WEBVTT - Introducing... Little Love Stories 0:00:21.290 --> 0:00:21.610 So much. 0:00:21.650 --> 0:00:26.450 You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast. Mamma Mia acknowledges 0:00:26.530 --> 0:00:29.370 the traditional owners of the land. We have recorded this 0:00:29.450 --> 0:00:33.610 podcast on the Gadigul people of the Eora Nation. We 0:00:33.650 --> 0:00:36.770 pay our respects to their elders past and present and 0:00:36.850 --> 0:00:41.170 extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander cultures. 0:00:41.530 --> 0:00:44.170 Hello help, I have a teenager listeners. My name is 0:00:44.210 --> 0:00:47.730 Grace Rufray. I'm the producer of Mamma MIA's parenting podcast, 0:00:47.810 --> 0:00:51.010 This Glorious Mess. I'm dropping into your ears to let 0:00:51.050 --> 0:00:53.370 you know about a new podcast offering that we have 0:00:53.530 --> 0:00:55.850 just launched, and it's called Little Love Stories. 0:00:56.530 --> 0:00:58.010 Little Love Stories. 0:00:57.730 --> 0:01:00.970 Is an open hearted interview with someone who has some 0:01:01.130 --> 0:01:04.890 love to share, whether it's about a person, an object, 0:01:05.370 --> 0:01:09.490 or an event. Little Love Stories explores gratitude through written 0:01:09.570 --> 0:01:12.490 form first and then in the form of a love letter, 0:01:12.730 --> 0:01:15.970 and that letter becomes a heartfelt conversation. And there's such 0:01:16.010 --> 0:01:17.850 a wide range of stories that we have coming up. 0:01:17.890 --> 0:01:21.090 There's the poignant with a love letter to breast post 0:01:21.130 --> 0:01:24.730 mistectomy stories with heart writing to a mother who's no 0:01:24.810 --> 0:01:27.890 longer with us and pivoting a full one eighty two. 0:01:27.930 --> 0:01:30.410 Some silliness sharing a love letter to a therma mix 0:01:30.530 --> 0:01:34.610 for making parenting just that little bit easier. It shows 0:01:34.610 --> 0:01:37.250 that the world is full of so many little moments 0:01:37.250 --> 0:01:39.890 of love and magic, and it's just up to us 0:01:39.970 --> 0:01:43.490 to start noticing them. The very first episode of Little 0:01:43.530 --> 0:01:46.170 Love Stories, which you are about to hear, is from 0:01:46.250 --> 0:01:50.170 our This Glorious Mess host, Analise Todd. Analise is a 0:01:50.210 --> 0:01:53.330 single mother to two tween boys and it certainly hasn't 0:01:53.370 --> 0:01:56.330 been easy for her to transition to this new lifestyle. 0:01:56.930 --> 0:01:59.250 But she had a moment recently that gave her some 0:01:59.410 --> 0:02:02.770 hope and even a little bit of perspective. This is 0:02:02.810 --> 0:02:08.210 Little Love Stories by This Glorious Mess. I love you 0:02:09.410 --> 0:02:14.290 have you live with your From Mamma Mia and This 0:02:14.410 --> 0:02:18.530 Glorious Mess. Welcome to Little Love Stories. I'm Grace ru Ray, 0:02:18.650 --> 0:02:21.450 the producer of This Glorious Mess, and if my voice 0:02:21.490 --> 0:02:24.570 sounds familiar, you may have heard me on Mumma MEA's news. 0:02:24.330 --> 0:02:25.570 Podcast, The Quickie. 0:02:25.810 --> 0:02:29.450 As I've gotten older, I've enjoyed hearing stories about bravery. 0:02:29.890 --> 0:02:32.690 When we're young, bravery is really only marketed to us 0:02:32.730 --> 0:02:35.650 as physical strength or maybe standing up to the bad 0:02:35.650 --> 0:02:40.090 guy or the bully or these sensationalized Hollywood ideas of bravery. 