116. Don’t Walk Away: An Unlikely and Refreshingly Positive Story About Life with Dementia

117. HYPERFOCUS BONUS: The Joys and the Horrors of Family Game Night

Is the nighttime truly the right time for boardgame-based family fun? For the average person with ADHD, whose attention span is largely dependent on medications they take during the daytime, the answer might be “no.” That’s the conclusion Marcus and Esme have come to after a recent family game night, wherein the O’Kayvious clan attempted to play a new (and surprisingly complex) boardgame for the very first time. Marcus and Esme share their family’s story of perseverance and joy in the face of their dopamine-starved attention spans.  Plus, Marcus recalls a family game night from his childhood when his much, much older siblings roped him into a friendly game of global domination. Would an undiagnosed, unmedicated, and far too trusting Marcus fare well against his brothers, some of whom were old enough at the time to rent cars in foreign countries? And would the outcome of that experience instill in Marcus a lifelong love of board games with sophisticated and context-heavy instructions? (Spoiler alert: No). Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com [http://crazytogetherpod.com] Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/C0C216B887 [https://ko-fi.com/C0C216B887]  Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact [https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact] Our theme music * Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch:    • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM4k2HNgnDo&t=0s]  Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGZ0T2g0LVBjZkxERXFYbElNNDFSUktIdFJzUXxBQ3Jtc0tuT08zVW90bVJuYW1VcWJlUlZlRlVESkpCNGhrellrbEwyeEFrbUZVbUJ3Z2hFUkFTdEFVci1uMjdPbXhCcUVXV2RXalRwYzRtTnBCdWtKUnY2T0YtVkpndnB4TlJLWU5sUTRudkU3TWZDckdyX2NzZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Falplus.io%2Fmidnight-declan-dp&v=eM4k2HNgnDo]

116. Don’t Walk Away: An Unlikely and Refreshingly Positive Story About Life with Dementia

What if our assumptions about the inner lives of loved ones who are living with Alzheimer’s and dementia are wrong? What if the people we love are still very much there?  These are the questions raised by today’s guest, Marilyn Raichle. Marilyn is author of Don’t Walk Away: A Care Partner’s Journey, a powerful and uplifting memoir about her experience as her mother’s care partner while she was living with dementia. She is also one of the most genuine and lovely people you’d ever want to talk to. While the idea of caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s can feel daunting or even heartbreaking, Marilyn’s story is one of hope, love, and understanding. It’s also a story about the power of creative expression. Marilyn describes how her mother, June, took up painting later in life, and how June’s creations helped Marilyn get to know her mother better, and remember that the woman she had always known and loved was still there. Marilyn Raichle is the founder of The Art of Alzheimer’s, an organization that celebrates the creativity of people living with dementia and the power of the creative arts to enrich and empower their lives. She is also the Executive Director of Maude’s Awards for Innovation in Alzheimer’s Care.  To learn more about Marilyn – or to purchase her beautiful book – please visit her website: https://dontwalkaway.net/ [https://dontwalkaway.net/]  You can, as always, visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com [http://crazytogetherpod.com] Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact [https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact] Our theme music * Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch:    • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM4k2HNgnDo&t=0s]  Free Download / Stream: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGZ0T2g0LVBjZkxERXFYbElNNDFSUktIdFJzUXxBQ3Jtc0tuT08zVW90bVJuYW1VcWJlUlZlRlVESkpCNGhrellrbEwyeEFrbUZVbUJ3Z2hFUkFTdEFVci1uMjdPbXhCcUVXV2RXalRwYzRtTnBCdWtKUnY2T0YtVkpndnB4TlJLWU5sUTRudkU3TWZDckdyX2NzZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Falplus.io%2Fmidnight-declan-dp&v=eM4k2HNgnDohttps://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp [https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp]

115. HYPERFOCUS BONUS: Esme goes Full Hepburn and Marcus takes on Bloodsport

Esme battles an old foe en route to restoring the O’Kayvious household’s gardens to their former glory: the sun. Will cosplaying as an ultra-refined Bryn Mawr graduate give her the tactical edge she needs? Also, Marcus courts controversy by revealing the one thing Donald Trump does right – if you’re going to re-watch the 1988 martial arts masterpiece Bloodsport, you really should fast forward through all the unnecessary dialogue. Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com [http://crazytogetherpod.com] Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/C0C216B887 [https://ko-fi.com/C0C216B887]  Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact [https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact] Our theme music * Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch:    • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM4k2HNgnDo&t=0s]  Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGZ0T2g0LVBjZkxERXFYbElNNDFSUktIdFJzUXxBQ3Jtc0tuT08zVW90bVJuYW1VcWJlUlZlRlVESkpCNGhrellrbEwyeEFrbUZVbUJ3Z2hFUkFTdEFVci1uMjdPbXhCcUVXV2RXalRwYzRtTnBCdWtKUnY2T0YtVkpndnB4TlJLWU5sUTRudkU3TWZDckdyX2NzZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Falplus.io%2Fmidnight-declan-dp&v=eM4k2HNgnDo]

