It’s been said the two hardest days for parents are the first day home with their newborn and the first day home without their newborn adult. My oldest child has just flown the coop, left her nest, and started her own journey. She’s in a new city two thousand miles from home, an independent young adult no longer under my roof. After moving her in and hugging her goodbye on her new campus, I’m here to report I cried like a blubbering baby in the rental car on the way to the airport without her. I also wouldn’t want and can’t imagine her being anywhere else. Understanding the power of community, I organized a Care Package Party with thirty other families who had new freshmen who’d just left home. Knowing college kids love getting packages from home, they’d be even more excited to receive one with different items from so many families. The party was a success, mostly because all of us parents had time to be together, connect, and share. Before sealing up my daughter’s box with a few things she needed from home, I wrote her an inspirational note I share on this podcast, initially hoping it would make her feel better but now also hoping it makes you feel better too. It sure made me feel better.  How bittersweet it is a parent’s job is to teach their children not to need them anymore. The hardest part of this parenting gig is accepting your success. The moment my newborn’s umbilical cord was cut, my goal was for her to create autonomy and have her need me less. It doesn’t mean I can’t remind my newborn adult I will always be there for her when she needs to rest her wings.  SHOW NOTE LINKS: Corresponding Article- Newborn Adult- From Cradle to College to Care Packages Grown and Flown Article on Care Package Parties Project Dorm Room Website Lisa Heffernan on the Dear Family, Podcast- Grown and Flown- How to Stay Close as a Family and Raise Independent Adults    CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.    

Dear Family,

Newborn Adult- From Cradle to College to Care Packages

Good mental health does not have to be expensive but ignoring it can be. There's no denying mental health conditions can require therapy and/or medication but a majority of achievement is within our own hands. Listen to this short-solo podcast on how laughter, dancing, hydration, friendship, exercise, the outdoors, rest, love and more are mood-boosters. The following are 10 of the best things in life (plus bonuses)that are free, make us feel better, and make us feel happier. Good mental health does not have to be expensive but ignoring it can be. May you live life to the fullest with good mental health and happiness.   SHOW NOTE LINKS Read 10 Free Mood-Boosters for Mental Health and Happiness (Related Dear Family, Podcasts): In a Sea of Worry an All-Natural Stress Relief Life Preserver   The Importance of Friendship on Our Health and Happiness   Dancing Around the World and Creating a Mental and Emotional Toolbox   Laughter as Medicine- Laughter On Call for a Mother with Alzheimer’s Becomes a Global Business   I’m a Failure and Proud of It   Trauma Specialists on Empowerment to Heal Your Body, Mind, & Spirit   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

10 Free Mood-Boosters for Mental Health and Happiness

Julie Lythcott- Haims is a Black biracial woman born to an African American man and a White British mother. Because her parents violated rules and policy by daring to love, she’s always questioned norms. She grew up knowing her existence was problematic in the eyes of some, which has stayed with her giving her the superpowers of compassion and kindness. She believes in humans and is deeply interested in what gets in our way.    She is the New York Times bestselling author of the anti-helicopter parenting manifesto How to Raise an Adult. It gave rise to a TED Talk that has more than 5 million views. She’s just published a new book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult that speaks directly to the heart and mind of people coming into their adulthood. It’s an inclusive, candid, and comprehensive guide for young adults and for those who love them.   Julie is a former corporate lawyer and a Stanford dean. She holds a BA from Stanford, a JD from Harvard, and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts. She serves on the board of Common Sense Media and on the advisory board of LeanIn.Org, among other roles.   Julie identifies as queer and bisexual. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner of over thirty years, Dan Lythcott-Haims, their two itinerant young adults, and her mother who moved in with them 20-years-ago, the subject of her next book.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Julie Lythcott-Haims Website Your Turn- How to Be an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims Julie Lythcott-Haims Instagram Julie Lythchott-Haims Twitter Julie Lythcott-Haims Facebook The Trevor Project Rachel’s Dear Family, Podcast on the topic of Sharenting Rachel’s Article on Sharenting CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Julie Lythcott-Haims- Former Stanford Dean Pens Groundbreaking Manual- Your Turn- How to Be an Adult