0:02:40.610 --> 0:02:44.570 But with age and experience, I realized bravery comes in 0:02:44.690 --> 0:02:49.090 many forms and unexpected moments. Our story today is our 0:02:49.210 --> 0:02:53.010 very own host of this glorious mess. Annalise Todd, our 0:02:53.050 --> 0:02:56.970 wise cracking and open hearted writer, podcaster and single mum 0:02:57.050 --> 0:02:59.770 of two. There has been such a stigma for so 0:02:59.930 --> 0:03:04.410 many years about single mums. It's portrayed us as negative. 0:03:04.570 --> 0:03:07.970 I don't take this position lightly or responsibility lightly, to 0:03:08.170 --> 0:03:12.130 just normalize that this is what a family can look like. 0:03:12.250 --> 0:03:15.330 But Analie's Todd isn't just deep in the throes of parenting. 0:03:15.850 --> 0:03:19.010 She's been demonstrating strength to her two sons in some 0:03:19.170 --> 0:03:22.650 less obvious ways. Oh well, here's an opportunity that I 0:03:22.690 --> 0:03:25.050 can give this to my sons. Now, I can show 0:03:25.090 --> 0:03:28.330 them that women can be strong and brave and capable. 0:03:28.770 --> 0:03:31.450 So I was really drawn to today's little love story 0:03:31.490 --> 0:03:34.290 as it asked the question, how do you instill and 0:03:34.370 --> 0:03:38.370 teach respect to people children, even when you're still learning 0:03:38.450 --> 0:03:39.730 how to respect yourself. 0:03:40.530 --> 0:03:41.610 But first, here's. 0:03:41.410 --> 0:03:45.290 What a little bit of love sounds like today? 0:03:47.210 --> 0:03:49.490 Oh my god, what's the word excellent? 0:03:49.570 --> 0:03:49.810 Question? 0:03:49.850 --> 0:03:51.010 I want to get my answer right. 0:03:51.130 --> 0:03:53.450 Okay, what does love mean to you? 0:03:53.850 --> 0:03:54.330 Safety? 0:03:55.050 --> 0:04:01.810 Support, passion, support, adoration, comfort. 0:04:01.970 --> 0:04:07.650 Yeah, safety, intimacy and. 0:04:08.850 --> 0:04:14.530 Heart stressful. Interesting and I'm. 0:04:14.890 --> 0:04:18.850 Eating sexy, communicating. 0:04:19.610 --> 0:04:23.410 Dedication, compromise and trust. 0:04:23.530 --> 0:04:33.690 Warm, full and safe, Anlys, I've been looking forward to 0:04:33.730 --> 0:04:36.930 this conversation. Welcome to little love Stories. You have so 0:04:37.010 --> 0:04:40.010 many stories, but this one, it's a pretty important one 0:04:40.050 --> 0:04:40.850 for you right now. 0:04:41.090 --> 0:04:41.770 Yeah, it is. 0:04:41.850 --> 0:04:44.370 I think it's important for me and I think I 0:04:44.490 --> 0:04:48.970 love sharing single parents stories and voices. You wanted to 0:04:49.050 --> 0:04:51.130 redefine what it is to be a single parent, or 0:04:51.130 --> 0:04:53.370 at least the perceived perception of what it is to 0:04:53.370 --> 0:04:55.770 be a single parent. What do you feel like those 0:04:55.810 --> 0:04:58.810 perceptions are. I mean, look at the fifties, they weren't 0:04:58.810 --> 0:05:00.970 even allowed out of the house. And I think there 0:05:00.970 --> 0:05:05.250 has been such a stigma for so many years about 0:05:05.570 --> 0:05:06.410 single mums. 0:05:06.810 --> 0:05:08.130 It's betrayed as negative. 0:05:08.330 --> 0:05:12.170 And I don't take this position lightly or responsibility lightly 0:05:12.250 --> 0:05:16.050 to just normalize that this is what a family can 0:05:16.090 --> 0:05:18.490 look like and it's okay, And it's actually not all 0:05:18.530 --> 0:05:21.770 doom and gloom, and it's far from it. Silver linings 0:05:21.810 --> 0:05:23.370 to any situation in life. 0:05:23.450 --> 0:05:24.490 So I'm just. 0:05:24.450 --> 0:05:26.690 Happy to share it and be here with your beautiful, 0:05:26.770 --> 0:05:27.850 soothing voice. 