1: once a month. We love our empty, nesting lives right
- 20:57Speaker 1: now and love that we can see our kids here
- 20:59Speaker 1: and there when we visit. What do you think, Jeanette.
- 21:02Speaker 2: About what getting a second home real estate market? I
- 21:07Speaker 2: can't get financial advice. I am not equipped for that really.
- 21:11Speaker 6: First of all, if they're buying a house in Nashville
- 21:14Speaker 6: because that's where their sons are living and going to college,
- 21:16Speaker 6: they may not be living there in three years or
- 21:19Speaker 6: five years, like they might, you know, go somewhere else.
- 21:21Speaker 4: It might go to West.
- 21:22Speaker 5: Don't pick Nashville because your sons are there.
- 21:25Speaker 6: If you want a second home, picket wherever you want
- 21:27Speaker 6: to live, but don't base.
- 21:28Speaker 2: It on the yes exactly, stay at the hotel that's better.
- 21:31Speaker 2: You think, yeah, it's more sexy or it's fun. A
- 21:34Speaker 2: house is a pantastic You don't buy a house because
- 21:37Speaker 2: you don't follow your children to college so.
- 21:40Speaker 1: They're all graduated.
- 21:41Speaker 5: People do follow their kids to college. People do I know?
- 21:44Speaker 3: I know, I know.
- 21:45Speaker 2: I just met a coproge did it. I was like what,
- 21:47Speaker 2: They're like, Oh, our kids are in London. I just
- 21:49Speaker 2: was in it with a couple and they're like, our
- 21:50Speaker 2: kids are in London, so we're going to London. I'm
- 21:52Speaker 2: like to what follow them around and they're like, yeah,
- 21:54Speaker 2: we just want to be close to them.
- 21:57Speaker 1: See, my mom said that she got advice recently that
- 21:59Speaker 1: like people full her age and she's in her seventies.
- 22:02Speaker 1: She was like, go move where your kids are. Don't
- 22:04Speaker 1: expect them to move home, Like go be by them
- 22:06Speaker 1: and you can like help out with childcare.
- 22:07Speaker 4: And well maybe when they have kids and they're older
- 22:10Speaker 4: and they've starting their own families, you're gonna want to
- 22:12Speaker 4: see your grandkids and you want to help with them.
- 22:14Speaker 4: But when they're in college, you know, just go get
- 22:17Speaker 4: out Airbnb or hotel and you know, hang out a
- 22:20Speaker 4: few days or whatever. But I mean to buy a house,
- 22:23Speaker 4: that's a pretty big commitment.
- 22:25Speaker 3: Shot out.
- 22:25Speaker 2: You're a recent empty nester. What do you have to
- 22:27Speaker 2: say for yourself?
- 22:28Speaker 4: Listen, it's hard. It's hard. I only have one that left.
- 22:31Speaker 4: I have one still in high school. My daughter just
- 22:33Speaker 4: left for college this year, and it's been a major transition.
- 22:37Speaker 4: You know, when you when they're little and you start
- 22:39Speaker 4: a family, you never really think about that day that's
- 22:41Speaker 4: going to come and they're going to go off to
- 22:43Speaker 4: college somewhere far away, And it is really a slap
- 22:46Speaker 4: in the face. To be honest, what is happening? Like
- 22:52Speaker 4: how did I get here?
- 22:53Speaker 1: But I mean a.
- 22:54Speaker 5: Slap in the face. That's exactly what you want them
- 22:56Speaker 5: to do.
- 22:58Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I know, but you know it's really
- 23:01Speaker 4: like I just was not ready emotionally like ouch, Like
- 23:06Speaker 4: that sucked.
- 23:07Speaker 3: What was the tell us about it?
- 23:09Speaker 2: Because I'm sure a lot of women are listening that
- 23:12Speaker 2: are experiencing at so talk about it.
- 23:14Speaker 4: I mean, there's lots of excitement, of course for your
- 23:16Speaker 4: child to start this new adventure, and you want them
- 23:19Speaker 4: to have a great experience and leading up to it,
- 23:21Speaker 4: you know, you are trying to be positive and encouraging,
- 23:25Speaker 4: you know, but in the back of your mind there's
- 23:26Speaker 4: just this little bit of dread or sadness, like when
- 23:29Speaker 4: that day actually happens, Like what am I going to do?
- 23:32Speaker 4: Am I going to like completely break down in front
- 23:34Speaker 4: of my child? Am I going to pull it together?
- 23:36Speaker 4: Am I gonna what's going to happen?
- 23:38Speaker 3: And what did happen? Shauna?
- 23:40Speaker 4: So Mike and I my husband Mike, Charlie's dad, we
- 23:44Speaker 4: took her to college. We spent a few days and
- 23:47Speaker 4: got her all set, decorated a room, and her roommate
- 23:50Speaker 4: went out to dinner and we did really well, and
- 23:53Speaker 4: then it was time to go and we kept it
- 23:56Speaker 4: together until we shut the door. When we said goodbye,
- 24:00Speaker 4: literally in the hallway of her dorm, about ten feet
- 24:03Speaker 4: from closing the door and saying final device, we both
- 24:06Speaker 4: started crying. And unfortunately for my son Russell, who's fourteen,
- 24:09Speaker 4: and he was like, what the fuck are you guys doing?
- 24:14Speaker 4: It was like I'm so embarrassed, but we were both crying.
- 24:17Speaker 6: It was it's not just bad, like that moment is
- 24:20Speaker 6: really bittersweet, and you know, because you're like happy for them,
- 24:23Speaker 6: but you're sad and all that stuff, but it's it's
- 24:25Speaker 6: like the change in the dynamic of the family that changes.
- 24:29Speaker 5: So now Russell, like.
- 24:30Speaker 6: The two of you are focusing your attention on him
- 24:33Speaker 6: because she's away and doing whatever she wants and studying,
- 24:36Speaker 6: and he's kind of like the center of your activity now,
- 24:39Speaker 6: and the whole dynamic changes. And I think that's what
- 24:42Speaker 6: you can't predict how that changes.
- 24:44Speaker 4: Right right definitely after is you know, it's a whole
- 24:48Speaker 4: different environment. My Charlie is much more outgoing and loud.
- 24:51Speaker 4: My son Russell is more quiet, and he plays video
- 24:54Speaker 4: games and keeps to himself, and now we do focus
- 24:58Speaker 4: a lot more attention on him and you know, he
- 25:00Speaker 4: guys didn't really like it, but so well, but we're
- 25:04Speaker 4: or we're all just figuring it out and you know,
- 25:07Speaker 4: it's fine. It's just different and it gets better as
- 25:11Speaker 4: it goes, like each month gets a little easier. And
- 25:13Speaker 4: also knowing that your child is doing well makes it
- 25:15Speaker 4: a lot easier. You know, my daughter's happy, she's thriving,
- 25:19Speaker 4: she has lots of new friends, and that definitely like
- 25:22Speaker 4: makes you feel better about the whole situation. And thank
- 25:26Speaker 4: god for FaceTime and you know, texting all the time.
- 25:29Speaker 3: But it's the worst one is the first one? Right?
- 25:32Speaker 5: No, I don't know. I think it depends how you
- 25:35Speaker 5: know your dynamic.
- 25:36Speaker 6: Like for me, I think the first one was hard,
- 25:38Speaker 6: but I still had two kids at home, so it
- 25:39Speaker 6: was like I went home to a busy household. It
- 25:42Speaker 6: wasn't like every day I was thinking about Jake being
- 25:44Speaker 6: away and you know, how is he doing? And I
- 25:47Speaker 6: think by the time Seneca was ready to go to college,
- 25:49Speaker 6: I was like totally ready, like here go, you go
- 25:52Speaker 6: do your thing. And so you know, while I still
- 25:55Speaker 6: miss her, it's not the same thing. It's like I'm
- 25:58Speaker 6: ready to be an adult in the of her and
- 26:01Speaker 6: independent of kids, and she's ready to go off to college.