Aubert Bastiat is a father, husband, ceremonialist, and facilitator of sacred masculinity circles. He was born in Taipei to a Taiwanese mother and a White American father who was an English teacher. He was five years old when his parents separated after moving to California to briefly live with his paternal grandfather. When his father left and moved to Japan, he felt abandoned.   For most of his childhood, he was raised by a single mother who struggled financially to support him and his two sisters, one who would eventually die by suicide. Aubert lived a double life, the yearbook editor and in all the AP classes while selling drugs to fuel and pay for his habit. He’d end up in jail, his life spiraling downward.   An atheist on the verge of taking his own life, he prayed to God who spoke to him. His spiritual awakening initially translated into him becoming a hermit for the next year, praying, meditating, and studying different world religions. He would rewrite the script of fatherhood in his lineage to give his young sons a new expression of masculinity, basking in the new glow of fatherhood and feeling inspired to be the best man he could be. He co-founded Sacred Sons, an emerging voice in the collective movement of healthy masculinity facilitating men’s gatherings and circles to find brotherhood, wellness, connection, community, healing, and love.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Sacred Sons Website Sacred Sons on Instagram Aubert Bastiat on Instagram Rachel's Mom, Laurie Kallen Schwent's Dear Family, Podcast Episode   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Aubert Bastiat- Stewarding a New Expression of Masculinity and Brotherhood with Men’s Circles and Man Camp

Rachel Lily Campbell, or RLC to her friends, grew up in Los Angeles, an only child with older parents who were in the exclusive art world. Born into a life of affluence, private schools, world travel, and celebrities, what she really yearned for was love and attachment from her parents. Highly gifted and misunderstood, she got into a lot of trouble, pushing boundaries. She was sent to the same rehabilitation boarding school as Paris Hilton. You’ll want to listen to hear how eating biscuits and gravy in Utah County Jail was the best meal she’s ever had.   An early success in the beauty industry as a stylist, it was her love for fitness that pushed her into the wellness industry. A self-proclaimed Jewish Malibu Barbie with arm tattoos and blonde hair extensions, she tried to find stability by marrying a Baptist, Republican Texas Cowboy. Her marriage would not survive the conventional life her husband’s family expected of her.    Rachel’s disordered eating began when she was young as a means of control and followed her until she was pregnant. She finally decided to not just find wellness reformation but deliverance for herself and for her son, Deuce. Only recently has she been diagnosed with OCD, helping her reign in her immense energy and focus to build her business and thrive.   Rachel is the founder of Break a Sweat- a company birthed after she saw the dire need for a wellness community for moms, after becoming a mom herself. Her combination of fitness and wellness expertise, plus her own personal mental health journey has placed her in a position of inspiration to so many. Her clients come for the exercise but stay for the mom tribe. She uses her platform to elevate and educate with transparency about nutrition and motivation hacks, body strengthening, regaining energy, getting through the emotional highs and lows of parenting, and more. She knows the collective healing lies in the personal testimony and wants you to step into your own power and space to feel great!  SHOW NOTE LINKS: Break a Sweat with RLC RLC on Instagram Break A Sweat Facebook Group   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.    

Rachel Lily Campbell- Former Self-Proclaimed Malibu Barbie Reclaims Her Wellness to Become the Madam of Mom Fitness

Carson Tueller was raised in a religious Mormon and a military family. He and his five siblings moved from state to state across the U.S. every three years. He eventually established long-term residence in Utah, where he attended college before moving to New York City. Carson’s life took an unexpected turn in 2013. The same year he came out as a gay man, he injured his spinal cord in a trampoline-related tumbling accident. His broken neck paralyzed him from the chest down, shifting everything causing an identity crisis- the impetus for his major self-discovery and exploration.  Now an LGBTQ+/disability advocate, he shares his experiences as a gay disabled man, including his journey with grief, loss, and worth. He quickly generated interest on Instagram, training and speaking to international leaders on topics like worth, inclusion, and suicide prevention. He coaches across the U.S. to universities, corporations, and nonprofits about how individuals can experience power, happiness, and fulfillment in any circumstance in life. He believes consciously creating our personal narratives can result in massive changes in our quality of life and the results we produce. Carson is passionate about giving people hope. SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Carson Tueller's Website   Carson on Instagram   Carson's Blog Carson's "Ask Men" article about Disability and Sex CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Carson Tueller- Paralyzed Queer/Disability Advocate Passionate about Giving People Hope

Chrissy Blumenthal grew up in Arvada, Colorado.  She describes her childhood as pretty normal and uneventful until her parents divorced when she was nine years old.  Her mother struggled to make ends meet and tried to provide the best she could for Chrissy and her older brother Gary.  After high school, Chrissy took on a number of odd jobs to support herself, including a stint in mud wrestling.  At age 20, she gave birth to her first son, Cody, and shortly after his birth, she put herself through art school earning an associate’s degree in the music business.  After graduation, she moved to Los Angeles with her then, 2-year-old son, Cody, and she began her professional career at Columbia Pictures. She was a single mother for 12 years until she met and married her best friend, a successful film producer and writer, Jason Blumenthal in 1999.  Together they had two kids, Jax and Calli.   Life felt like a fairy-tale until the summer of 2013 when her world came to a screeching halt.  Four words forever changed her life:  YOUR CHILD HAS CANCER.  Jax was just 11 years old when he received the devastating diagnosis. Her son had stage 3 hepatoblastoma (cancer of the liver).  Chrissy immediately jumped into the most important role of her life, caretaker, healer, medical advocate, and research fanatic.  After a very long, turbulent, and uncertain road that included a liver transplant, lung resections, and chemotherapy, Jax is finally cancer-free. During their journey, Chrissy became passionate about raising funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research, which is profoundly underfunded by the government.  She now serves as President at Chords2Cure, a non-profit centered around live music events which benefit pediatric cancer research. Chrissy currently lives in Brentwood, California with her husband, two teenagers, two dogs, and a French lop bunny. During Covid, Chrissy was thrilled to finally get a message that she had been waiting over 2 decades to receive.  It was from the mother of Chrissy’s biological children, who were conceived via IVF with the eggs Chrissy donated 27 years earlier. The pregnancy resulted in twins, who have now grown into an awesome young man and wonderful young lady.  Her family has welcomed them all into their homes and into their hearts.  The family continues to grow because her firstborn son, Cody recently had an adorable baby girl named Arrow- officially making Chrissy a proud Glam-Ma.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Chords2Cure Website Chords2Cure on Instagram Chrissy’s Email The Wolf Connection     CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always. 

Chrissy Blumenthal- Modern Warrior Glam-Ma with 5 Biological Kids (2 from her Egg Donation) Creates Chords2Cure to Battle Son’s & Others’ Pediatric Cancer

The day Taun Hall’s son Miles was shot and killed by the Walnut Creek Police, she stepped into her life’s work: creating change to protect families from a system that failed her son. On June 2nd, 2019, Miles Hall was having a mental health crisis because of his schizoaffective disorder. Because our mental health system is deeply flawed and doesn’t support families whose adult children have a mental illness, she had no option but to turn to the police to get Miles help. She did everything right- sought guidance on how to maneuver through the mental health system, was strategic and deliberate in her efforts to protect and support Miles by letting her mostly White neighbors know her Black son was harmless and non-violent but that his schizoaffective disorder made him hallucinate and believe he was Jesus.  After working with the police for two years to protect Miles during his mental health episodes, the police responded to her call for help with lethal force. On a sunny afternoon in their quiet neighborhood, the Walnut Creek Police shot and killed Miles within a block from their home before making any efforts to de-escalate the situation. Miles was not a criminal. He was ill. He had mental illness. Miles should be alive today. ​Since Miles’s death, Taun and her husband, Scott and their daughter, Alexis have been fighting to create change and protect families from a loss like theirs- creating The Miles Hall Foundation to continue and expand their work. They recognize how black and brown communities are disproportionately affected by police violence and want to change police responses to mental health crisis calls, restrict use of force by police, and adopt anti-bias and de-escalation training. They are also sponsoring the AB988 Bill, The Miles Hall Lifeline Act to create a new three-digit phone line, 988 for suicide prevention and immediate, localized emergency response for individuals in mental health crisis by trained mental health professionals. Taun’s message is mental health conditions should not be criminalized, Black lives matter, Black minds matter, her son Miles matters, and change is possible and inevitable. We are all connected to someone who is suffering from mental illness and we all have the power to create change to protect and support them.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Justice for Miles Hall- Website Help Pass AB-988- The Miles Hall Lifeline Act Justice for Miles Hall- Facebook Justice for Miles Hall- Instagram Justice for Miles Hall- Twitter Suicide Prevention Hotline- Website Suicide Prevention Toll-Free Phone Number- 1-800-273-8255 CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Taun Hall- Call for Help During her Son, Miles Hall's Mental Health Crisis Turns Into a Tragic Police Shooting

