Listen To My Mother

15: "What Do Children Need Most From a Mother?"

This week, Shain, Sarah, and Sarah’s sister Mara gather in Phoenix to discuss Heartwood by Amity Gaige—a novel that sparked a much larger conversation about mothers, daughters, and the stories we tell about our families. What begins as a discussion of the book’s intertwined mother-daughter relationships quickly becomes a reflection on their own. Together, they explore how siblings can grow up with completely different experiences of the same parent, what children need most from the people who raise them, and the tension between accepting our parents as they are and longing for the parents we wish we'd had. Along the way, Shain reflects on how her approach to motherhood changed over two decades and two daughters, while Sarah and Mara share their perspectives on growing up with the same mother at very different stages of life. Their conversation touches on attachment, expectations, repair, and the possibility of growth on both sides of the parent-child relationship. It's an honest, funny, and deeply personal conversation about family, memory, and what it means to love imperfect people. Have a question you'd like answered on-air? Submit it through our google form. [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQpoAX6aWuI4B-Kjbf5SePSrhc3XyFtS-_v31Bvqos6wm6-g/viewform] All submissions are anonymous: even though you sign in with your email address, we do not have access to it unless you purposefully toggle on the option to share it. And follow us on Instagram at @listentomymother [https://www.instagram.com/listentomymother/] !

14: The Staying and The Leaving: Does Sarah Have Abandonment Issues?

Shain and Sarah start with a conversation about discernment counseling, which is a style of counseling used when couples can’t decide whether to stay married or separate. But as usual, the clinical conversation turns personal. Shain reflects on her own marriage, the fights, the “f* you” that didn’t end it, and the decades it took to reclaim her voice. Sarah shares how a childhood of people coming and going shaped her attachment style and why abandonment doesn’t always look the way you think it does. It’s an honest, funny, sometimes raw conversation about staying, leaving, invisibility, resilience, and the long road to feeling seen. Have a question you want Shain and Sarah to answer on-air? Head to bit.ly/listentomysubmission [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQpoAX6aWuI4B-Kjbf5SePSrhc3XyFtS-_v31Bvqos6wm6-g/viewform] and send it in. All submissions are anonymous. Shain and Sarah want to hear what you’re navigating!   Stay connected on episodes and more on Instagram at @listentomymother [https://www.instagram.com/listentomymother/]

13: Grief and Loss: Are We Quitting Relationships Too Fast?

In this episode, Shain and Sarah sit down for an honest conversation about grief, responsibility, boundaries, and the growing culture of estrangement. Shain shares the reality of losing a close friend and the unexpected emotional and logistical weight of serving as executor. Sarah reflects on her own season of change and shifting relationships. Together, they explore big questions many modern families are facing: Are we too quick to walk away from relationships? Where’s the line between healthy boundaries and disposability? And what does kindness look like in a culture that makes disconnection easier than repair? Do you have questions, submissions, or thoughts on today’s culture of estrangement? We'd love to hear from you at listentomymother.podcast@gmail.com To have an anonymous question answered on-air, submit it at: bit.ly/listentomysubmission [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQpoAX6aWuI4B-Kjbf5SePSrhc3XyFtS-_v31Bvqos6wm6-g/viewform] And follow us on Instagram at @listentomymother [https://www.instagram.com/listentomymother/]

12: A Digital Timecapsule: "How Did Your Family Relate to Religion?"

Shain opens up about her “soul friend” in the ICU and what it feels like to be the person everyone relies on in a crisis. With no listener submission this month, Sarah pulls out one of her keepsake journals and asks Shain a question straight from the page: “Were your parents religious when you were growing up?” That single prompt leads to stories about Holocaust-survivor parents, Jewish identity, and the very different versions of “family dinner” they each grew up with. They wrap by reflecting on the best advice Shain ever received — and the advice she wishes she hadn’t. It’s tender, honest, and exactly the kind of conversation Sarah is grateful to have recorded. Have a question you'd like answered on-air? Submit it at bit.ly/listentomysubmission And follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/listentomymother/

11: The Comparison Trap: "How Can I Make Peace with a Path That Didn’t Pay Off?"

This week, Shain and Sarah respond to a listener who’s struggling to make peace with a career risk that didn’t go as planned—and the sting of comparing herself to friends earning four times her salary. They unpack what it means to redefine success when life doesn’t follow a straight line. Shain applauds the courage it takes to start over and Sarah explores how grief, growth, and comparison intertwine. Together, they offer grounded insight on how to honor the lessons, release the shame, and move forward with purpose. Have a question you'd like answered on-air? Submit it at bit.ly/listentomysubmission [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQpoAX6aWuI4B-Kjbf5SePSrhc3XyFtS-_v31Bvqos6wm6-g/viewform] And follow us on Instagram at: @listentomymother [https://www.instagram.com/listentomymother/]