0:05:28.330 --> 0:05:31.170 So your little love story essay, it's full of vivid 0:05:31.170 --> 0:05:34.210 examples of your life as a single mum. It begins 0:05:34.210 --> 0:05:37.490 with you describing your unique commune life as you call it. Yes, 0:05:37.690 --> 0:05:40.210 I can confirm I have been to the commune. So 0:05:40.290 --> 0:05:43.770 you had a moment Analie where your perspective of being 0:05:43.770 --> 0:05:46.290 a single parent. I won't say it started to change immediately, 0:05:46.330 --> 0:05:49.810 but it opened up the possibility for change. Can you 0:05:49.850 --> 0:05:52.890 taught me through that trigger point what happened and how 0:05:52.930 --> 0:05:54.130 it started to evolve. 0:05:54.370 --> 0:05:55.090 I had a. 0:05:55.050 --> 0:05:57.930 Beautiful friend over who'd been a single mom for many, 0:05:57.930 --> 0:06:00.770 many years, and she also has two sons very similar 0:06:00.810 --> 0:06:03.530 ages to mine, and so I was very much sort 0:06:03.570 --> 0:06:07.490 of leaning in on her because, especially in those early times, 0:06:07.530 --> 0:06:09.570 you just lean in on other single parents because they 0:06:09.610 --> 0:06:10.490 just get it. 0:06:10.490 --> 0:06:11.010 It was like a. 0:06:10.890 --> 0:06:14.370 Friday night, we'd had a commune dinner, and of course 0:06:14.450 --> 0:06:17.330 I can never get the TV or internetworking in my house. 0:06:17.370 --> 0:06:20.570 It's just a permanent pain point, and we were try 0:06:20.610 --> 0:06:24.330 trying to set up the TV. It was just so frustrating, 0:06:24.330 --> 0:06:25.810 But obviously I was trying to hide in front of 0:06:25.810 --> 0:06:28.930 the kids and my girlfriend she was just so calm 0:06:28.970 --> 0:06:33.050 under pressure, and her little boy, I think he would 0:06:33.050 --> 0:06:37.890 have been gosh nine. He just said, my mum will 0:06:37.890 --> 0:06:42.570 figure it out. She can do anything, and she did 0:06:42.570 --> 0:06:45.930 figure it out. In that moment, I just saw this 0:06:46.090 --> 0:06:49.250 hope for a positive that can come out of the 0:06:49.330 --> 0:06:53.770 experience for children of divorce, because, of course, when you 0:06:53.930 --> 0:06:56.690 have kids, and especially if you separated, the first thing 0:06:56.730 --> 0:06:59.530 you think about is inflicting pain and trauma and how 0:06:59.530 --> 0:07:02.330 it's going to impact them and the blueprint of their life. 0:07:02.450 --> 0:07:05.090 But in that moment, I saw a positive from the 0:07:05.210 --> 0:07:09.810 child's perspective of how he viewed his mum, that faith, 0:07:09.850 --> 0:07:13.170 and how he viewed her as so strong and capable 0:07:13.170 --> 0:07:15.610 and brave, and I thought, oh, well, here's an opportunity 0:07:15.610 --> 0:07:18.410 that I can give this to my sons. Now I 0:07:18.450 --> 0:07:21.450 can show them that women can be wrong and brave 0:07:21.490 --> 0:07:24.770 and capable, and I can make them feel very connected 0:07:24.810 --> 0:07:27.570 with women, and that's hopefully going to set them up 0:07:27.610 --> 0:07:31.610 for relationships, whether it's romantic or any women in their lives. 0:07:31.730 --> 0:07:34.610 I felt like, great, they can have that connection and 0:07:34.650 --> 0:07:35.650 that respect to women. 