The Refreshing Period (A Follow Up)

Christmas in July: Why I’m Taking a Break

This is episode marks six months of My Sister’s Closet, and I wanted to be honest with you about where I’m at. I’m talking about something called “giver burnout,” a term I came across on Reddit, and asking myself the hard question, am I actually living the intentional life I keep talking about, or just talking about it? I share why I’m stepping away from the podcast for the month of July, not because I’m done, but because I want to actually go live the things I’ve been teaching. I’ll be back in August with more, including the start of a brand new series, and a conversation that’s going to include the men in our lives too, because this was never just about sisterhood. It’s about all of us. Show Notes: In this episode I talk about: • Six months of My Sister’s Closet and what I’ve learned • What “giver burnout” is and why I related to it • Asking myself if I actually practice what I preach • Measuring a good life by presence, not production • Why I’m taking a Christmas in July break for the month of July • What’s coming in August, including a series on what sisterhood is not and conversations that include the men in our lives Taking July to rest, live, and process. Back in August. 💜 Follow along @mysistersclosetpod Check out My Inner Mind at myinnermind.halliewho.com

The Other Side of Adoption

Adoption isn’t always the fairy tale we make it out to be. In this episode I’m closing out the adoption conversation – for now – by getting honest about the parts people don’t talk about. The kids who get returned. The homes that are worse than where they came from. The 15,000 children who age out of foster care every year with no family, no home, and nowhere to go.   I’m sharing some hard stats, a story that has stayed with me since high school, and what it really feels like to be pushed into a life you didn’t choose. This one is heavy but it needed to be said. And if you’ve lived any part of this story – as an adoptee, a foster kid, or someone who loves one – I see you.   💜 Resources mentioned: Second Shift Birmingham (secondshiftbirmingham.org)

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