The long distance commune
Find the topics we covered, the links to the things we talked about, and more
FANFARE! TRUMPETS! CONFETTI! Team, we made it to 100! 100 straight weeks of meeting new people, refining and reflecting on what it means to be a full version of ourselves in this chapter of life, and a lot, a lot of nonsense.
I had a lot of thoughts on how to approach a 100th episode. After all, I’ve never been here before. Should I try and get the MOST FAMOUS PERSON I CAN MANAGE for the episode? Should it just be me and you guys on a solo episode? The only thing that REALLY felt right though, was coming back to two people who in many ways sowed the seeds of this whole project in the first place.
Two friends who showed up just before we REALLY needed each other. Showed up in an unexpected way in an unexpected place and like some absurd stroke of luck, fit just like a glove. I shy away from the term BEST FRIENDS because I feel so lucky to have these very special - cosmically special - people from different chapters of my life. From childhood to college, my years in Hong Kong, London, LA and beyond - sometimes people enter your orbit and then they just stay. We have a job to do for each other. And at times that job can feel like one of the most important things I have - even if one a day to day I don’t necessarily have a lot of time to give it.
These two people you are going to hear me get wild with today on episode 100 encapsulate something of the special sauce that all of my friends from across my seasons have in common: They make me LAUGH, They make me THINK, They challenge HOW I think, They make me feel like i can do ANYTHING. They make me feel safe - that what I tell them isn’t going to be judged, it’s going to be held. That it’s not a new nugget for their next opportunity for gossip. That my name is in their mouth every time they’re in a room where there might be an opportunity for me. And I can only hope that I give them some of that in return.
I am excited for you to meet these people - I flew across the country to do this with them in person which was MAGIC. I am annoyed that I couldn’t get the audio beautiful and sultry for you - like I’d like but I still think you can get a sense of how fucking funny they are. How thoughtful they are. What incredible hype women they are. What good MOMS they are. There are so many hot takes in this episode and I can’t wait to hear from all of you in the POLLS and comments. For now, enjoy, LET’S PARTY!
LINKS TO THINGS:
Listen to the episode here:
Instagram: @mutha.life @all_about_stories @jennakthornton
ON GOING COMMANDO: So I talked with childhood friend Erin, who is also an OBGYN. She says: ‘If prone to vaginal infections best to air out at night, but if no issues do whatever you prefer!’
All About Stories - Becca’s incredible project providing parents with the tools to help prepare their kids for all sorts of situations, because prepared kids are calmer kids. She’s leveraging her deep bench of OT expertise for these stories and I’ve counted on them more than you can imagine.
Hot takes I need your take on:
A FAN FAVE MEAL:
Please note how each one of these meals is FAST, fun and flirty. Thanks to our girl Becca for this week’s inspo.
TOPICS LIST:
How a hairball mistaken for something much worse started the whole friendship
Building a friend group through a Brooklyn apartment building dog park
Why the three of them never merged friend groups, and why that mattered
Getting pregnant, losing pregnancies, and having kids in the same stretch of years
Three completely different job and marriage configurations, and what “division of labor” actually looks like in each
The difference between wanting more help versus wanting acknowledgment
Reconnecting with an old friend’s kid dynamic, and the moment a husband finally understood the invisible mental load
Validation versus being told you’re right, and why that distinction matters
What it takes to rebuild a friendship after years of distance
MUTHA LIFE MERCH: put some pep in your schlep:
Go get yourself some cuteeee shit. DM me if you have requests for products we don’t yet make…SWEATPANTS have come up recently…would you wear them?