114. Attachment Styles: How We Learn to Love and How We Can Change

“Can you blame your boyfriend’s mom for making your boyfriend a bad boyfriend?” This is the hypothetical question Marcus poses at the start of the episode. Fortunately, Esme is there to ask questions and figure out what Marcus is talking about.  It turns out that Marcus wants to discuss Attachment Theory, a psychological framework that explores how young children form emotional bonds with their caregivers and how these bonds influence their future relationships. Together, they discuss the kinds of formative experiences that create attachment types, and how those attachment types strongly influence how we approach our adult relationships. They also review recommendations for parents who want to form stronger and secure attachment bonds with their kids; and, reassure the audience that with enough hard work, we can learn how to form secure attachments as adults. Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com [http://crazytogetherpod.com] Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact [https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact] Sources for this episode include: * Fraley, R. Chris. “A Brief Overview of Adult Attachment Theory and Research.” University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign, https://labs.psychology.illinois.edu/~rcfraley/attachment.htm [https://labs.psychology.illinois.edu/~rcfraley/attachment.htm].  * Huang, Stephanie. “Attachment Styles in Adult Relationships.” Simply Psychology, 20 Apr. 2026, https://www.simplypsychology.org/attachment-styles.html [https://www.simplypsychology.org/attachment-styles.html].  * Enns, Kimberly. “5 Ways to Form Stronger Attachment With Your Children.” Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute, 2026, https://ctrinstitute.com/blog/stronger-attachment-with-children [https://ctrinstitute.com/blog/stronger-attachment-with-children].  * “Attachment Theory.” EBSCO Research Starters: Psychology, EBSCO Information Services, 2023, https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/psychology/attachment-theory [https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/psychology/attachment-theory].  Our theme music * Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch:    • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM4k2HNgnDo&t=0s]  Free Download / Stream: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGZ0T2g0LVBjZkxERXFYbElNNDFSUktIdFJzUXxBQ3Jtc0tuT08zVW90bVJuYW1VcWJlUlZlRlVESkpCNGhrellrbEwyeEFrbUZVbUJ3Z2hFUkFTdEFVci1uMjdPbXhCcUVXV2RXalRwYzRtTnBCdWtKUnY2T0YtVkpndnB4TlJLWU5sUTRudkU3TWZDckdyX2NzZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Falplus.io%2Fmidnight-declan-dp&v=eM4k2HNgnDohttps://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp [https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp]

113. HYPERFOCUS BONUS: City-wide betrayal and the revenge of Mary Bennet

HYPERBOLIC TITLE WARNING: This episode does not feature stories of ACTUAL betrayal or revenge. However, it does attempt to answer the following questions: Does a former college basketball star have an obligation to his alma mater to ensure his son does not play for that school's hated rival? (Spoiler alert: in this case, yes). Is a minor character from a classic Jane Austen novel deserving of her own story? (Spoiler alert: in this case, yes). Also, Marcus and Esme provide critical updates on open questions from previous installments of the Hyperfocus Bonus. Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com [http://crazytogetherpod.com] Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/C0C216B887 [https://ko-fi.com/C0C216B887]  Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact [https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact] Belated acknowledgement of a brilliant video referenced in episode 112: * sagmoonmagic. “Hope this helps  #witch #witchtok #witchcraft #nature #earth.” TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@sagmoonmagic/video/7640568255018552589 [https://www.tiktok.com/@sagmoonmagic/video/7640568255018552589].  Our theme music * Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch:    • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM4k2HNgnDo&t=0s]  Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGZ0T2g0LVBjZkxERXFYbElNNDFSUktIdFJzUXxBQ3Jtc0tuT08zVW90bVJuYW1VcWJlUlZlRlVESkpCNGhrellrbEwyeEFrbUZVbUJ3Z2hFUkFTdEFVci1uMjdPbXhCcUVXV2RXalRwYzRtTnBCdWtKUnY2T0YtVkpndnB4TlJLWU5sUTRudkU3TWZDckdyX2NzZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Falplus.io%2Fmidnight-declan-dp&v=eM4k2HNgnDo]