WEBVTT - Checking In w/ Your Thanksgiving 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:03.320 Welcome to Checking In with Michelle Williams, a production of 0:00:03.360 --> 0:00:14.600 iHeartRadio and The Black Effect. I don't know about you, 0:00:14.680 --> 0:00:18.440 but I am so excited to talk to you about 0:00:19.200 --> 0:00:23.239 my first vacation in over a year. And I'm a 0:00:23.280 --> 0:00:25.880 little nosy about what your plans are for the holidays 0:00:25.880 --> 0:00:27.400 and what your expectations are. 0:00:28.000 --> 0:00:30.160 What are you afraid of? Well, what are you excited about? 0:00:30.640 --> 0:00:35.360 So stay tuned for another cool episode of Checking In 0:00:35.400 --> 0:00:42.839 with Michelle Williams. Hey, everybody, welcome to another episode of 0:00:43.360 --> 0:00:48.320 Checking In with Me with Michelle Williams. I feel like 0:00:48.479 --> 0:00:53.519 every time I do a solo episode, I'm just calling 0:00:53.640 --> 0:00:58.480 family on the phone to say what's up, to see 0:00:58.480 --> 0:01:01.240 what y'all have been up to, and to tell you 0:01:01.320 --> 0:01:02.360 what I've been up to. 0:01:06.160 --> 0:01:06.920 I'm excited. 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:16.040 This week we're celebrating Thanksgiving again. Okay, some of you 0:01:16.080 --> 0:01:21.960 guys already know how I feel about certain dishes. We're 0:01:22.000 --> 0:01:28.800 gonna go ahead and get right to it. Okay, No, Well, 0:01:28.840 --> 0:01:33.640 first of all, I'm gonna tell y'all last week, for 0:01:33.840 --> 0:01:42.920 a full week, I was on vacation. Can you believe 0:01:42.920 --> 0:01:49.960 that your girl was on vacation for a full week? 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:54.560 A week of shows which is eight shows. I was 0:01:54.640 --> 0:02:00.560 not in death becomes Her last week for vacation, not 0:02:00.800 --> 0:02:07.080 because I was under the weather or a previous contractual 0:02:07.800 --> 0:02:12.160 event that I get to be out every now and then. 0:02:13.880 --> 0:02:16.840 Like this weekend, I won't be in death becomes Her 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:20.400 because I'll be in Washington, d C. Doing the Christmas 0:02:20.400 --> 0:02:24.160 tree lighting at City Center. Very excited about that. But 0:02:24.560 --> 0:02:31.920 I was chilling you hear me a very very very 0:02:32.440 --> 0:02:40.880 relaxed vacation. I got back Sunday night because we had 0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:43.960 a show yesterday, which is kind of not normal. 0:02:44.160 --> 0:02:45.760 We normally have Mondays. 0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:51.480 Off, but because of the holiday week, honey, honey, these 0:02:51.520 --> 0:02:54.960 Broadway shows saying we getting our coins, We're gonna get 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:57.120 y'all my e Yes, you can be off of Thanksgiving, 0:02:57.200 --> 0:03:01.880 but bring your tales in on my So that's what 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:04.720 we did. So that's why y'all didn't hear from me. 0:03:04.960 --> 0:03:09.280 You guys heard from doctor Robert Singleton again, which was 0:03:09.320 --> 0:03:14.480 a previously recorded episode, and he is so awesome, so knowledgeable, 0:03:16.560 --> 0:03:20.119 just his journey, his faith journey, his journey into being 0:03:20.160 --> 0:03:28.400 a doctor. His story is incredible. So yeah, I was 0:03:30.040 --> 0:03:32.520 thinking to myself and I couldn't wait to tell you guys, 0:03:32.600 --> 0:03:43.840 that it's okay to make decisions for yourself. I am 0:03:44.040 --> 0:03:55.160 still kind of I'm healing from people pleasing and sometimes 0:03:55.600 --> 0:03:58.560 when you make a decision for yourself, people be shocked, 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:02.960 Like what it's like They're thinking, what, you have the 0:04:03.000 --> 0:04:07.920 audacity to want to do something for yourself that doesn't 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:09.240 include us? 