0:07:35.930 --> 0:07:38.330 In another part of your essay, you talk about how 0:07:38.330 --> 0:07:41.050 you would never have chosen this life but then you 0:07:41.170 --> 0:07:43.890 go on to speak about how it's given you identity. 0:07:44.090 --> 0:07:45.610 Could you read that part out for us? 0:07:46.210 --> 0:07:50.850 Yes, nobody has kids thinking they will only see them 0:07:50.890 --> 0:07:55.330 half the time. It's incomprehensible, even nearly two years on. 0:07:56.330 --> 0:07:59.610 I miss them when I'm not with them. It goes 0:07:59.650 --> 0:08:02.570 against the very instinct we form from the moment they're 0:08:02.570 --> 0:08:07.250 planked on our chest to sniff their heads and kiss 0:08:07.250 --> 0:08:11.050 them good night every night. When I'm with them, there's 0:08:11.210 --> 0:08:14.010 a feeling of wholeness that I don't have when. 0:08:13.850 --> 0:08:14.490 They're not there. 0:08:15.650 --> 0:08:18.490 But I didn't get a choice, so I'm choosing to 0:08:18.530 --> 0:08:21.330 make the best of it, and I do like many 0:08:21.370 --> 0:08:24.330 things in life that test us, that breaks down the 0:08:24.450 --> 0:08:27.290 very fiber of our being. When we do manage to 0:08:27.330 --> 0:08:30.290 rebuild ourselves back together again, it can be the making 0:08:30.330 --> 0:08:33.290 of us. And I would go as far as saying 0:08:33.290 --> 0:08:35.690 that as a single mum, I am a more present, 0:08:35.970 --> 0:08:39.210 better parent than I was before. And for that, and 0:08:39.290 --> 0:08:42.570 for all the reasons above, I can only have gratitude 0:08:42.650 --> 0:08:44.570 for all the silver linings that brings. 0:08:45.410 --> 0:08:47.890 When you're reading parts of your article out, it kind 0:08:47.890 --> 0:08:49.170 of hit you in a different way. 0:08:49.410 --> 0:08:50.250 What did it bring up? 0:08:50.250 --> 0:08:51.330 And what are you feeling now. 0:08:52.290 --> 0:08:55.970 In order to function in fifty to fifty custody, you 0:08:56.170 --> 0:09:00.530 have to be able to compartmentalize. When I'm with my kids, 0:09:00.570 --> 0:09:03.810 I'm all in, But when I'm not with them, I 0:09:03.970 --> 0:09:07.410 have to be able to have a wall because it's 0:09:07.490 --> 0:09:11.130 just too painful. No one has kids thinking they'll only 0:09:11.170 --> 0:09:12.290 see them half the time. 0:09:12.810 --> 0:09:15.570 It's a grief And we know so much about these 0:09:15.970 --> 0:09:18.970 silver linings of your beautiful commune life, But can. 0:09:18.850 --> 0:09:20.930 You talk us through a few of those think. 0:09:20.770 --> 0:09:22.970 It's so important to caveat because I get a lot 0:09:23.010 --> 0:09:25.410 of feedback from single mums when I talk about my 0:09:25.490 --> 0:09:29.570 experience who don't get breaks, who have soul custody. I 0:09:29.650 --> 0:09:32.570 cannot speak to them and their experience because that would 0:09:32.650 --> 0:09:36.410 be the kind of relentless, exhausting experience that I can't 0:09:36.450 --> 0:09:39.170 even imagine, and most of us couldn't fathom doing that 0:09:39.250 --> 0:09:39.770 on your own. 0:09:39.810 --> 0:09:41.050 Twenty four seven. 