Jessica Lahey is a mom who believes every substance abuse story begins at home but can be prevented with an addiction inoculation. She uses her Bachelor's in comparative literature and her law school degree in juvenile education as a teacher and a writer. For over twenty years, she’s taught every grade from sixth to twelfth in both public and private schools as well as New England’s most addicted children in an inpatient drug and alcohol rehab.    Jessica writes about education, parenting, and child welfare for The Washington Post and the New York Times, among other publications. She’s the New York Times bestselling author of The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed.     After years of her own alcohol abuse recovery, she was determined not to pass on the most dangerous inheritance to her sons. She’s just published The Addiction Innoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence.  This hybrid memoir and science-based research approach discusses how anxiety and substance abuse are bedfellows. The European drinking age myth, zero tolerance, and the idea of “delay, delay, delay” are all examined. It’s an important read for all teachers, parents, counselors, and coaches.   Jessica hosts a podcast called #amwriting with advice on the craft, productivity, and creativity for writers and journalists in all genres. She loves living in Vermont with her husband, an infectious disease specialist who has been very busy this year, her two sons, and her three dogs and two cats. During her free time, she loves to knit and garden. SHOW NOTE LINKS: Jessica Lahey Website Jessica Lahey on Twitter Jessica Lahey on Facebook Jessica Lahey on Instagram The #AmWriting Podcast Rachel’s Brother, Adam Kallen’s Dear Family Episode- Success Story of Overcoming Addiction to Owning Hottest Motorcycle Apparel Brand and Hosting All-Men’s AA Meeting   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Jessica Lahey- The Addiction Inoculation- Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence and the Gift of Failure

Are you ready for some really great news? Getting together with a friend is not only fun, but it’s also great for your health and happiness.   We all know how important our Dear Family, is but our friends might prove to be even more important, especially as we age. Research published in the journal Personal Relationships studied more than 270,000 people in nearly 100 countries. What it found was both family and friend relationships were associated with better health and happiness but the benefits remained over a lifetime for people who reported strong friendships. This means our friendships are more predictive of our day-to-day happiness and ultimately how long we’ll live, even more so than spousal and family relationships. Let’s break that down. Friendship is really good for you. You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends. When your friends are a source of support, you are happier and healthier and live longer. To have a friend be a friend. Friendship makes life worth celebrating. Over a year ago some of my oldest friends and I started a “Pandemic Group Chat” as a means of support during such an anxiety-producing time. I never expected it would become a lifeline proving my closest friendships were even more important than I had ever imagined. Wanting to see if my girlfriends felt as I did, I was thrilled when seven out of ten of them were able to hop on a Zoom and let me ask them questions about our friendship with a day's notice. Yes there were husbands and kids coming in and out of our rooms and dogs were barking and texts and emails were dinging and phones were ringing and dinner needed to be made…but it didn’t stop us from making time for each other and feeling all the feels. When we hung up, or I should say “left the room,” we felt lighter and happier and more connected…just some of the many benefits of friendship. I want to thank my phenomenal friends, Allison Bronson, Jill Chizever, Lauren Rojany, Jessica Sacks-Davimos, Deborah Singer, Denise Snanoudj, and Kim Gursey-Wills for sharing so openly and jumping in headfirst to help support a friend. You know what they say, “Old friends are the best friends.”  Make sure to listen to hear why we are each others’ Crockers and learn so much more as we answer: *What is a friend? *What’s your favorite thing to do with a friend? *Do you consider your closest friends to be your chosen family and if so, why? *What is it about old friends? Tell us about a friendship that has survived the test of time? *What’s the nicest thing a friend has done for you? *What did our pandemic group chat show you about friendship? How have your friendships fared during the pandemic? *Like in the movie “When Harry Met Sally,” can men and women be friends? *Some of our friendships are going on 45 years now (granted we were 5 when we met). What’s it like to grow old with your friends? What are the benefits? *What’s the first thing you want to do with your friends once we’re all vaccinated? SHOW NOTE LINKS: Corresponding Article- Dear Friends, You’re Like Family CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Dear Friends, You’re Like Family- What a Group Chat Taught Me about the Importance of Friendship on Our Health and Happiness