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:09.920 What? 0:04:11.280 --> 0:04:15.600 Yes, y'all, I'm y'all. Some of y'all, y'all are with me, 0:04:15.880 --> 0:04:19.400 some of y'all are married with children. You've worked your 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:23.920 butts off for your career or just whatever it is. 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:27.880 And I was like, yo' I'm a proud forty six 0:04:27.960 --> 0:04:30.320 year old woman who works hard, who has not had 0:04:30.400 --> 0:04:36.200 an official vacation on a year, Like, I'm so used 0:04:36.240 --> 0:04:38.599 to being able to be to just up and go 0:04:38.760 --> 0:04:40.000 wherever when I please. 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:40.960 Now. 0:04:41.000 --> 0:04:43.760 Have I had some days off this year, yes, but 0:04:43.800 --> 0:04:47.200 my first time like a whole week off where I 0:04:47.279 --> 0:04:51.800 wasn't sick or something. Man, this was absolutely incredible. 0:04:53.920 --> 0:04:54.760 But I was. 0:04:56.520 --> 0:04:59.479 I was excited that I was like, Y'all'm gonna go 0:04:59.520 --> 0:05:02.520 where I want to go, you know what I mean? 0:05:03.640 --> 0:05:09.159 The only thing that sucked was that I was not 0:05:09.360 --> 0:05:19.559 here in New York while Kelly was here kicking button 0:05:19.640 --> 0:05:27.520 taking names, on stage while on tour, and you know, 0:05:27.839 --> 0:05:28.200 I was. 0:05:28.320 --> 0:05:29.960 I told her, I've been trying. 0:05:29.720 --> 0:05:32.240 Not to look at pictures and all the things, but 0:05:32.680 --> 0:05:36.120 while I'm scrolling Instagram, I'm seeing her posts. 0:05:36.839 --> 0:05:37.520 You know, I'm. 0:05:37.320 --> 0:05:39.960 Seeing B posts, and I'm like, I was, I don't 0:05:39.960 --> 0:05:41.720 want to look at her staging. I don't want to 0:05:41.760 --> 0:05:44.400 look at what she's wearing because I want to be surprised. 0:05:44.440 --> 0:05:46.000 It's the same thing when B is on tour. I 0:05:46.040 --> 0:05:49.920 don't I try not to. I try my best, or 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:53.400 I'll scroll really quickly past like a video or something 0:05:53.440 --> 0:05:57.880 that someone has posted, but it's so hard. So that 0:05:57.960 --> 0:06:00.760 was the only thing that sucked about me choosing to 0:06:00.839 --> 0:06:04.200 be out of New York City. And when I planned 0:06:04.240 --> 0:06:08.400 my vacation, I didn't even I didn't it was. 0:06:08.600 --> 0:06:09.360 It was perfect. 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:11.279 But then at the same time, it was just so 0:06:11.400 --> 0:06:14.120 weird because I was like, I didn't realize it until 0:06:14.200 --> 0:06:18.880 my trip was booked that she was going to be here. 0:06:21.279 --> 0:06:26.000 But guess what, that just gives me an excuse to 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:31.919 go catch her in another city. But I loved my 0:06:32.000 --> 0:06:35.880 sister and she encouraged me to go on vacation. She 0:06:36.000 --> 0:06:39.400 actually said, you deserve it. So I'm glad to have 0:06:39.560 --> 0:06:44.279 understanding family and friends, but it was still difficult. 