E21. Numbing Conversation

E23. Goodbye for Now

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550305/fan_mail/new] Releasing our last episode in this series is a practice of letting go. So many feelings. So much unsaid. One story in one space of time. We talk about the cost and what it gives to reveal one's story late in life when shame and secrets still hold power. We explore how loyalty can live in the same place as humiliation, how joy can be allowed without the guilt, how to separate the past and present when big feelings take over our nervous system, and if a life of reactivity can turn toward knowing one's desires. The world is made of nuance. We love that you have joined us! Thanks for listening! Feel free to share with others. You can also email us at

E22. Adjusting to Change

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550305/fan_mail/new] Retirement can be an identity shift, especially for people who have spent their lives working in service, building community, and getting validation through being useful.  We talk about how early abuse can echo through adulthood, retirement, and relationships. We explore what helps: talk therapy, but also nervous system regulation through movement, such as a room full of people at "dance church." From there, we move into family estrangement and how denial and conflicting memories can make survivors question themselves.  Feel free to subscribe and share with others. You can also email us at < sadiegreenstory@gmail.com or send a voice message from any particular episode on our website http://SadieStory.Buzzsprout.com Special Thanks to our supporters, who have made this podcast possible. * Lucy Mathews Heegaard: Audio Engineer  * with music via Epidemic Sound * Terry Gydesen: Photographer * Polly Kellogg * Kate Tillotson * Dawn Charbonneau * Jacob Wyatt * Molly Tillotson * Clare Dudzinski * Julian Bowers * Wendy Horowitz * Maggie Kazel * Pat Farrell * Lynette Tabert * Laura Jensen * People's Farm Collective * Deborah Copperud of "Spock Talk" podcast

E21. Numbing Conversation

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550305/fan_mail/new] A life can look solid on the outside while feeling insecure inside. Is this universal? Is keeping oneself busy and useful an avoidance of pain and joy? Sadie shares how retirement, the end of a long relationship, and returning to therapy helped her recognize emotional numbing. Can enough approval-seeking and validation from others ever help us feel "filled up?" Does deferring wants and the "right-hand gal" role help one feel safer around power? We ponder these questions. And we reflect on separating the adult self from the child self, building emotional awareness, and welcoming feelings instead of barricading the door, ending with Rumi’s “The Guest House.”  Feel free to subscribe and share with others. You can also email us at < sadiegreenstory@gmail.com or send a voice message from any particular episode on our website http://SadieStory.Buzzsprout.com Special Thanks to our supporters, who have made this podcast possible. * Lucy Mathews Heegaard: Audio Engineer  * with music via Epidemic Sound * Terry Gydesen: Photographer * Polly Kellogg * Kate Tillotson * Dawn Charbonneau * Jacob Wyatt * Molly Tillotson * Clare Dudzinski * Julian Bowers * Wendy Horowitz * Maggie Kazel * Pat Farrell * Lynette Tabert * Laura Jensen * People's Farm Collective * Deborah Copperud of "Spock Talk" podcast

E20. Stevie Interview

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550305/fan_mail/new] Today, we’re joined by Stevie, Sadie’s former foster mother, to retrace the unlikely beginning of their bond. Stevie reflects on her own struggles with drinking and the choice to get sober, while Sadie shares memories of those years that still carry tenderness and humor. From there, we turn to family and wanting an apology that never comes. We revisit Sadie’s grandmother, who paid a high price for intervening.  Sadie also speaks candidly about identity, relationships, and power, including describing her shift toward dating women as a political choice. Thanks for listening. Feel free to subscribe and share with others. You can also email us at < sadiegreenstory@gmail.com or send a voice message from any particular episode on our website http://SadieStory.Buzzsprout.com Special Thanks to our supporters, who have made this podcast possible. * Lucy Mathews Heegaard: Audio Engineer  * with music via Epidemic Sound * Terry Gydesen: Photographer * Polly Kellogg * Kate Tillotson * Dawn Charbonneau * Jacob Wyatt * Molly Tillotson * Clare Dudzinski * Julian Bowers * Wendy Horowitz * Maggie Kazel * Pat Farrell * Lynette Tabert * Laura Jensen * People's Farm Collective * Deborah Copperud of "Spock Talk" podcast

E19. Stevie

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550305/fan_mail/new] Here, we introduce Stevie, the foster guardian who changes everything by simply offering clear expectations and real freedom. The details feel small until you realize they are the building blocks of safety, attachment, and a life that finally belongs to her.  On late-night drives, Sadie’s thoughts loop back to Ma's relentless rural labor as if she's carrying the world upon her shoulders. Sadie describes the complexities of what never fully leaves: sadness, shame, and complicated loyalty; how sympathy can exist without empathy; and why rage might miss its target.  Thanks for listening. Feel free to subscribe and share with others. You can also email us at < sadiegreenstory@gmail.com or send a voice message from any particular episode on our website http://SadieStory.Buzzsprout.com Special Thanks to our supporters, who have made this podcast possible. * Lucy Mathews Heegaard: Audio Engineer  * with music via Epidemic Sound * Terry Gydesen: Photographer * Polly Kellogg * Kate Tillotson * Dawn Charbonneau * Jacob Wyatt * Molly Tillotson * Clare Dudzinski * Julian Bowers * Wendy Horowitz * Maggie Kazel * Pat Farrell * Lynette Tabert * Laura Jensen * People's Farm Collective * Deborah Copperud of "Spock Talk" podcast