- 26:03Speaker 6: So but it kind of got easier with each one,
- 26:05Speaker 6: not harder.
- 26:06Speaker 3: Yeah.
- 26:07Speaker 2: I remember telling mom and Dad that I was going
- 26:09Speaker 2: to California, that I was going to drive across country
- 26:12Speaker 2: and move in with Gaby and Terry, our aunt and uncle.
- 26:15Speaker 2: And they were like, please go, you know, like, don't
- 26:19Speaker 2: wait another second. And Dad went and got me four
- 26:21Speaker 2: new tires for the car that I was driving across country.
- 26:24Speaker 2: He had never ever sprung for four new tires for
- 26:26Speaker 2: any car I drove, and he'd got me four new tires.
- 26:29Speaker 2: And they were like, don't let the door hit you
- 26:30Speaker 2: on the way out, like we are so fucking sick
- 26:32Speaker 2: of you. And it was the best decision I ever made,
- 26:35Speaker 2: because then I then I started to like my family again,
- 26:38Speaker 2: once I got enough distance.
- 26:40Speaker 5: Yeah, three thousand miles. It's the perfect amount of distance.
- 26:42Speaker 2: Absolutely, a drive across country will set anybody straight, that's true.
- 26:46Speaker 3: I do remember though, when Simone went to college.
- 26:48Speaker 2: That was a big gut punch for me because she
- 26:51Speaker 2: was my ally in my house against my father. She
- 26:54Speaker 2: would be our mediator and I did not get along
- 26:57Speaker 2: with my father for those years. And she went to
- 26:59Speaker 2: college to Emory, which I visited her frequently.
- 27:01Speaker 3: And Shauna, you did too right.
- 27:02Speaker 4: Only with the family, not by myself. Okay, I think
- 27:05Speaker 4: went by yourself.
- 27:06Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, you went rogue and came over when you
- 27:08Speaker 6: were eleven years old. I think mom and dad like
- 27:10Speaker 6: sent you on a plane to visit me. I don't
- 27:13Speaker 6: really understand how this went down, but you were eleven,
- 27:16Speaker 6: and so that means I was twenty one and I
- 27:18Speaker 6: took you everywhere I went, and I took you, which she.
- 27:20Speaker 2: Took me to my first bar called Pj's in Atlanta,
- 27:23Speaker 2: and I went in and she got carted and I
- 27:25Speaker 2: did it.
- 27:25Speaker 3: So I was eleven, so that gives eleven.
- 27:27Speaker 6: They didn't really think you were there to drink, but well, sorry,
- 27:31Speaker 6: I left you.
- 27:31Speaker 5: But I had to do it. You had to grow
- 27:32Speaker 5: up somehow.
- 27:33Speaker 4: I know.
- 27:33Speaker 2: I know that was traumatizing, actually very traumatizing, being alone
- 27:37Speaker 2: with my fucking parents.
- 27:38Speaker 3: Okay, anyway, I'm glad I got that off my chest.
- 27:43Speaker 1: Let's call the Amos almost so, Lene is our next caller.
- 27:48Speaker 2: Shauna, stopped moving your fucking camera around. You're making me nauseous.
- 27:53Speaker 4: It's saying that I have low bandwidth.
- 27:55Speaker 2: You do because you're going in and out. You're kind
- 27:57Speaker 2: of crackling up.
- 27:58Speaker 4: All right, I'm moving relocated.
- 28:00Speaker 1: Awesome, We're gonna hurt you in the basement.
- 28:06Speaker 3: That was Shauna to a tea.
- 28:08Speaker 2: Every time she calls, it's like hello, Hello, all right,
- 28:14Speaker 2: yeah I think so Shanna, Yeah.
- 28:15Speaker 3: Okay, all right.
- 28:16Speaker 1: Well our next color is Lane.
- 28:19Speaker 3: Lane Bryant.
- 28:20Speaker 1: Mm hmmm hm, Lane, says dear Chelsea. About two years ago,
- 28:24Speaker 1: I got out of a ten year relationship. Then a
- 28:26Speaker 1: month ago, I got out of a one year long
- 28:28Speaker 1: distance friends with benefits scenario that started as something sexy
- 28:32Speaker 1: and fun, but feelings were caught and it turned into
- 28:34Speaker 1: an exclusive, confusing situationship with a bit of an emotional ending.
- 28:38Speaker 1: So she originally had emailed to talk about how she
- 28:41Speaker 1: can find a friends with benefit situation, but she updated
- 28:44Speaker 1: with since I wrote in I've had a change of heart.
- 28:47Speaker 1: I recently read an awesome book How to Be Single,
- 28:49Speaker 1: and it got me excited and wanting to embrace the
- 28:52Speaker 1: solo time. I want to prioritize being present and intentional
- 28:55Speaker 1: in my decisions, and I need a break from getting
- 28:57Speaker 1: caught up in relation and situationships. All of this was
- 29:01Speaker 1: further sparked by your episode with Jane Fonda and the
- 29:03Speaker 1: caller discussing her divorce. That was me a year and
- 29:05Speaker 1: a half ago, and I'm at a place now where
- 29:08Speaker 1: I can tell people like that caller, you'll make it
- 29:10Speaker 1: through to the other side and it can actually feel great.
- 29:12Speaker 1: So my question is what strategies do you have for
- 29:14Speaker 1: staying present and intentional, staying strong in moments of loneliness,
- 29:18Speaker 1: and overcoming societal pressures. In terms of relationships, Lane.
- 29:23Speaker 3: Hi lay these are my sisters, Shashana and Simoe.
- 29:26Speaker 7: Oh I want to fother me too.
- 29:27Speaker 3: Ah, So where do you want to begin? Where?
- 29:30Speaker 2: Okay, so you want to know how to stay present
- 29:32Speaker 2: and focus or tips to stay present and focus. First
- 29:35Speaker 2: of all, I want to say something about loneliness. I
- 29:37Speaker 2: really don't. I think a lot of us are confused
- 29:40Speaker 2: about what loneliness is because we're so scared of it.
- 29:43Speaker 2: And like, being alone doesn't necessarily mean you have to
- 29:46Speaker 2: be feeling lonely, right, being alone can be very fulfilling
- 29:51Speaker 2: when you use your time and spend it in ways
- 29:53Speaker 2: that make you happy, like reading a really good book
- 29:56Speaker 2: or exercising or just watching TV in bed or whatever
- 29:59Speaker 2: you're stuff is, whatever you like to do. Any opportunity
- 30:03Speaker 2: I get to be by myself, I jump at it.
- 30:05Speaker 2: I spent a long time not being able to be alone,
- 30:07Speaker 2: but I appreciate my alone time. And I think as
- 30:10Speaker 2: you get older, you become much more comfortable with yourself
- 30:13Speaker 2: and your alone time. So don't obfuscate loneliness with being alone.
- 30:17Speaker 7: Definitely, And I think, like that's something I'm just currently
- 30:20Speaker 7: going through the process of learning and really embracing. I
- 30:23Speaker 7: think I spent, you know, many years in a long
- 30:26Speaker 7: term relationship, and you know, towards the end of that,
- 30:30Speaker 7: things just weren't feeling right anymore. And then after I
- 30:33Speaker 7: left it, I kind of fell into this old pattern
- 30:35Speaker 7: of maybe that little feeling of loneliness creeps in and
- 30:39Speaker 7: then you start reaching out to things that you don't
- 30:41Speaker 7: actually want or maybe that you're not ready for. And
- 30:44Speaker 7: so I'm just right now trying to find ways to
- 30:47Speaker 7: like quiet that loneliness feeling, I guess, and really just
- 30:51Speaker 7: embrace and be excited about being on my own, because
- 30:54Speaker 7: I don't necessarily think being alone is a scary thing.
- 30:56Speaker 7: It's something really exciting that I really just want to
- 30:59Speaker 7: embrace right now.
- 31:00Speaker 2: You should write down when you're feeling that way, like
- 31:02Speaker 2: feeling really lonely, and write the situation around it, like
- 31:05Speaker 2: what happened to your day, what happened during your day?
- 31:08Speaker 2: Who did you talk to? Why are you feeling lonely?
- 31:10Speaker 2: The more you examine things, the more they kind of
- 31:12Speaker 2: go away. I feel like you kind of face it
- 31:15Speaker 2: head on, where you're like, oh, this is interesting, I'm
- 31:17Speaker 2: feeling this right now. Why am I feeling this? What
- 31:19Speaker 2: happens today to make me feel this way? Is this
- 31:21Speaker 2: a result of something else that happened last week? You
- 31:23Speaker 2: know that kind of stuff. It's almost just like a
- 31:25Speaker 2: practice of getting to know yourself so that you get
- 31:28Speaker 2: into a more comfortable ease with yourself in your alone time.
- 31:31Speaker 2: I mean all three of us, as Simo and Shashana
- 31:34Speaker 2: and myself spend an ordered amount of time alone. I
- 31:36Speaker 2: would say, but okay, what was your other topic that
- 31:39Speaker 2: you wanted to discuss?
- 31:40Speaker 6: You're asking me about being present, trying to be more present.
- 31:43Speaker 7: Yeah, I think president just really intentional, Like I think
- 31:47Speaker 7: I met this like new area in my life for
- 31:49Speaker 7: a new chapter where I just have time to really
- 31:51Speaker 7: get to know myself, and I just don't I think
- 31:54Speaker 7: like sometimes it's like easy where especially kind of like
- 31:57Speaker 7: I guess one of the things I talked about was
- 31:59Speaker 7: like societal pressure. Your friends are like, oh, I could
- 32:01Speaker 7: set you up with someone, or you have someone that
- 32:03Speaker 7: asks you out, and you're like, oh, I couldn't be
- 32:04Speaker 7: interested in pursuing that. But I just like don't want
- 32:07Speaker 7: any noise of that right now. I just want to
- 32:09Speaker 7: kind of embrace being president intentional, and when I am
- 32:12Speaker 7: ready to like kind of move into dating or anything
- 32:15Speaker 7: kind of casual, I just want to be able to
- 32:17Speaker 7: like be very clear and my decision making and my
- 32:19Speaker 7: choices and just be really confident in all of that.
- 32:22Speaker 1: And not get roped into a relationship right exactly.
- 32:26Speaker 7: Like I think it's so easy where like if you
- 32:28Speaker 7: kind of like meet someone and then all of a sudden,
- 32:30Speaker 7: like you kind of get that attachment to them and
- 32:33Speaker 7: they kind of feeled, you know, that void of comfort
- 32:36Speaker 7: or validation, and I just don't want to I don't
- 32:39Speaker 7: want someone else to provide that for me. I want
- 32:41Speaker 7: to be able to provide that for myself right now
- 32:43Speaker 7: and really kind of lead into that.
- 32:45Speaker 5: It sounds like you know what you want.
- 32:47Speaker 3: Actually, you sound like you're being pretty intentional.
- 32:51Speaker 5: Yeah, Like I think what you're saying about.
- 32:54Speaker 6: You know, having you finally have some time alone, you
- 32:56Speaker 6: want to get to know yourself better, Like act on that,
- 32:59Speaker 6: like write down the things that you want to do
- 33:01Speaker 6: for yourself.
- 33:01Speaker 5: I mean, you're going to meet people along the way.
- 33:03Speaker 6: There will always be people trying to set you up
- 33:05Speaker 6: or whatever, but you don't have to jump into that.
- 33:07Speaker 6: You can just be very intentional about saying that's nice,
- 33:09Speaker 6: but that's not where I am right now. You know,
- 33:12Speaker 6: you can still be social, you can still go out,
- 33:13Speaker 6: but focus on the things that bring you joy or
- 33:17Speaker 6: things that you've wanted to try that you've never tried.
- 33:19Speaker 5: I mean, this is a like.
- 33:21Speaker 6: There's a lot of freedom that comes with being alone too,
- 33:24Speaker 6: Like there's a lot of obligations when you're committed to someone,
- 33:26Speaker 6: not necessarily in a bad way. But now that you
- 33:29Speaker 6: have this time in this space, Like why don't you
- 33:32Speaker 6: explore that a little bit, Like go a little bit
- 33:34Speaker 6: deeper and try to spend some time on what you
- 33:36Speaker 6: really want to do and that those things that you
- 33:39Speaker 6: like they shouldn't go away if you start a relationship either.
- 33:43Speaker 5: That's something to keep in mind. Like I think a
- 33:44Speaker 5: lot of people like do.
- 33:46Speaker 6: Things when they're alone, and then there are things when
- 33:48Speaker 6: they have their partner, and those things don't always overlap,
- 33:51Speaker 6: which I think can be really problematic.
- 33:53Speaker 7: Definitely, And I think kind of along with what you're
- 33:55Speaker 7: saying is within the last couple of months, I've just
- 33:57Speaker 7: found this new ground energy, a way to show up
- 34:00Speaker 7: for friends and family in a way that I maybe
- 34:03Speaker 7: wasn't fully able to when you are in relationship.
- 34:06Speaker 3: Totally totally, but I do.
- 34:08Speaker 7: Find too, like, especially when you're like friends or family
- 34:10Speaker 7: members that are like, are you happy you're alone? And
- 34:12Speaker 7: I just want to be like, well, I just don't
- 34:15Speaker 7: feel like alone is a bad word, and how do I? Yeah,
- 34:18Speaker 7: But every now and then, you know, you have that
- 34:20Speaker 7: like kind of dark, lonely voice that does come in,
- 34:22Speaker 7: and I just want to remind myself of the times
- 34:24Speaker 7: like right now where I'm feeling very much more like
- 34:27Speaker 7: strong about it and happier in content with it.
- 34:30Speaker 2: And you should write that down too, Like when you're
- 34:32Speaker 2: feeling great and positive, you should write down that and
- 34:35Speaker 2: the events around it that led you there, you know,
- 34:37Speaker 2: the kind of day you're having. Because I do think
- 34:39Speaker 2: you're on the right track. Everything you're saying, it sounds
- 34:41Speaker 2: very intentional those.
- 34:43Speaker 6: Comments from other people. Again, they're coming from all different places,
- 34:47Speaker 6: from society, from norms whatever, Like you have to kind
- 34:51Speaker 6: of you know, you don't have to be rude about it,
- 34:53Speaker 6: but like that's just their stuff. Like you don't have
- 34:56Speaker 6: to put that on you. If you're enjoying this time
- 34:59Speaker 6: and you're exploring and you're writing these things down where
- 35:01Speaker 6: you're enjoying your time alone, like not of that matters.
- 35:04Speaker 6: That's just preconceived notions that they have that they're trying
- 35:07Speaker 6: to put on you.
- 35:08Speaker 2: They're not about you, or they just have nothing to say,
- 35:10Speaker 2: so they say that because that's what people say. I've
- 35:12Speaker 2: said it to people before, Like it's just a pointless comment.
- 35:15Speaker 2: It's not helpful anyway. And also I always play this
- 35:19Speaker 2: game with myself when I am dating someone casually, like
- 35:22Speaker 2: to keep it casual. I always say to myself, like, okay,
- 35:26Speaker 2: say we have plans on a Friday night. I'm like, okay,
- 35:28Speaker 2: we have plans. I have plants with this fun guy
- 35:29Speaker 2: on Friday night. That'll be fun. And then I always
- 35:32Speaker 2: say to myself, if that doesn't work out for some reason,
- 35:35Speaker 2: I still have a million other options or I'm going
- 35:37Speaker 2: to do this or I'm I'm gonna be happy doing this.
- 35:40Speaker 2: I always kind of keep myself in check that way
- 35:42Speaker 2: when I'm starting out with some casual fling with somebody,
- 35:45Speaker 2: so that I make sure I know, like, this is
- 35:47Speaker 2: a fun thing.
- 35:47Speaker 3: To have, but this is not the source of my happiness.
- 35:51Speaker 2: It's good to remind yourself that you are going to
- 35:53Speaker 2: have a good time, and whether you're with someone or
- 35:56Speaker 2: whether you're without them, it's just going to be a
- 35:58Speaker 2: different time if you're with them. But to remind yourself
- 36:01Speaker 2: of your own source. You're the one who's bringing the
- 36:03Speaker 2: vibes to your life, not necessarily someone else. They can
- 36:06Speaker 2: always help, but no one is the source of another
- 36:09Speaker 2: person's happiness.
- 36:10Speaker 6: And what were you doing for yourself right now is
- 36:13Speaker 6: going to actually read benefits if you the next time
- 36:15Speaker 6: you are in a relationship, you know, getting to know yourself,
- 36:17Speaker 6: spending time with yourself so that you know sort of
- 36:20Speaker 6: what you want out of life and out of a
- 36:22Speaker 6: relationship in the future. So teriship because you don't know
- 36:24Speaker 6: how long it's going to last, and you know it's
- 36:27Speaker 6: going to benefit you in the long run too.
- 36:29Speaker 1: And someone I know you mentioned like of course Leane's
- 36:31Speaker 1: going to like go through her life and be meeting people.
- 36:33Speaker 1: Is there a way do you threethink to differentiate between like,
- 36:37Speaker 1: oh I met someone and I actually am really into
- 36:39Speaker 1: them versus like they just happen to be there, and
- 36:41Speaker 1: so I'm falling into this.
- 36:43Speaker 4: Sometimes when you're in a new relationship, you lose yourself.
- 36:47Speaker 4: You kind of want to be what you think they
- 36:50Speaker 4: need or what they want. I've done that in the past,
- 36:53Speaker 4: and it's like you kind of just forget who you
- 36:56Speaker 4: are a little bit, and then you kind of get
- 36:58Speaker 4: off course. And you know, it's great just to stay grounded,
- 37:02Speaker 4: remember who you are and take it slow and don't
- 37:07Speaker 4: lose yourself. Remember what you like, what you want, what
- 37:09Speaker 4: you are. If that person's really worth it, or you
- 37:13Speaker 4: know it was the one you might end up with,
- 37:15Speaker 4: they're going to love you the way that you are.
- 37:17Speaker 4: You know, you don't need to change or or get
- 37:20Speaker 4: ahead of yourself or make changes about yourself to fit them.
- 37:23Speaker 4: You've got to be you know, secure and who you are.
- 37:26Speaker 2: Yeah, and you sound like you are secure and who
- 37:28Speaker 2: you are and you're only getting to know yourself better,
- 37:30Speaker 2: which is just going to be like you're putting money
- 37:32Speaker 2: in the bank of your happiness, so I don't think
- 37:35Speaker 2: you're going to have any problems. And also listen, as
- 37:37Speaker 2: we get older and more mature, we stop taking every
- 37:40Speaker 2: little interaction so seriously with men, even when it is
- 37:43Speaker 2: a fling, like we start to understand the difference and
- 37:46Speaker 2: we don't get that attachment that happens sometimes when we're
- 37:49Speaker 2: in our twenties and thirties.
- 37:50Speaker 3: Once you hit your.
- 37:51Speaker 2: Forties, you're like, oh no, no, no, Like that's a
- 37:54Speaker 2: temporary gig.
- 37:54Speaker 3: You're not a person in my life.
- 37:56Speaker 2: Like you know, you just grow into it and you
- 37:59Speaker 2: understand that certain people are just visitors and then other
- 38:01Speaker 2: people are going to stay.
- 38:03Speaker 6: And I would just add one little point as just
- 38:05Speaker 6: setting being be really clear. You know, if you are
- 38:08Speaker 6: dating someone, like, be really clear about your intention. Okay,
- 38:11Speaker 6: I am not looking for something. If they're looking for
- 38:13Speaker 6: long term relationship and you're not, then that's probably not
- 38:15Speaker 6: a place to start dating.
- 38:16Speaker 5: You have to be really clear about like this is
- 38:18Speaker 5: where I am in my life.
- 38:19Speaker 6: I have no interest in that, and just be clear
- 38:22Speaker 6: about communicating that to them so that you're not you
- 38:25Speaker 6: don't end up with the wrong person.
- 38:27Speaker 4: And I guess along that way.
- 38:28Speaker 7: Length is like, what is it good approach for when
- 38:31Speaker 7: you're kind of entering into the dating world again, Like,
- 38:33Speaker 7: how do you communicate that to someone Like I'm just
- 38:35Speaker 7: like not looking for anything super serious at this point
- 38:38Speaker 7: in time. When's a good tak to say that?
- 38:41Speaker 6: Really early on? I think, I mean anything to jump
- 38:44Speaker 6: in here, but I think really early.
- 38:46Speaker 3: On, I don't know. That's kind of like a smoan.
- 38:49Speaker 3: Think about it.
- 38:49Speaker 2: When you're on your dating sites. Do you like hearing
- 38:51Speaker 2: that right out of the gate? I mean, I guess
- 38:54Speaker 2: maybe it would be helpful.
- 38:55Speaker 6: Well, I mean all those those apps actually are set
- 38:58Speaker 6: up that way, so they say like I want a
- 38:59Speaker 6: short I want short term fun, I just want a
- 39:02Speaker 6: one night stand, I want a long term relationship, I'm
- 39:04Speaker 6: looking to get married. All those options are on there.
- 39:07Speaker 2: Yes to all of that, But I also don't think
- 39:09Speaker 2: that you need to say that right off the bat,
- 39:12Speaker 2: because what if you end up dating a guy that
- 39:14Speaker 2: you're like, well, wow, this is actually a really good match.
- 39:17Speaker 3: This is a healthy relationship.
- 39:19Speaker 2: We have like it's a great give and take, we
- 39:20Speaker 2: compliment each other, and then you're like, oh, okay, maybe
- 39:23Speaker 2: I can have a relationship. I don't think you have
- 39:25Speaker 2: to be like black and white about things at the
- 39:27Speaker 2: outset as you're dating them. And if you're like, oh,
- 39:30Speaker 2: this guy needs to know like he's falling in love
- 39:32Speaker 2: with me, he needs to know this is casual. Then yes,
- 39:35Speaker 2: don't string somebody along that you're not interested in. Right,
- 39:38Speaker 2: But I don't know that it has to be like
- 39:40Speaker 2: the first thing you say, yea.
- 39:43Speaker 3: And listen, you're smart, Lane, you don't even fucking need us.
- 39:45Speaker 2: Okay, you're fine, you're beautiful, you're smart, you're intelligent. You're
- 39:49Speaker 2: taking time to be alone. Every woman should be doing this.
- 39:52Speaker 2: And good luck with everything because I know you're going
- 39:54Speaker 2: to have a good life.
- 39:55Speaker 7: Thank you, Okay, wonderful to me too. All have a
- 39:58Speaker 7: great day.
- 39:58Speaker 3: Okay you too?
- 40:00Speaker 5: Yeah, take care bye.
- 40:02Speaker 3: Shshana.
- 40:03Speaker 2: You are making me nauseous. Are you in a place
- 40:05Speaker 2: where you're getting a signal? You have been walking around
- 40:07Speaker 2: this entire episode.