0:06:44.520 --> 0:06:46.239 It was still difficult because a part. 0:06:46.040 --> 0:06:49.719 Of me it was like, well, let me postpone my break, 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:52.240 my vacation, or let me just stay in New York 0:06:52.279 --> 0:06:54.159 a couple extra days and then I'll go away and 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:56.359 then I'll come back, you know. So it was it 0:06:56.400 --> 0:07:05.400 was very difficult to make the decision to go away, 0:07:05.480 --> 0:07:08.000 you know. And I was talking to other family who 0:07:08.120 --> 0:07:10.760 was who wanted me to go to where they are, 0:07:10.800 --> 0:07:15.440 and I was like, no, I want to go to 0:07:15.480 --> 0:07:18.680 where I want to be this time. So it's just 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:21.880 encouraging people. You have to weigh certain things like how 0:07:21.920 --> 0:07:26.040 hard you've been working and how much you have shown 0:07:26.160 --> 0:07:33.160 up for other people throughout the year, throughout the years, 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:35.920 and just kind of say, you know what, I'm gonna 0:07:35.920 --> 0:07:41.000 take this time for me. I didn't do anything like adventurous. 0:07:41.040 --> 0:07:45.680 I didn't do a vacation that required ziplining and all 0:07:45.760 --> 0:07:48.280 the things. I just really wanted to. 0:07:49.720 --> 0:07:50.080 Rest. 0:07:51.160 --> 0:07:55.720 And I've done what too shows and I feel rejuvenated. 0:07:55.800 --> 0:07:57.000 I just feel. 0:07:58.640 --> 0:08:06.560 Re igniting viola because I could tell I was getting tired. 0:08:06.880 --> 0:08:10.760 My bones, my body was just like oh, but I 0:08:10.800 --> 0:08:14.280 finished strong even the week the week leading up to 0:08:14.320 --> 0:08:17.640 my vacation, I did all eight shows. I finished strong, 0:08:17.880 --> 0:08:22.320 but there were times my body was like girl. But 0:08:24.280 --> 0:08:27.640 being in a shows, it's you're on a team, and 0:08:27.720 --> 0:08:30.040 there are lots of times I also think of others 0:08:30.080 --> 0:08:33.520 while I'm on the team. You know, my absence could 0:08:33.520 --> 0:08:37.280 affect the way things go, or the lady who dresses 0:08:37.320 --> 0:08:42.320 me has to go prepare for the understudy, and I 0:08:42.360 --> 0:08:46.600 think of all those things. So but at the same time, 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:51.520 it gives the understudy a chance to perform. I have 0:08:51.600 --> 0:08:56.439 two understudies and they both got to rock the stage. 0:08:57.160 --> 0:09:00.480 Family and friends came to see them, and so it's like, yo, 0:09:01.320 --> 0:09:03.600 you know again, you guys have heard me say, you know, 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:06.960 we have understudies for a reason, and so I'm so 0:09:07.040 --> 0:09:12.640 glad that they got to to rock the stage as 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:21.520 they surely you know, deserve that moment. Okay, So I just, 0:09:22.520 --> 0:09:25.840 you know, had so many thoughts. My friend Tara Jenkins 0:09:25.840 --> 0:09:28.079 had to speak somewhere and I was able to accompany 0:09:28.120 --> 0:09:33.839 her there, and it was just I was glad because 0:09:33.840 --> 0:09:35.760 I knew that I made the right choice, and it 0:09:35.840 --> 0:09:38.080 was a room that I didn't realize that I probably 0:09:38.120 --> 0:09:42.840 needed to be in. I let me see, let me 0:09:42.840 --> 0:09:47.000 see if I can find a message that I sent someone. 