Being Other: My Story on Adoption, Race, and Never Fitting the Mold

Being Other: My Story on Adoption, Race, and Never Fitting the Mold

This week I’m going deeper into my adoption story, specifically what it felt like growing up biracial in a blended family where I never quite fit one box. I talk about being homeschooled, being a preacher’s kid, having a stutter, and constantly being asked “but who are your real parents.” I share some hard memories, including being asked to leave rooms so others could tell racist jokes, and a painful moment on a mission trip where I finally felt like I belonged. This episode is raw, it’s personal, and it’s about what it means to stay true to yourself even when you spend your whole life being told you don’t fit anywhere. Sisters, if you’ve ever felt like the chameleon in the room, this one’s for you. Show Notes: In this episode I talk about: • Growing up adopted, biracial, homeschooled, and a preacher’s kid • Being told “that’s not your real family” as a child • Switching between social groups just to feel like I belonged • A painful memory from church and from a mission trip • What my siblings taught me about never changing who I am to fit in • Why being “other” actually became a gift Follow along @mysistersclosetpod Check out My Inner Mind at myinnermind.halliewho.com 💜

My Adoption Story

Hallie opens her closet — literally — and shares something she’s never fully talked about on the podcast before. Her adoption story. She was three months old when she joined the Hootin household, the fourth of what would eventually be eight kids — none of them biological siblings, none of them looking alike, all of them family. She talks about growing up biracial in a predominantly white Christian home, the questions strangers asked out loud, the disorienting moments of not fitting in anywhere, and why she’s always known she was different — and been okay with that. This one is warm, funny in places, and deeply personal. In this episode: — Being adopted at three months old and what her parents always told her — Growing up as the fourth of eight kids with every kind of background and story — The questions strangers asked — and still ask — about her real family — What it felt like to be other in every room she walked into — Her brother with fetal alcohol syndrome and what that meant for the family — The Cheetah Girls, sorority sisters, and what it means to be proud of where you came from — Why her dad’s words to the caseworker still mean everything to her

Share Your Burdens

Hallie came straight from Pilates with a 20-year friend and left with a reminder she needed to share. Her friend had gone quiet — not because things were fine, but because she didn’t want to be a burden. And Hallie had something to say about that. This episode is about what happens when we shut ourselves off from the people who love us, why silence isn’t protection, and what it actually means to show up for each other in sisterhood. She also gets personal about a tattoo on her arm, a traumatic season in college, and the friend who showed up for her then — and how she got to return the favor tonight. In this episode: — Why not sharing your struggles hurts the people around you too — The difference between burdening someone and trusting them — Share, hold, replenish — the three things Hallie came home thinking about — A story about a tattoo, a hard season, and a friendship that survived it — Why checking on your quiet friends matters more than you think

The Refreshing Period (A Follow Up)

A quick but important follow up. Hallie clarifies what the refreshing period actually means in practice — giving each other space to grow, room for misunderstandings to become understanding, and choosing to experience joy together instead of holding onto pain.   She also shares a personal story about learning something shocking about someone she considers a sister, and how they chose to move forward anyway.   Short, clarifying, and worth the listen. The full arc — react, reflect, repair, refresh — ends here.   Mentioned across the series: — 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest — The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

The Refreshing Period & What Sisterhood Really Means

After the reaction, the reflection, and the repair — what comes next? Hallie picks up right where she left off and finally gets to the part she didn't have time to cover: the refreshing period. What it actually looks like to start from a clean slate, give people space, and show up differently going forward.   She also gets personal about sisterhood — what it means to her as one of four adopted daughters in a family of eight siblings, and why the relationships she's fought hardest to keep are the ones that have shaped her most.   This one is tender. And it sticks the landing on the arc.   In this episode: — What the refreshing period actually requires from you — How repressed memories showed up mid-conversation and changed everything — Why trauma doesn't just affect you — it affects everyone around you — What sisterhood looks like when it's been tested and survived — Forgive but don't forget — and why that's actually healthy — Why you have to say the hard things out loud — Sitting with people in pain vs. standing with them in joy   Mentioned: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk