Ep. 34: Season 2 Finale

This podcast has given me so very much.

Despite—or maybe because—of all the hours of work and mental effort I pour into it, it has been so rewarding.

As seasons come and go, I get the chance to kick back and savor the moment of appreciation for all that’s happened in the prior 3-4 months.

Season 2 has been quite the adventure.

During it, I lost my third pregnancy within a year. I had been soldiering through my early pregnancy symptoms and fear of miscarriage and working on the podcast as much as I could manage.

On the morning I was scheduled to interview my former therapist Rosey Shaefermeyer for Episode 25, I started bleeding. A lot. I was 11 weeks along and had been spotting the previous week, hoping with all my mama heart that it was a fluke and that things would finally work out.

That morning I accepted the finality of that pregnancy. And I was a mess.

Nonetheless, we kept our scheduled interview.

Why?

Well, I think part of it was knowing Rosey always made me feel so at peace and helped me reach such a level of healing with my previous miscarriage and trauma with Kimball. Really, it helped me knowing that night I would be able to confide in her.

It was also a great distraction.

But above all, I interviewed her that night because The Rare Life has my heart. I believe in the power it holds to be a resource to parents struggling like I was and had. I love every one of my dear listeners without even knowing you. We share a hidden world that few others understand, and that connection has been a saving grace in our messy, painful journey with Kimball.

It’s been fun to reminisce about each of my dear guests and the conversations we’ve held in Season 2. Several of those conversations were gut-wrenching (you can probably guess who’s), and it’s been such an honor to have a front-row seat to such fierce love. There have been countless times I’ve been navigating my own rare life and remembered something someone taught me while recording together, and it helped me. I really have the best job in the world.

The theme of personal transformation has been a bit transformational for me.

I think one of my own main takeaways has been the importance of accepting and leaning into our emotions and feelings.

To be honest, I’ve always struggled with boxing away my negative emotions and pushing through. But time and time again I listened to both parent and professional guests speak to the validity of our feelings. It’s been a powerful lesson.

And as painful as it has been, I’ve felt more receptive to all the love and joyous emotions as well. Because you can’t numb one emotion without simultaneously numbing the others.

So, as you can tell, this season has been as much for me as it’s been for you.

And it was thrilling to hear from three parent-listeners as they shared their takeaways from Season 2, as featured in the finale episode.

Jessica B.’s recording that I used for the episode was golden. She told of how life-saving the podcast has been for her and how discusses the week’s episode with her husband and the things she’s implemented in her life as a result. Jessica talked about impact of the episode It’s All My Fault, and the way she doesn’t feel alone anymore in being a genetic carrier for her daughter’s condition. Just, “yes” to all of it. I hold onto experiences like these because they are absolutely what makes it all worth it. What an absolute honor.

I had chills when I listened to parent-listener Erica S., a medically complex mom of medically complex children. Her perspective is everything. She spoke of the episode You Are Exactly What Your Child Needs and how that message permeated every episode of Season 2. Erica testified that our loving actions and sacrifices for our children are noticed and felt, the way she noticed and felt of her own mom’s efforts. I want every parent everywhere to hear what Erica has to say.

Season 2 was amazing, and I was absolutely honored to share so many amazing people and their stories with you.