0:09:48.080 --> 0:09:50.440 Maybe I verbalized it to them. But I was like, 0:09:50.520 --> 0:09:55.880 I was so so happy because I said, it felt 0:09:55.960 --> 0:10:00.080 like I was outside. I said, I'm just excited to 0:10:00.120 --> 0:10:04.040 be outside because I don't allow myself this while and 0:10:04.679 --> 0:10:07.320 while I'm in New York City, and I didn't realize 0:10:07.360 --> 0:10:10.240 how much I needed, you know, this vacation. And so 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:13.480 while I am here in New York City, I'm going 0:10:13.520 --> 0:10:17.360 to do better. I'm gonna take myself out to the 0:10:17.400 --> 0:10:22.840 movies more often. I went to see Wicked. Okay, so 0:10:22.960 --> 0:10:26.000 I'm telling y'all things. You're probably like, girl, you doing 0:10:26.760 --> 0:10:28.360 you we been went to the movies. 0:10:28.440 --> 0:10:29.840 We we been. 0:10:30.760 --> 0:10:34.079 I'm like, well, because I haven't allowed myself to and 0:10:34.120 --> 0:10:41.599 it's not y'all's fault. But oh oh, Wicked for Good. 0:10:41.600 --> 0:10:43.040 Was so good. 0:10:44.679 --> 0:10:46.920 It was so good and I was trying to hold 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:49.160 back tears. I was trying to hold onto my gangster. 0:10:51.280 --> 0:10:58.839 But oh that singing that they oh mm, it was amazing. 0:10:59.160 --> 0:11:05.080 Oh it was beautiful. I love some singing, and I 0:11:05.120 --> 0:11:10.920 love how Cynthia were saying, you know, uh and Ariana 0:11:11.520 --> 0:11:22.520 that they wanted to sing live. Oh hm m m, yes, honey, yes, 0:11:23.200 --> 0:11:26.400 And even if they didn't sing live their their studio vocals, 0:11:26.400 --> 0:11:29.199 they can. They sound their studio vocals and their live 0:11:29.280 --> 0:11:32.880 vocals sound the same. So it wouldn't mattered to me 0:11:34.840 --> 0:11:41.960 because there are there are some movies musical movies, musicals 0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:44.640 that are movies, y'all know what I mean, where they 0:11:44.760 --> 0:11:49.640 pre record and they they lip sync according to the 0:11:50.000 --> 0:11:53.720 pre record. Because as I was sitting there watching them 0:11:53.720 --> 0:11:55.480 do the movie, I was like, man, I wonder how 0:11:55.480 --> 0:12:00.360 many takes of this did they do? Or maybe they 0:12:00.360 --> 0:12:02.480 were so perfect they only had to do one take 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:05.840 of each scene. I don't know, but my concern was vocally, 0:12:06.520 --> 0:12:11.679 the stamina of doing something repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly. 0:12:13.120 --> 0:12:16.880 But Cynthia is a theater girl, and so she's used 0:12:16.920 --> 0:12:20.400 to eight shows a week. She's used to singing songs 0:12:20.440 --> 0:12:23.880 the same thing, day after day, night after night. So 0:12:24.559 --> 0:12:26.360 I hope to interview her one day because I would 0:12:26.360 --> 0:12:31.600 love to ask her did she kind of have that 0:12:31.679 --> 0:12:36.080 mindset from her theatrical background? Did she use it for 0:12:36.200 --> 0:12:40.800 filming purposes? I'm excited to even see that Ariana is 0:12:40.840 --> 0:12:48.280 considering doing theater, just beautifully beautiful voices, it said. It 0:12:48.600 --> 0:12:56.360 made me want to get into intense vocal lessons. I 0:12:56.480 --> 0:13:00.600 say that too unashamedly, because you should always be a student. 0:13:00.640 --> 0:13:04.200 You should always be wanting to stretch things that are 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:06.320 that you do in your profession. You should always be 0:13:06.360 --> 0:13:09.360 wanting to be the best, to be better. It inspired 0:13:09.440 --> 0:13:10.679 me so much to. 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:17.600 Go after more. Oh oh, I was so inspired. 0:13:17.760 --> 0:13:19.920 Where if an audition came out way, I know that 0:13:19.960 --> 0:13:24.280 I would kill it. So I'm just so I was 0:13:24.320 --> 0:13:29.439 just so inspired to do better and to go after more. 0:13:30.360 --> 0:13:35.200 I gotta write that down. Hold on, that was good. 0:13:35.240 --> 0:13:40.000 Sometimes you gotta write your own notes down, inspired. 