- 40:08Speaker 4: Everywhere I go it says low bandwidth?
- 40:10Speaker 3: But how can you have low bandwidth in your house? How?
- 40:15Speaker 1: How?
- 40:16Speaker 4: I guess it's time to call Verizon?
- 40:18Speaker 2: Okay, anyway, okay, we have one last caller, guys, so
- 40:26Speaker 2: just fucking focus.
- 40:28Speaker 1: So I've got Hannah on the line here Hannah is
- 40:31Speaker 1: having some baby daddy issues. She says, I'm a single
- 40:34Speaker 1: parent living in a beach town in the South with
- 40:36Speaker 1: my five year old daughter. I have a wonderful new
- 40:38Speaker 1: partner coming up on a year and we are so happy.
- 40:41Speaker 1: He's also a single dad. Baby daddy had a lot
- 40:44Speaker 1: of issues, alcohol, drugs, pathological liar, the list goes on,
- 40:48Speaker 1: and he split when my little one was two. He
- 40:50Speaker 1: lives in New York now supposedly never paid a cent
- 40:53Speaker 1: in child support, held in contempt by the courts. Took
- 40:55Speaker 1: years to track him down so I could obtain full
- 40:58Speaker 1: legal custody, and I had to trick him in signing
- 41:00Speaker 1: the papers by telling him he could be a part
- 41:02Speaker 1: of my daughter's life. He finally signed, and of course
- 41:05Speaker 1: I'm desperate to close this chapter for good. Now he's
- 41:07Speaker 1: angry and suddenly wants to be a part of her life.
- 41:10Speaker 1: I'm so against this, as he's very inconsistent and unreliable,
- 41:13Speaker 1: and who can know for sure if he's changed. I
- 41:16Speaker 1: want to protect my daughter, of course, but I feel
- 41:18Speaker 1: a little guilty. At the same time. I do not
- 41:20Speaker 1: feel safe having him re enter her life. But am
- 41:22Speaker 1: I being too harsh? How can I set boundaries with
- 41:25Speaker 1: someone who has no concept of them.
- 41:27Speaker 2: Hannah, Hi, Hannah, Hi, Hannah, Hi Hannah, Hi, Hi.
- 41:32Speaker 3: These are my sisters.
- 41:33Speaker 4: Hi. You said you signed some papers. What were the
- 41:37Speaker 4: specifics on that? Because I didn't. It wasn't clear like
- 41:41Speaker 4: what he signed.
- 41:41Speaker 8: Away or so I would prefer of something was signed away.
- 41:45Speaker 8: But the final point, like case clothes, that we got
- 41:48Speaker 8: to was soul cost city parent. It was just like
- 41:53Speaker 8: when we first started, so so long ago. I was like,
- 41:55Speaker 8: let's go parent, let's try this. Like I'm a very positive,
- 41:58Speaker 8: open minded person. I was like, yeah, let's do it.
- 42:00Speaker 8: So the original agreement was shared custody, and I just
- 42:03Speaker 8: finally got soul custody because I'm the only parent here.
- 42:07Speaker 5: So he's on the other coast, he's far.
- 42:09Speaker 8: Away, he's allegedly in New York.
- 42:12Speaker 6: When he says he wants to be part of her life,
- 42:14Speaker 6: what does he mean by that if he doesn't live
- 42:16Speaker 6: anywhere nearby.
- 42:17Speaker 8: I'm not sure, Like it's very unclear. So those messages,
- 42:21Speaker 8: those begging kind of I've changed, I've changed, I've changed.
- 42:25Speaker 8: How can you keep her from me? I want to
- 42:27Speaker 8: be in her life? They come every like four to
- 42:30Speaker 8: six weeks. Sometimes every few months, and for me, it's
- 42:36Speaker 8: really challenging to engage every single time and go back
- 42:38Speaker 8: into that loophole and go back into that cycle because
- 42:41Speaker 8: I have a heart, I have feelings that I was
- 42:44Speaker 8: super invested in this in like the boundary I've put
- 42:47Speaker 8: up is I either ignore it, which doesn't feel great,
- 42:50Speaker 8: But it's really hard to engage with him because there's
- 42:53Speaker 8: no like linear result and he doesn't come back into
- 42:58Speaker 8: her life. And I don't think it's fair for a
- 42:59Speaker 8: young child to have that inconsistency and to have.
- 43:03Speaker 9: I'm here, I'm here, I'm here, I'm ready, let's have
- 43:05Speaker 9: a FaceTime.
- 43:05Speaker 5: Let's have a phone call.
- 43:06Speaker 8: I don't know who you are anymore, but I'm gonna
- 43:08Speaker 8: try and then gone.
- 43:09Speaker 5: When when was the last time that they saw each other?
- 43:11Speaker 9: Like about two years ago?
- 43:13Speaker 5: So does she have any memory of him at this point?
- 43:16Speaker 4: Not really.
- 43:17Speaker 8: I'm currently have a new partner and that's been a
- 43:20Speaker 8: really positive influence and we're moving in together soon. And
- 43:24Speaker 8: I've even gotten a lot of great feedback from her
- 43:26Speaker 8: teacher saying how she draws pictures and talks about him
- 43:30Speaker 8: and is very excited, you know, like he's like included
- 43:32Speaker 8: in the narrative now and she's like reflected on that
- 43:35Speaker 8: that has been a positive thing, whereas in the past,
- 43:39Speaker 8: like she's like even mentioned her friends, like yeah, I
- 43:41Speaker 8: don't I don't have a dad. You know, it's very
- 43:44Speaker 8: clear from a young age, like the different families options
- 43:47Speaker 8: that they are, and you know, we have family events
- 43:49Speaker 8: and she doesn't have a person there.
- 43:51Speaker 6: I feel like he is showing you who he is
- 43:54Speaker 6: by only reaching out every six weeks. It sounds like
- 43:57Speaker 6: either guilt or family members of his that are like saying, hey,
- 44:01Speaker 6: what about your daughter and you should really push that
- 44:03Speaker 6: or whatever wherever it's coming from. You have to, like,
- 44:06Speaker 6: he has to show up in a much better way
- 44:08Speaker 6: for you to even consider him having a part in
- 44:11Speaker 6: her life like he has. I think you have to
- 44:13Speaker 6: tell him, look, I can't deal with this on again
- 44:16Speaker 6: off again stuff. If you want to be part of
- 44:18Speaker 6: her life, you have to do ABC and D and
- 44:21Speaker 6: those things would be like, you know, you have to
- 44:23Speaker 6: show me that you're gonna support her. You're going to
- 44:26Speaker 6: show me that you're going to show up on a
- 44:27Speaker 6: regular basis.
- 44:28Speaker 5: You have to do all these things that like demonstrate
- 44:31Speaker 5: that he really means it.
- 44:32Speaker 6: Otherwise you shouldn't have to deal with him at all
- 44:34Speaker 6: because it's very unhealthy for her, and that's the most
- 44:38Speaker 6: important thing.
- 44:39Speaker 9: Thanks.
- 44:40Speaker 2: And I also think it's about your health mental health too,
- 44:42Speaker 2: like he's gonna put such a strain, he's already putting
- 44:45Speaker 2: a strain on your mental health and he's not even around,
- 44:48Speaker 2: and he hasn't been around, and you have a positive
- 44:50Speaker 2: influence for her now, It's like, yeah, if he wants
- 44:52Speaker 2: to show up and come and visit, that's one thing,
- 44:56Speaker 2: But talking about it doesn't really get you anywhere.
- 44:58Speaker 5: Yes, he has to put his money with his mouth.
- 45:00Speaker 4: Is he talking about coming to live there?