0:09:41.530 --> 0:09:44.370 For those of us who do get breaks, it's kind 0:09:44.410 --> 0:09:45.530 of like a double life. 0:09:45.970 --> 0:09:46.170 You know. 0:09:46.210 --> 0:09:49.130 When I'm in mum mode, I'm all in, But then 0:09:49.170 --> 0:09:51.370 when I don't have my kids, I get to be 0:09:51.570 --> 0:09:55.130 really selfish. For the first time in ten years, I 0:09:55.210 --> 0:09:58.010 was able to be selfish and I think that's such 0:09:58.050 --> 0:10:01.970 a foreign concept, particularly for mums, to be able to 0:10:02.010 --> 0:10:04.410 have the freedom and the luxury to be selfish. Well, 0:10:04.530 --> 0:10:09.010 let's dig into what you've found about yourself through having 0:10:09.050 --> 0:10:11.930 this time to rediscover who you are. What are the 0:10:11.930 --> 0:10:14.970 parts about your identity that you've discovered by being a 0:10:15.010 --> 0:10:18.690 single parent. I love not being someone's wife. 0:10:19.650 --> 0:10:19.970 I do. 0:10:20.170 --> 0:10:22.530 I love it, I absolutely love it, and I will 0:10:22.570 --> 0:10:26.050 never be someone's wife again. I just don't want that label. 0:10:26.850 --> 0:10:28.930 I was so young when I got married, and I 0:10:29.010 --> 0:10:33.250 feel like at forty, I finally can focus on me 0:10:33.570 --> 0:10:36.890 and my career and I've got the time and space 0:10:36.970 --> 0:10:37.370 to do that. 0:10:37.490 --> 0:10:37.770 Now. 0:10:38.330 --> 0:10:39.970 I can go to the gym, I can go to 0:10:40.010 --> 0:10:41.770 the beach and read a book. This is when I 0:10:41.770 --> 0:10:44.170 don't have my kids, obviously, I go out a lot 0:10:44.250 --> 0:10:49.050 with friends, and I feel like I refound joy, you know, 0:10:49.090 --> 0:10:51.650 like that character and inside out too, the function of 0:10:51.730 --> 0:10:53.410 joy that takes over your brain. And I feel like 0:10:53.450 --> 0:10:55.610 she was lost and she was lost in the back 0:10:55.610 --> 0:10:59.050 brain for a long time and she's back and it's 0:10:59.210 --> 0:11:02.170 just I feel joy in life again. And how do 0:11:02.250 --> 0:11:04.970 you put that joy that you've found back into parenting? 0:11:05.050 --> 0:11:07.530 Do the two go hand in hand, they definitely do. 0:11:07.650 --> 0:11:11.210 And it goes back to having the breaks because I 0:11:11.210 --> 0:11:14.050 don't see them, so I get rested and I have 0:11:14.130 --> 0:11:17.490 that time and space to be selfish. So when I 0:11:17.530 --> 0:11:21.410 am with them, I'm just so grateful for all of 0:11:21.490 --> 0:11:23.930 the time that I have, and I just cherish every second. 0:11:24.570 --> 0:11:26.930 I don't take them for granted anymore. I truly believe 0:11:26.930 --> 0:11:28.370 I took them for granted. I used to be like 0:11:28.410 --> 0:11:31.410 ough parent burnout and I'm tired, and I just want 0:11:31.410 --> 0:11:33.890 to go out with my friends. Well now I would 0:11:33.930 --> 0:11:35.610 like to see them more and I can't. So when 0:11:35.610 --> 0:11:39.090 I'm with them, I just breathe them in, yes, creepily. 0:11:39.130 --> 0:11:41.330 When they're asleep, I'll just walk past and sniff their 0:11:41.370 --> 0:11:43.130 heads as will you do that with small children that 0:11:43.170 --> 0:11:45.330 aren't yours? I know I am a head sniffer. It's 0:11:45.330 --> 0:11:47.290 a beautiful smell. It's intoxicating. 0:11:47.570 --> 0:11:50.050 We've heard all about the duality of balancing roles as 0:11:50.090 --> 0:11:52.210 a single parent, but next up we hear the importance 0:11:52.250 --> 0:12:02.410 of reclaiming personal time and identity. Annalie's the final part 0:12:02.410 --> 0:12:05.810 of your essay talks about who you are, defining yourself 0:12:05.850 --> 0:12:08.330 as Now, could you read that out for us? I 0:12:08.370 --> 0:12:12.050 am good at filling my social calendar, but have also 0:12:12.250 --> 0:12:15.050 gotten good at being on my own, and I am 0:12:15.130 --> 0:12:18.690 proud of that. Being single and having half my time 0:12:18.730 --> 0:12:22.730 to myself, I got my identity back. But more than that, 0:12:23.210 --> 0:12:26.570 there's a strength and resilience ingrained in my new identity. 0:12:27.490 --> 0:12:30.290 When I am with my kids, I cherish every second 0:12:30.330 --> 0:12:33.970 I get with them. I have more patience and am 0:12:34.010 --> 0:12:36.330 just so appreciative of the time I do have with 0:12:36.370 --> 0:12:39.890 them that I used to take for granted. I've become 0:12:39.930 --> 0:12:43.370 a fun mum and I'm way more relaxed. I don't 0:12:43.370 --> 0:12:45.930 sweat the small stuff like ice cream for dinner. 0:12:46.050 --> 0:12:49.210 Sure, I mean sometimes picnick in front of the Telly 0:12:49.250 --> 0:12:51.450 watching Age Inappropriate Reality TV? 0:12:51.730 --> 0:12:53.290 Definitely. We love doing that. 0:12:54.010 --> 0:12:57.130 And we get to do activities together now that I 0:12:57.250 --> 0:13:00.530 enjoy doing with the kids, And even though I see 0:13:00.570 --> 0:13:03.890 them less, I don't feel like a spectator on the 0:13:03.930 --> 0:13:04.890 sidelines anymore. 0:13:04.970 --> 0:13:07.850 What age inappropriate Reality TV? Did you watch? 0:13:07.930 --> 0:13:11.290 The Real Housewives of Sydney is our favorite? Yes, that's 0:13:11.290 --> 0:13:14.050 probably our favorite. We just finished Young Sheldon. We've just 0:13:14.090 --> 0:13:15.090 started modern family. 0:13:15.490 --> 0:13:15.610 Like. 0:13:15.650 --> 0:13:18.330 We just have these little rituals and things that we 0:13:18.370 --> 0:13:22.010 do together. Now that all three of us just enjoy 0:13:22.090 --> 0:13:23.370 and just love so much. 0:13:23.530 --> 0:13:24.130 I can see it now. 0:13:24.210 --> 0:13:26.530 There's this beautiful spark and this energy as you're talking 0:13:26.570 --> 0:13:28.770 about it. So what is the most exciting part of 0:13:28.810 --> 0:13:31.810 this part of your journey and rediscovering yourself? I think 0:13:31.810 --> 0:13:35.330 the biggest misconception about a marriage ending is that your 0:13:35.370 --> 0:13:38.050 life ends when your marriage does. And one part of 0:13:38.090 --> 0:13:42.130 your life definitely ends, that's dead, but it's also this 0:13:42.330 --> 0:13:46.050 new opportunity for a new life and a new story, 0:13:46.570 --> 0:13:49.690 and you get to write that story. I'm just very 0:13:49.730 --> 0:13:52.410 excited about my current story and where it's going to 0:13:52.450 --> 0:13:55.490 go next. I'm just excited if someone is listening and 0:13:55.490 --> 0:13:57.570 they're a single parent and they're holding that sense of 0:13:57.650 --> 0:14:01.610 shame or failure that, as you've said, one part of 0:14:01.610 --> 0:14:04.050 their life is completely over. What do you want them 0:14:04.050 --> 0:14:05.650 to take away from this or what do you want 0:14:05.650 --> 0:14:09.130 them to start to work towards. I guess their thought 0:14:09.210 --> 0:14:12.210 process around how they see themselves and relationships. 0:14:12.490 --> 0:14:15.090 If anyone's early on in the journey, there's so many 0:14:15.130 --> 0:14:17.650 beautiful bits of advice I've been given. One of them 0:14:17.690 --> 0:14:22.410 is nothing as permanent. Everything's temporary, So no matter how 0:14:22.490 --> 0:14:25.530 bad it feels in that moment, it literally won't feel 0:14:25.570 --> 0:14:28.530 like that forever. And then the other beautiful piece of 0:14:28.530 --> 0:14:30.970 advice that someone gave me was, don't focus on the 0:14:31.050 --> 0:14:33.850 light at the end of the tunnel. Just look out 0:14:33.890 --> 0:14:36.410 for the glimmers while you're in it, and then at 0:14:36.450 --> 0:14:40.290 some stage you'll wake up and you'll realize that you're 0:14:40.330 --> 0:14:43.050 back in the light without even realizing it, and you're 0:14:43.810 --> 0:14:45.970 living and loving life, and the light's actually brighter than 0:14:45.970 --> 0:14:46.610 it was before. 0:14:47.130 --> 0:14:50.130 It really is similar to that beautiful grief metaphor. I 0:14:50.130 --> 0:14:51.890 don't know if you've seen it, where there's like a 0:14:51.970 --> 0:14:54.730 ball and over time people think the ball gets smaller, 0:14:54.770 --> 0:14:56.930 but it's actually the space around it that gets bigger. 0:14:56.970 --> 0:14:59.610 So that divorce or that separation could always be a 0:14:59.650 --> 0:15:03.130 pain point, but you're always going to find more space 0:15:03.170 --> 0:15:04.970 around it, and you're going to find space for the 0:15:05.090 --> 0:15:08.210 joy to come in or for new opportunities and new experiences. 0:15:08.210 --> 0:15:10.530 And it sounds like that's something that you've really found 0:15:10.530 --> 0:15:12.090 in your life over the past two years. 0:15:12.250 --> 0:15:17.730 Yeah, it's just time. It just takes time and building new, beautiful, 0:15:17.770 --> 0:15:18.730 positive memories. 0:15:19.530 --> 0:15:23.570 We always end love stories with the question what qualities 0:15:23.730 --> 0:15:26.610 do you hold most dear about love now? And what's 0:15:26.650 --> 0:15:27.970 that for you, Annalise. 0:15:27.810 --> 0:15:29.250 To feel safe with love. 0:15:29.650 --> 0:15:33.770 It's light and it's joy, and there's a doctor Sue saying, 0:15:33.890 --> 0:15:34.530 which I love. 0:15:35.290 --> 0:15:36.810 We're all a little weird. 0:15:36.730 --> 0:15:39.250 And life's a little weird and when we find someone 0:15:39.290 --> 0:15:42.130 whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with 0:15:42.210 --> 0:15:44.410 them and fall in mutual weirdness and. 0:15:44.450 --> 0:15:47.370 Call it love. I love mutual weirdness. 0:15:47.450 --> 0:15:48.370 Mutual weirdness. 0:15:48.610 --> 0:15:50.530 That's our whole office, isn't it It is? That's why 0:15:50.530 --> 0:15:52.530 I love coming to work every day. We're all just 0:15:52.570 --> 0:15:53.170 being weird. 0:15:53.570 --> 0:15:55.570 Oh, Annalise, Thank you so much for sharing your little 0:15:55.650 --> 0:15:59.170 love story and having this conversation today. Annalise is very 0:15:59.170 --> 0:16:01.450 clever and you can hear her on this glorious mess 0:16:01.490 --> 0:16:04.010 every week, and her full little love story essay will 0:16:04.010 --> 0:16:05.650 be dropped in our episode show notes. 0:16:05.690 --> 0:16:08.210 Thank you so much, Thank you for having me, Gracey Grace. 0:16:09.010 --> 0:16:10.530 If you have a story you'd like to share with us, 0:16:10.570 --> 0:16:12.570 we'd love to hear it. We're always on the lookout 0:16:12.570 --> 0:16:15.610 for great stories and new perspectives. To submit your story, 0:16:15.650 --> 0:16:17.530 you can leave us a voice note or email us. 0:16:17.650 --> 0:16:32.090 All the details will be in our show notes. If 0:16:32.130 --> 0:16:34.530 you loved this podcast, you can listen to more of 0:16:34.570 --> 0:16:37.370 this glorious mess. There's a link in the show notes.