0:13:40.880 --> 0:13:48.160 To do better and go for more. 0:13:50.200 --> 0:13:53.280 And the person listening to this, you know what that 0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:57.120 more is. It's not necessarily going after more money or 0:13:57.160 --> 0:14:00.800 maybe you're like, yo, there's a little side hustle that 0:14:00.840 --> 0:14:03.680 I can do that will bring in more income, Because 0:14:03.920 --> 0:14:07.479 to me, that's something we should folks should be considering, 0:14:08.520 --> 0:14:10.760 you know, wanting to build your own nest egg and 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:20.000 wealth and all the things. So I am inspired. Oh yeah, 0:14:20.040 --> 0:14:26.600 I'm inspired to do better, go for more. Yes, I'm 0:14:26.640 --> 0:14:31.440 just writing that down. I'll never forget when Janelle Money 0:14:31.520 --> 0:14:34.400 disappeared for a little bit. She disappeared because she was 0:14:34.720 --> 0:14:38.920 doing acting classes, and we can see the. 0:14:38.880 --> 0:14:39.520 Fruit of that. 0:14:40.120 --> 0:14:49.240 Right, So I'm inspired. I'm inspired. Yeah so yeah, wicked 0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:54.960 all the things, ate good, all the things, and flew 0:14:55.000 --> 0:14:59.120 back to New York, did theater, came back to death 0:14:59.120 --> 0:15:06.720 becomes her And now it's Thanksgiving, but you're cooking? Huh? 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:07.640 What are you cooking? 0:15:08.800 --> 0:15:13.320 Now? I have three invitations that have been bestowed upon 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:18.080 me for Thanksgiving Day. A part of me wants to 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:21.480 stay home because the next day we have two shows, 0:15:21.760 --> 0:15:30.800 O God and yeah, so your girl might stay home. 0:15:31.440 --> 0:15:33.680 I got groceries today because I'm thinking of doing some 0:15:33.760 --> 0:15:37.600 greens and some sweet potatoes, okay, and a little macaroni 0:15:37.600 --> 0:15:41.040 and cheese. I don't know what meat I'm going to 0:15:41.200 --> 0:15:43.480 do yet. So a part of me is thinking just 0:15:43.480 --> 0:15:46.280 to do my own Thanksgiving with myself. But a part 0:15:46.280 --> 0:15:49.240 of me thinks I should go to one place I 0:15:49.280 --> 0:15:49.960 was invited to. 0:15:50.920 --> 0:15:52.600 We'll see. 0:15:53.080 --> 0:15:55.680 Sometimes you just be wanting to be home, and I 0:15:55.720 --> 0:15:57.920 want to encourage some of y'all out there. How many 0:15:57.960 --> 0:16:01.600 of y'all are like, ough, I gotta go to AIN'TI? 0:16:01.760 --> 0:16:05.840 So and So's house. Ugh, I gotta go to my 0:16:06.000 --> 0:16:08.640 mother in law's house or my father in law. Ough, 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:12.200 I gotta go to my sister's house and we don't 0:16:12.240 --> 0:16:15.680 be getting along. Or I gotta go to so and 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:18.800 So's house. I hate the way they do they macaroni 0:16:18.880 --> 0:16:22.560 and cheese. Ooh, I hate the way ain't Sue does 0:16:22.640 --> 0:16:28.000 her green bean casseroom ooh but I or I hate 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:31.160 the way so and so it's always in my business. 0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:35.080 Ooh, I hate the way so and. 