- 45:03Speaker 8: So that's another interesting aspect. The state where I live,
- 45:07Speaker 8: he has like a I think it's called a bench
- 45:09Speaker 8: of arrest warrant because if you don't pay child support,
- 45:13Speaker 8: that's illegal, right, And so he after a certain amount
- 45:16Speaker 8: of time, it gets written into the courts like he's
- 45:18Speaker 8: paid zero dollars, So then there's like a warrant out
- 45:21Speaker 8: for his arrest in this state if he comes back,
- 45:24Speaker 8: because you can't leave the state and not pay Apparently
- 45:27Speaker 8: you can't leave the state and not pay child support
- 45:29Speaker 8: because it's a federal crime.
- 45:31Speaker 1: Right.
- 45:31Speaker 2: I would just love to have the rules about what
- 45:33Speaker 2: would happen if a fucking woman did that and then
- 45:36Speaker 2: came back.
- 45:37Speaker 3: Yeah. I mean it's just we would be arrested if
- 45:39Speaker 3: we tried to fucking pullshit like that.
- 45:41Speaker 8: So like part of me feels like I could go
- 45:43Speaker 8: down the petty road and the mean road and put
- 45:46Speaker 8: all my energy into being negative and getting him in
- 45:48Speaker 8: trouble and getting back.
- 45:49Speaker 9: At him and did it.
- 45:50Speaker 3: No, no, no, no, that's no good.
- 45:52Speaker 9: I want to like be free of it.
- 45:53Speaker 4: You know.
- 45:54Speaker 1: I don't think you have an obligation to even accept
- 45:57Speaker 1: calls and texts from him. I think it's time to block.
- 46:00Speaker 1: If he has a meaningful change of heart or change
- 46:03Speaker 1: of like being and can pay his child support, come
- 46:07Speaker 1: back into the state actually, like send you paperwork. I
- 46:10Speaker 1: want to see my child again. Then that's a different issue.
- 46:13Speaker 1: But I don't think you need to be subject to
- 46:16Speaker 1: getting these texts in your inbox.
- 46:18Speaker 2: I wouldn't say block him because that is her daughter's father, Like,
- 46:22Speaker 2: what if something happens and they need to know, and
- 46:25Speaker 2: you can handle that situation, but getting a text every
- 46:28Speaker 2: four to six weeks, you don't have to respond to that.
- 46:30Speaker 2: You could just let it go because I have. Clearly
- 46:33Speaker 2: he's not that determined, otherwise he would be texting you
- 46:36Speaker 2: more frequently. But I think you've got the right idea.
- 46:39Speaker 2: Just I think just try not to like limit your
- 46:42Speaker 2: engagement with him. You don't have to respond to him.
- 46:44Speaker 2: He has a bench warrant in the state you're living
- 46:47Speaker 2: in for not paying child support. That's all he needs
- 46:50Speaker 2: to know. And if he wants to change, I mean,
- 46:52Speaker 2: that's it. That's all the information that he needs.
- 46:54Speaker 4: He's not paying support. There's no reason for you to
- 46:58Speaker 4: have them interact in any way. I mean, he's not
- 47:00Speaker 4: even like doing the minimum of what is expected of him,
- 47:04Speaker 4: so he has to show you that he's going to
- 47:07Speaker 4: totally turn things around. I mean, he's not paying support,
- 47:10Speaker 4: he's no right to see his daughter.
- 47:11Speaker 3: That's true.
- 47:12Speaker 1: Yeah, So maybe it's as simple as that, like, sure,
- 47:14Speaker 1: once you can pay child support, you can be in
- 47:16Speaker 1: her life. And if that winds up happening, then that's
- 47:18Speaker 1: a different conversation.
- 47:20Speaker 5: Yeah.
- 47:20Speaker 8: I would. I would say, like, Okay, you need to
- 47:22Speaker 8: do a B and C, make it very clear for
- 47:23Speaker 8: six months, and then after six months we can talk
- 47:25Speaker 8: about blah blah blah.
- 47:26Speaker 2: But we'll see, right, Yeah, focus on your good life
- 47:30Speaker 2: that you've got going with your new man.
- 47:32Speaker 3: Yeah, and your kid.
- 47:33Speaker 1: I don't think you owe him anything.
- 47:34Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't think so either. Yeah.
- 47:36Speaker 9: Okay, that was the truth that I wanted.
- 47:40Speaker 3: Perfect.
- 47:41Speaker 2: Thanks Hannah, Bye, Hannah, thank you.
- 47:45Speaker 1: All Right, Well we'll take a little quick break and
- 47:47Speaker 1: we'll be right back with Madison and we'll wrap up.
- 47:54Speaker 3: And we're back.
- 47:55Speaker 1: Well, Madison writes in and she says, Dear Chelsea, my
- 47:59Speaker 1: sister is three year years older than me, and we're
- 48:01Speaker 1: super close. She's the person that knows me better than
- 48:03Speaker 1: I know myself and that I'm most connected to in
- 48:05Speaker 1: this world. However, I would label her as a quote
- 48:08Speaker 1: highly sensitive person. Ever since we were little, she's always
- 48:11Speaker 1: had a very big, strong, and times explosive emotions. This
- 48:15Speaker 1: presents as nearly constant outward irritability to where most people
- 48:19Speaker 1: in my life thinks she's a bitch, coupled with a
- 48:21Speaker 1: fairly depressive outlook on herself and her life. I have
- 48:24Speaker 1: learned to let things go and attribute a lot of
- 48:26Speaker 1: her negative energy to her difficulty with dealing with her
- 48:28Speaker 1: own emotions. However, I've also worked a lot to understand
- 48:31Speaker 1: myself more, be more assertive with my wants and needs
- 48:34Speaker 1: and set boundaries with others. My question is this, how
- 48:37Speaker 1: can I start to be honest with my sister and
- 48:39Speaker 1: about how her irritability and mood impact me when I'm
- 48:42Speaker 1: so worried about hurting her feelings or sending her into
- 48:44Speaker 1: a highly sensitive feelings spiral.
- 48:47Speaker 3: Madison, Hi, Madison, I'm Madison.
- 48:50Speaker 4: Guys.
- 48:51Speaker 3: Hi, these are my sisters. There are special guests today.
- 48:54Speaker 4: Oh what perfect guess for.
- 48:56Speaker 2: I Ah, perfect guess for your situation? Well, I would say, Simon,
- 49:01Speaker 2: do you want to start? I mean I would be
- 49:03Speaker 2: the most irritable. I'm not the most sensitive, but I'm
- 49:05Speaker 2: the most irritated.
- 49:07Speaker 6: And I mean it is a tough situation because this
- 49:10Speaker 6: is your sister. You said you're close, right.
- 49:13Speaker 5: Yeah, And I can relate to that.
- 49:15Speaker 6: I'm a little overly sensitive too, so to criticism, but
- 49:18Speaker 6: I don't like spiral out of control.
- 49:21Speaker 2: Usually you're not sensitive to criticism about your children. You're
- 49:23Speaker 2: not sensitive to criticism about yourself. I mean, who's criticizing
- 49:27Speaker 2: you for what? When do you get criticism?
- 49:30Speaker 5: It's happened once or twice.
- 49:31Speaker 6: Anyway, it's a sensitive area because I think you know
- 49:35Speaker 6: you care about her, right. I mean, you're very close,
- 49:37Speaker 6: you care about her, but I think at some point
- 49:40Speaker 6: you kind of have to. It sounds like she needs
- 49:42Speaker 6: to talk to someone else, like she needs some assistance
- 49:46Speaker 6: in accessing her own emotions and understanding why she's so
- 49:50Speaker 6: sensitive and why she spirals out of control like this,
- 49:53Speaker 6: like this, this is.
- 49:54Speaker 5: Bigger than you.
- 49:54Speaker 6: I think she really actually would benefit from seeing a therapist.