Jaycee Gossett is a dancer, model, teacher, podcaster, and wanderlust who believes the limitations we experience, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual are tied together- a true mind/body connection. Jaycee shines a light on how movement connects us and brings us so much joy bringing her years of competitive Latin ballroom dancing into schools, to wedding couples, and in her wildly popular exercise classes.   Jaycee has worked in front of and behind the camera. She produced and starred in a show for the Travel Channel called “Dance the World” highlighting how people move their bodies in different ways. After growing up around many brothers and their friends, she shares why women need other women. Her unforgettable goddess retreats celebrating divine femininity in Costa Rica and Brazil were named one of the best retreats by Well and Good.    She’s a founding teacher and the VP of Training at The Class, a cathartic workout for the body and mind started by Taryn Toomey. Jennifer Aniston, Christy Turlington, and Gisele among many others say it is their favorite workout because it not only is great exercise, it is a spiritual release through music, movement, and breathwork where you are pushed to get uncomfortable in order to change. Jaycee continues the conversation in her new podcast, The Class where she creates a mental and emotional toolbox using the same three pillars discussed in The Class: Curiosity, a desire to learn, Vulnerability- a state of openness, and Authenticity- showing up in a genuine way.    Before marrying my awesome brother, Adam Kallen (DF Podcast episode one), she dated Val Kilmer for three years who she credits for her introduction into spirituality and a love for nature. A true wanderlust, Jaycee shares how her first year of marriage went during a pandemic in a Brooklyn apartment she shares as a newlywed with a cute but rambunctious puppy. Jaycee opens up about her infertility journey and the challenges she’s been through. She rids the shame and stigma around a topic many of us are often too fearful to bring up, in the end helping so many others to see they are not alone.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Jaycee Gossett’s Instagram   Jaycee Gossett Website   Jaycee’s Sizzle Reel for Dance Around the World   Jaycee- The Class- Movement   Jaycee- The Class- Podcast   My brother, Adam Kallen’s Dear Family, Episode- #1   My Mom, Laurie Kallen Schwent’s Dear Family, Episode #50   Chili’s Instagram   Jaycee’s Photo Credit: Rachael Dunville    CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.   Jaycee is a dreamer who inspires others to dream and find the power within themselves. She encourages us to overcome limitations through movement and guided self-exploration. 

Jaycee Gossett- Dancing Around the World and Creating a Mental and Emotional Toolbox

Christine Koh thinks we should all enjoy life by doing less- and this comes from a woman with many businesses and kids who are still at home. She’s a music and brain scientist turned multimedia creative who spent a decade in academia and was awarded prestigious fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and MIT. On the verge of becoming a professor and after her first baby, she decided to change her career path to focus on creating content to help people live better, happier, and with elevated purpose and intention.  She’s the founder of Boston Mamas, a pioneer in the hyperlocal lifestyle niche. She co-hosts Edit Your Life, a podcast about making room for awesome, and Hello Relationships, a podcast she co-hosts with her husband that helps people stop small relationship aggravations from becoming big problems. She’s the co-author of Minimalist Parenting, a book to help parents enjoy modern family life more by doing less. She’s the designer and co-owner of Brave New World Designs, a stylish collection of advocacy-oriented designs where 20% of each sale goes to a different charity related to the design. And she’s also the creative director at Women Online, a communications firm specializing in using social media for good.  With the ability to juggle her many businesses and edit her life to get rid of the unimportant, she makes time for baking and decorating gorgeous cakes and spending time with her husband, two daughters, and her pandemic puppy.    SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Christine Koh Website   Boston Mamas   Edit Your Life Show- A Podcast   Hello Relationships- A Podcast   Christine’s Book- Minimalist Parenting   Brave New World Designs   Women Online Video of Christine cutting her hair Rachel’s Blog Post- The Time My Mental Health Advocacy Backfired CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Christine Koh- Music and Brain Scientist Turned Multimedia Creative on Enjoying Life by Doing Less