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:39.000 So just just they ain't took a shower and they 0:16:39.000 --> 0:16:41.240 want to sit in next to me and be all 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:44.000 hugging on me, wanting to catch up, and I be like, 0:16:44.000 --> 0:16:47.280 you need to catch up with a bar of soap. 0:16:48.440 --> 0:16:54.400 I've given you all the variables, or there are variables like, man, 0:16:54.440 --> 0:16:56.560 I can't wait to go to my grandmother's house. Oh, 0:16:57.000 --> 0:16:59.760 I can't wait for her homemade rolls. I can't wait 0:16:59.800 --> 0:17:06.240 for that cranberry sauce out the can. I'm a cranberry 0:17:06.280 --> 0:17:08.800 sauce off the can girl too. There are some people 0:17:08.840 --> 0:17:13.199 that are like yo, Uncle Al, and they get busy 0:17:13.280 --> 0:17:19.880 on the occasion. Turkeys okay, Uncle Donnie, and a dude 0:17:19.920 --> 0:17:27.040 that smoked ham You waiting because, honey, miss Martha's candy dams, 0:17:28.240 --> 0:17:31.439 and she don't put marshmallows on top. They gonna be 0:17:31.480 --> 0:17:35.439 so good. You gonna be like cousin Cardia's macaroni and cheese, 0:17:35.480 --> 0:17:38.199 even though I don't like that she puts egg in 0:17:38.280 --> 0:17:41.359 the macaroni and cheese. Yes, y'all, go to Cardia Brown's 0:17:41.400 --> 0:17:47.159 page right now. She puts a egg in her macaroni 0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:50.640 and cheese. But why do I low key think it's 0:17:50.760 --> 0:17:54.040 the bomb? So I'm not gonna hate Cardia. I can't 0:17:54.040 --> 0:17:58.320 wait for you to come on checking in or y'all 0:17:58.520 --> 0:18:05.200 just like Ooh, I can't wait because you know your 0:18:05.240 --> 0:18:08.800 girlfriend or your boyfriend, Honey, they do an amazing pound 0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:13.640 k honey, and so and so does homemade vanilla ice cream. 0:18:14.160 --> 0:18:14.680 You can't go. 0:18:15.080 --> 0:18:17.040 You can't wait to go to your mom's house or 0:18:17.040 --> 0:18:20.399 your dad's house because they house be smelling good. They 0:18:20.480 --> 0:18:24.600 be burning them bougie candles. You can't wait to see 0:18:24.640 --> 0:18:27.640 your cousin that just got out of jail. 0:18:27.960 --> 0:18:28.919 Oh, all the. 0:18:29.119 --> 0:18:39.000 Things or the third thing. This time of year brings sadness. 0:18:40.359 --> 0:18:44.720 You're grieving the loss of being able to go to 0:18:44.760 --> 0:18:47.439 Grandma's house because she's not here anymore, and she was 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:51.080 the glue of the family. You're missing your mom, you're 0:18:51.080 --> 0:18:53.959 missing your dad, or your best friend passed away, or 0:18:54.600 --> 0:18:57.960 things are just different financially. You're not able to ball 0:18:58.040 --> 0:19:01.480 out for the holidays and like you used to. So 0:19:02.400 --> 0:19:05.200 maybe you're just gonna go to a whatever fast food 0:19:05.240 --> 0:19:07.880 restaurant decided to be open on Thanksgiving. 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:11.240 I see all of you. 0:19:13.640 --> 0:19:20.760 And whatever dynamic you fell in of what I was describing, 0:19:22.720 --> 0:19:30.840 I see you. And you know, this is the season 0:19:30.880 --> 0:19:34.440 that a lot of people spiral, you know, because they 0:19:34.480 --> 0:19:38.520 are grieving a loss, or you're you're excited. You got 0:19:38.520 --> 0:19:40.720 a second chance at life, you got a second chance 0:19:40.760 --> 0:19:44.520 at family. Maybe a relationship with is restored, and y'all 0:19:44.520 --> 0:19:49.240 are gonna use the holidays to, you know, reconnect. 0:19:48.640 --> 0:19:50.159 And start over again. 