- 49:58Speaker 6: And I'm raising that is probably sensitive too, But if
- 50:02Speaker 6: you're really thinking about her well being, I think you
- 50:05Speaker 6: know you can broach it in more gentle ways and
- 50:07Speaker 6: saying like, oh, you know, I don't know, something comes
- 50:10Speaker 6: up and you Sometimes it's by analogy, Oh my friend
- 50:13Speaker 6: is seeing a therapist and this is how it's working,
- 50:16Speaker 6: or my friend has this issue. Sometimes, like you have
- 50:18Speaker 6: to go about it a little sideways as opposed to directly,
- 50:21Speaker 6: because it sounds like she is super sensitive when you
- 50:24Speaker 6: if you are talking about her. But I really think
- 50:27Speaker 6: the two of you can't manage this alone, like she
- 50:30Speaker 6: needs some assistance.
- 50:31Speaker 4: It might be fun to go together to therapy a
- 50:33Speaker 4: few times, like with her and join her and you
- 50:36Speaker 4: can bring up things and with that third party sometimes
- 50:39Speaker 4: you know, that makes it easier because they can kind
- 50:42Speaker 4: of navigate what you both are trying to say, and
- 50:46Speaker 4: you know, help break it up where it's just not
- 50:48Speaker 4: the two of you alone, but somebody to kind of
- 50:50Speaker 4: help you navigate through what the other person is seeing
- 50:53Speaker 4: and saying.
- 50:54Speaker 3: Is that something that you could do? Do you think
- 50:56Speaker 3: there's a possibility to go to therapy? Would you be
- 50:58Speaker 3: open to that like together?
- 51:00Speaker 9: I don't know if she'd be open to it together.
- 51:03Speaker 10: I did try that once with her and my mom actually,
- 51:07Speaker 10: because they have a kind of contentious relationship and I
- 51:10Speaker 10: am like the peacemaker.
- 51:11Speaker 9: I'm the middle man that can like interpret for both of.
- 51:13Speaker 10: Them, and so I kind of was like, I'm over
- 51:16Speaker 10: your guys as shit, and I'm not going to be
- 51:17Speaker 10: around you unless we like go to therapy together because
- 51:20Speaker 10: I can't do this. But that only went for one session,
- 51:24Speaker 10: and my sister got really defensive, kind of like the
- 51:29Speaker 10: therapist just talking to her about maybe some possible depression
- 51:33Speaker 10: and that can explain some of the irritability and the sensitivity,
- 51:37Speaker 10: and she just felt like the dynamic was getting pinned
- 51:41Speaker 10: on her since we were both there. So I think
- 51:45Speaker 10: maybe Astilla like suggesting a solo adventure for her might
- 51:49Speaker 10: do better than me going with her.
- 51:51Speaker 3: Yeah, that's good, that's good.
- 51:53Speaker 2: And then I think then what you have to do
- 51:55Speaker 2: is have a sit down and like a face to face,
- 51:57Speaker 2: hard to heart with her and just be like, listen,
- 52:00Speaker 2: I feel like I'm walking on eggshells a lot because
- 52:02Speaker 2: I'm worried about how you're going to receive information. And
- 52:05Speaker 2: I don't think you want me to feel that way,
- 52:07Speaker 2: and I don't want to feel that way about you,
- 52:09Speaker 2: Like you're the person I love the most. Like everything
- 52:11Speaker 2: you said about her was very moving and touching. But
- 52:14Speaker 2: you know, as a sister, I mean, if you're not
- 52:16Speaker 2: going to tell her who the fuck is?
- 52:18Speaker 5: Yeah?
- 52:19Speaker 6: Yeah, And then like Chelsea has an always on her podcast,
- 52:23Speaker 6: you know you have to come from a place of
- 52:24Speaker 6: love and tell her this is because you care about her,
- 52:27Speaker 6: this is because you love her, this is because she's
- 52:29Speaker 6: a big part of your life, and that you want
- 52:30Speaker 6: to see her happy and you want to see her
- 52:32Speaker 6: evolve over time.
- 52:33Speaker 5: And what you're.
- 52:34Speaker 6: Seeing, she doesn't appear to be happy and content and
- 52:38Speaker 6: be able to deal with some of these issues.
- 52:40Speaker 5: And so if you're coming from that place, that's really valuable.
- 52:43Speaker 2: Yeah, and she's in a highly irritable state that's not
- 52:47Speaker 2: pleasant for her, so she really has to take a
- 52:49Speaker 2: look at that.
- 52:50Speaker 3: I've been there.
- 52:51Speaker 2: I understand that you're not a happy person. When you're
- 52:53Speaker 2: that highly irritated and everyone annoys you so much, there's
- 52:56Speaker 2: something going on with you. It's a deeper issue and
- 52:59Speaker 2: it doesn't have to be that Like people who are
- 53:01Speaker 2: depressed or upset, they don't realize there's another way to live,
- 53:04Speaker 2: Like you can actually choose to do the work and
- 53:07Speaker 2: get to the other side and be a happier, more positive,
- 53:10Speaker 2: optimistic person. But you know it's going to take time
- 53:14Speaker 2: and you and you just have to commit to being
- 53:16Speaker 2: there for her during it.
- 53:17Speaker 10: How do you guys think you would phrase? Because I
- 53:19Speaker 10: feel like I'm good at the taking care of her
- 53:23Speaker 10: feelings part, but like so my boyfriend would be like,
- 53:27Speaker 10: oh my gosh, like this is so crazy. You're like
- 53:29Speaker 10: getting into her dynamic. You need to have like a
- 53:32Speaker 10: life intervention with her and just tell her like no,
- 53:35Speaker 10: like you need to go somewhere and get help, and
- 53:37Speaker 10: like this is not sustainable. But I don't know how
- 53:39Speaker 10: to like word the direct part to be like you
- 53:43Speaker 10: need to. I mean, maybe it's just that plane you
- 53:46Speaker 10: need to go get help or I don't know.
- 53:49Speaker 2: I think you would say, listen, I love you more
- 53:51Speaker 2: than anything, and I really feel like you could benefit
- 53:54Speaker 2: from talking to someone as your sister. I know you
- 53:57Speaker 2: better than anyone, and I know that you're not as
- 54:00Speaker 2: happy as you can be, Like it's possible to be
- 54:03Speaker 2: happier and through the like counseling. I can listen to
- 54:06Speaker 2: you all you want, but I'm not like a professional,
- 54:09Speaker 2: Like you need someone who can help you deal with
- 54:12Speaker 2: all of these feelings.
- 54:13Speaker 3: That you have.
- 54:13Speaker 2: And then you can use some examples of like what
- 54:15Speaker 2: you've seen about her that it isn't happy, that it
- 54:19Speaker 2: is irritability, that it isn't you know that she is
- 54:22Speaker 2: in a constant kind of state of agitation.
- 54:25Speaker 6: Yeah, And I think it's important to say that you're
- 54:27Speaker 6: always there for her. You're listening for her, but your
- 54:29Speaker 6: skills only go so far. Like you can't solve her problems.
- 54:32Speaker 6: You can be there for support and love and all that,
- 54:35Speaker 6: but like it's not what she needs. She needs much
- 54:38Speaker 6: more than that. She needs someone independent to to really
- 54:41Speaker 6: help her work through these things. And so you're not
- 54:43Speaker 6: taking away your support, you're not pulling away your lover support,
- 54:47Speaker 6: but you're just saying like I've I've got my own limits,
- 54:49Speaker 6: like I can only do so much for you.
- 54:52Speaker 2: Yeah, and the defensiveness is just the example of why
- 54:55Speaker 2: she needs to go to therapy. When you are that
- 54:57Speaker 2: defensive about anything, Like when you can I can't hear
- 55:00Speaker 2: any critique about yourself and think, oh, maybe that's something
- 55:04Speaker 2: I could improve on, that's the definition of needing to
- 55:07Speaker 2: go to therapy.