Seventeen years ago, I was 33 and the year was 2004. A highlight of my day was watching the Oprah Winfrey Show. Sitting cross-legged on my couch, I’d give my full attention to my hero on the small screen. Oprah was my teacher who loved teachers and I was a teacher. She made me think, feel inspired, consider possibilities, smile, be moved to tears, and dream big. She showed me by example, how one person can make an enormous difference and to believe in the goodness of (wo)mankind.  I don’t remember where my baby was when I watched Gayle King surprise her BFF, Oprah with a 50th birthday party on national TV. She was likely climbing on and off my lap because I couldn’t wait to put her to sleep to watch this special and very hyped-up episode without commercials. Oprah’s star-studded, highly produced surprise “50th Birthday Celebration in Style” began with John Travolta toasting his friend with her favorite Cristal Champagne. Stevie Wonder serenaded with a backdrop of walls of roses. Oprah reflected by saying, “To deny your age, to lie about your age, to pretend to be something else that you are not is to deny the essence of your life. Every moment is worth celebrating with candelabras, with your heart, with your sincerity.”  As I watched Oprah take this outpouring of love all in with gratitude, I told myself I too would one day have a big blowout celebration. I too would feel the gratitude from being surrounded by my dear family and friends with great music and great food, everyone I loved there to celebrate my milestone birthday.  Let me backtrack a bit to 1997, the year my mom turned 50. I’d just turned 26, was dating my future husband for almost a year at that point and was teaching my third kindergarten class. Mom was about to be divorced for a second time and rather than wallow in sorrow, she threw herself a party at a Greek restaurant. When I looked at my full-of-life mom who was still so young at heart and had the wonderful audacity to throw herself a big party to celebrate, fifty didn’t seem old. Yet those 24 more years felt a lifetime away.  The year is now 2021 and it’s my turn to cross that imaginary threshold of turning fifty. This was going to be the year I’d celebrate in style like Oprah, a birthday blowout party so full of love and celebration all the guests’ cheeks and their abs would hurt from all the smiling and laughing. Only I can’t gather with my dear friends and family because we are in the darkest days of this worldwide pandemic.  When I realized I only had one month left in my fourth decade and I would not be able to party in style as I’d always hoped, I realized there was so much to celebrate anyway. By reflecting on the big and important life lessons my Mom and Oprah taught me, I was claiming the life I was meant to live and sharing it with a countdown to turning fifty gratitude reflection. Forty-nine years from now, I’ll be 99, the age the iconic Betty White just turned. Her sense of humor and mischievous spunkiness is wildly endearing and worth celebrating. She reminds me to stay young at heart, not take things too seriously, smile, and laugh, and then all will be golden. Honor and celebrate all the days of your life. Thank you for celebrating with me.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Rachel’s Essay- Celebrating and Owning my 50th Birthday- Just Like Oprah Did   Eckhart Tolle’s Books   “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne   Los Angeles Times article on Betty White’s 99th Birthday   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Celebrating and Owning my 50th Birthday- Just Like Oprah Did- Only During a Worldwide Pandemic

Susannah Cahalan tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family’s inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen. Her New York Times bestselling book “Brain on Fire” was adapted for a movie starring Chloe Grace Moretz as her. It’s an unforgettable exploration of memory and identity, faith and love, and a profoundly compelling tale of survival and perseverance.    She was a healthy young person working at her dream job, The New York Post when she began having grand mal seizures and babbling. Her increasing paranoia and seizures were misdiagnosed by a neurologist as partying too hard combined with stress. Eventually, she’d become catatonic, trapped in her body unable to speak, write, or get thoughts out.    Susannah was diagnosed with a schizoaffective disorder with video of her in the hospital heartbreakingly capturing her real panic as she hallucinates she’s on the news while using the remote to try to call for help. After many misdiagnoses and on the verge of being “locked up” in a psych ward, a miracle doctor, Dr. Najjar comes along and asks her to draw a clock. The lopsided image opened up clues leading to a brain biopsy and spinal tap, she’s diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis, a medical explanation pretending to be psychiatric.    Her personal experience leads her deeper into the study of other “Great Pretenders,” the same name as her second New York Times best-selling book. She’d blow the lid on a groundbreaking 1973 study called “On Being Sane in Insane Places” that rocked the psychiatric world and still does. Susannah lives in Brooklyn with her husband and twin toddlers.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Susannah Cahalan Website   Video of Susannah When Her Brain is On Fire   Rachel's List- Fourteen Incredible Memoirs about Mental Illness and Addiction   Rachel's List- Four MORE Insightful Memoirs and Non-Fiction Books about Mental Illness and Addiction   The Angel and the Assassin by Donna Jackson Nakazawa   Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky   I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying: Essays by Bassey Ikpi   My Age of Anxiety by Scott Stossel   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Susannah Cahalan- New York Post Reporter’s Brain on Fire with Extreme Psychiatric Conditions from Medical Causes Uncovers Great Pretender Story

With over 5 million children in the U.S. with an incarcerated parent, Antoine Patton came up with a vital tech business while going to college behind bars. His daughter, Jay Jay was just three-years-old when he went to jail six hours away for gun possession. Jay Jay’s mom became a single parent raising two children on her own and couldn’t afford to take her kids to visit their dad. The letters and photos Antoine relied on getting from his family to keep communication and a bond alive were costly to print and send and there was always a delay.    Antoine enrolled in the Bard Prison Initiative and was able to get a liberal arts college education, an opportunity he didn’t have growing up in Buffalo, New York. He learned how to code on his own before being released in 2014. With the help of his cousin, he launched the Photopatch Foundation, a non-profit, so inmates could stay in touch with their children without putting any additional financial burden on them, sending close to a million photos.    Wanting to spend as much time with Antoine as possible now that he was in her life, Jay Jay learned how to code from her dad. She launched a Photopatch mobile app, making it easier and more accessible for kids like her to send letters and photos to their parents. At just fifteen-years-old, Jay Jay was just named one of Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 this year for changing the world by teaching hundreds of kids the fundamentals of coding, a business she continues to run and fundraise with her dad.   Jay Jay and Antoine Patton understand the importance of keeping the family connected and stopping people from being incarcerated again by developing tight family bonds that turn into safety nets through communication. Together they continue to help others better their lives by not allowing a financial deterrent to get in the way of learning. Their coding lessons are affordable and accessible to all communities, especially people of color who may lack exposure. You are going to absolutely love this most dynamic father/daughter duo who will make you feel so incredibly inspired, hopeful, and proud, and remember the importance of second chances.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Photo Patch Foundation   Bard Prison Initiative   Jay Jay Patton on Instagram   Antoine Patton on Instagram   Antoine Patton on Facebook   Unlock Academy   Jay Jay in Teen Vogue with photo by Vikki Law   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.      

Jay Jay and Antoine Patton- Father/Daughter Duo- Connecting Kids to their Incarcerated Parents with Photopatch & Teaching the World to Code

Dear Family, is a podcast about our complicated families, parenting and achieving mental health- especially when mental illness runs in the family. Dear Family, is a love letter meant to stop you from writing yourself or your loved ones off. Join Rachel Steinman- a writer, educator, and mental wellness advocate, along with her guests in an honest and open conversation to find community, healing, understanding, and compassion. Besides practical advice, plan on laughing and maybe even crying. And besides feeling uplifted, maybe you'll even look forward to your next family gathering. Think of “Dear Family” as an intimate conversation you’d have when you confide in your sister or brother. Or better yet, with your best friend, who we all know is your chosen family anyway. After all, we are only as sick as our secrets, so we might as well speak up.

hubhopper

Dear Family,

hubhopper