- 55:08Speaker 4: Yeah.
- 55:08Speaker 1: Yeah, in addition to all of this putting the onus
- 55:12Speaker 1: like not you need to go to therapy because you're
- 55:14Speaker 1: a bitch, but it is like the onus can be
- 55:16Speaker 1: slightly outside of her, like it'll help you reduce this
- 55:19Speaker 1: tension so that you can be happy. It'll help reduce
- 55:21Speaker 1: your stress so you're not flying off the handle all
- 55:24Speaker 1: the time. So you can kind of put the onus
- 55:26Speaker 1: next door, and so it's not like you're just terrible
- 55:28Speaker 1: to be around. It's like, no, you have these other stressors,
- 55:31Speaker 1: you have these other things, like it can help you
- 55:33Speaker 1: dissipate that stuff.
- 55:34Speaker 10: So, yeah, that is a really good way to look
- 55:37Speaker 10: at it, because, yeah, her life would only grow because
- 55:41Speaker 10: the connection other people, Like I'm so used to her
- 55:45Speaker 10: attitude and like what she's sensitive about so I can
- 55:49Speaker 10: kind of not step on those landlines, or I can
- 55:52Speaker 10: like very intuitively kind of feel her energy and know
- 55:55Speaker 10: like how much is too much?
- 55:56Speaker 5: You want to back off?
- 55:57Speaker 10: But I think it does really get in the way
- 55:59Speaker 10: of her and also being a bigger part of my
- 56:02Speaker 10: life because other people in my life.
- 56:04Speaker 9: Are having such a hard time with it.
- 56:06Speaker 5: Yeah, oh, really impacting your friendships and.
- 56:09Speaker 10: Like it doesn't impact their relationship with me, but like
- 56:12Speaker 10: my partner, for example, he has a really hard time
- 56:15Speaker 10: being in the.
- 56:16Speaker 9: Same space as both of us because he's like.
- 56:18Speaker 10: You don't want to like say anything, but he wants
- 56:20Speaker 10: to like call her out every single time there's like
- 56:22Speaker 10: something set under her.
- 56:23Speaker 9: Breath or like an eye roller.
- 56:25Speaker 2: Definitely, don't bring him into the conversation. Yeah, don't mention him,
- 56:29Speaker 2: don't say anything about that, because that will only create
- 56:31Speaker 2: more tension between the two of them.
- 56:33Speaker 10: I agree, Yeah, but framing it is something yeah a
- 56:36Speaker 10: little next year.
- 56:37Speaker 2: So yeah, her circumstance is everything she's dealing with. It's like,
- 56:40Speaker 2: it's not your fault. This is a lot to deal
- 56:42Speaker 2: with whatever on her plate. We can help you with this,
- 56:45Speaker 2: and I think you do need help with this. Kind
- 56:47Speaker 2: of just like spoon feeding that idea to her a
- 56:49Speaker 2: little bit more. But have confidence in your relationship with
- 56:52Speaker 2: your sister, Like, you're not going to break up with
- 56:55Speaker 2: your sister, So have confidence that you you have the
- 56:58Speaker 2: ability to help her and that even if she's upset
- 57:01Speaker 2: in the beginning, she's coming back, you know what I mean.
- 57:04Speaker 10: Yeah, I think that is the hard thing to trust. Yeah,
- 57:08Speaker 10: if you're avoidant conflicts like it just stresses me out.
- 57:12Speaker 9: But you're right, there is.
- 57:13Speaker 10: Not a world in which we're going to be separated
- 57:15Speaker 10: for a long period of time, so really leaning into
- 57:18Speaker 10: that feels.
- 57:19Speaker 2: Right, and being avoidant doesn't solve anyone's problems. Ever, no
- 57:22Speaker 2: one has ever solved a problem by avoiding it, so
- 57:26Speaker 2: it's not a good strategy.
- 57:28Speaker 9: Right. Well, thank you guys so much.
- 57:31Speaker 2: You're welcome. You're welcome, cutie. Good luck with everything. I'm
- 57:34Speaker 2: sure everything will work out fine. It might be a
- 57:36Speaker 2: little bumpy, but it will work out.
- 57:38Speaker 9: Thank you guys. Have a good one.
- 57:40Speaker 3: Bye bye.
- 57:41Speaker 2: You have to look at that as a long term plan, right,
- 57:44Speaker 2: not a short term solution.
- 57:46Speaker 1: She's got to be able to be around her sister's
- 57:48Speaker 1: partner in that.
- 57:49Speaker 3: It's so tension.
- 57:49Speaker 2: But it's so it's so unfair when you're with someone
- 57:52Speaker 2: and then they don't get along with your sister, Like,
- 57:53Speaker 2: that's so unfair for everyone.
- 57:55Speaker 4: Yeah.
- 57:55Speaker 5: I mean, she's a good sister.
- 57:57Speaker 6: She's being loyal and she's doing the right thing. But
- 57:59Speaker 6: you can't let people go on like that in life
- 58:01Speaker 6: because it's just you're not doing them any favors.
- 58:04Speaker 5: Everybody's walking on eggshells. That's awful.
- 58:06Speaker 2: Okay, bitches, Well, thanks for all of your advice today.
- 58:09Speaker 2: Our episode has wrapped up.
- 58:11Speaker 3: Shoshana. I am physically nauseous from all the movement.
- 58:16Speaker 2: From watching me out walk through your house fifteen times
- 58:19Speaker 2: with a computer in the head.
- 58:21Speaker 4: I am on the move to try to stay connected.
- 58:23Speaker 4: I apologize.
- 58:24Speaker 2: Okay, Well, we might want to get you a booster
- 58:27Speaker 2: for your house, so we'll.
- 58:28Speaker 3: Get on that right away. Love you girls, miss you, see.
- 58:34Speaker 5: You, love you.
- 58:35Speaker 3: Bye bye, peace out, bye bye. Okay.
- 58:42Speaker 2: So upcoming shows that I have you guys, I'm coming
- 58:45Speaker 2: to Niagara Falls on July twenty seventh. I'm coming to Hollywood,
- 58:48Speaker 2: Florida for my only show in Florida on July twenty eighth.
- 58:52Speaker 2: I'll be in Auburn, Washington, on August first, and then
- 58:54Speaker 2: Santa Rosa, California for my second show August second. August
- 58:58Speaker 2: seventeenth is the Santa Barbara Bull. You do not want
- 59:01Speaker 2: to miss that. And then I will be all over Maine, Charlotte,
- 59:05Speaker 2: North Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
- 59:08Speaker 3: I'm coming to Texas. I'm coming to Saint Louis in Kansas.
- 59:11Speaker 2: City, and then I will be in Las Vegas performing
- 59:14Speaker 2: at the Chelsea Theater inside the Cosmopolitan Hotel. My first
- 59:18Speaker 2: three dates in Vegas are September first, Labor Day weekend,
- 59:21Speaker 2: and then November two and November thirtieth. I'm coming to Brooklyn,
- 59:25Speaker 2: New York, at the King's Theater on November eighth, and
- 59:29Speaker 2: I have tickets on sale throughout the end of the
- 59:33Speaker 2: year in December, so if you're in a city like
- 59:36Speaker 2: Philadelphia or Bethlehem or San Diego or New Orleans or Omaha,
- 59:41Speaker 2: check Chelsea handler dot com for tickets.
- 59:43Speaker 1: Okay, if you'd like advice from Chelsea, shoot us an
- 59:46Speaker 1: email at Dear Chelsea podcast at gmail dot com and
- 59:49Speaker 1: be sure to include your phone number. Dear Chelsea is
- 59:52Speaker 1: edited and engineered by Brad Dickert Executive producer Catherine Law,
- 59:56Speaker 1: and be sure to check out our merch at Chelseahandler
- 59:58Speaker 1: dot com