0:19:52.200 --> 0:19:56.800 All of it is beautiful. Or maybe you've set a 0:19:56.840 --> 0:20:04.359 boundary and you're not going anywhere. That's beautiful too, as 0:20:04.600 --> 0:20:12.239 long as you're not isolating in an unhealthy way. And 0:20:12.280 --> 0:20:14.119 I just say that because I know what it's like 0:20:14.160 --> 0:20:21.919 to isolate but longing for connection. So that's that's hard 0:20:22.720 --> 0:20:24.840 around the holidays, where you don't want to be bothered, 0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:26.520 but you want connection, or you just don't want to 0:20:26.520 --> 0:20:29.159 be bothered at all and people don't hear you and 0:20:29.200 --> 0:20:33.080 they won't accept it. I posted something the other day 0:20:33.080 --> 0:20:36.600 on my threads that said, hey, they're not acting funny, 0:20:36.640 --> 0:20:42.359 it's just none of your business. Maybe they're waiting for 0:20:42.440 --> 0:20:47.240 a safe place to share what they're feeling, you know, 0:20:49.600 --> 0:20:52.520 and sometimes the holidays, you're kind of you might be 0:20:52.640 --> 0:20:56.920 feeling forced to uh to talk about things you don't 0:20:56.960 --> 0:21:03.520 want to talk about. So, yeah, I want you to 0:21:03.560 --> 0:21:11.600 know I I see you. I mentioned Cardia Brown and 0:21:11.840 --> 0:21:13.800 I'm writing it down like I've got to get her 0:21:13.840 --> 0:21:22.200 on the podcast. I'm excited too. I love food. Yeah, 0:21:22.480 --> 0:21:27.080 so just just know that. I know the holiday season 0:21:27.160 --> 0:21:32.000 brings around among it brings a lot of things. But 0:21:32.119 --> 0:21:35.359 what my hope for this current holiday season is that 0:21:36.760 --> 0:21:40.879 I don't know, I want to go back to excitement 0:21:41.359 --> 0:21:48.520 and community and closeness, not about things, but. 0:21:48.600 --> 0:21:49.800 Just about each other. 0:21:53.160 --> 0:21:57.280 That's that's what I want to get to, especially when 0:21:57.320 --> 0:22:02.760 Christmas rolls around, you know, not worried about I gotta 0:22:02.800 --> 0:22:07.399 get so and so this cop that they want. I 0:22:07.480 --> 0:22:14.920 actually adopted a family for Christmas. It's a six six 0:22:14.960 --> 0:22:19.160 people in a family, and so It's definitely about giving 0:22:19.280 --> 0:22:23.800 in that sense, but I don't want to feel the pressure. 0:22:23.960 --> 0:22:26.840 I got to make sure so and so gets this 0:22:27.080 --> 0:22:30.679 or whatever this child. How many of us feel like 0:22:30.760 --> 0:22:32.359 y'all been Santa Claus all year? 0:22:33.440 --> 0:22:35.720 Okay? I say that all the time. 0:22:35.760 --> 0:22:38.199 I say that every year around Christmas, like I know 0:22:38.359 --> 0:22:47.320 nobody got they uh rusty eyes looking over here. Okay. 0:22:47.680 --> 0:22:52.359 But Thanksgiving, I'm excited to see what you all have 0:22:52.640 --> 0:22:54.760 on the menu, and I hope that you all are 0:22:54.840 --> 0:22:58.840 bye bye applies. You know he does, He did his 0:22:58.920 --> 0:23:01.280 Thanksgiving instructions. I hope he does it this year, or 0:23:01.320 --> 0:23:05.760 maybe he'll just repost it, you know, when he tells 0:23:05.800 --> 0:23:09.920 you all win Thanksgiving leftovers, the day that they're at 0:23:09.960 --> 0:23:14.520 their best, the day that all right, the day that 0:23:14.600 --> 0:23:18.040 all right, you pushing it? So all right, you finna 0:23:18.080 --> 0:23:24.160 get worms? All right, call the pallbearers because you're finna die. 0:23:24.200 --> 0:23:32.399 So I watch that every single year. It brings me 0:23:32.560 --> 0:23:36.879 joy and just really wanting y'all to just really, really, 0:23:36.920 --> 0:23:43.280 really really have an amazing Thanksgiving. Let me know in 0:23:43.280 --> 0:23:47.880 my DMS or when we do a post about this episode, 0:23:49.200 --> 0:23:53.880 let me know what what you're cooking, Let me know 0:23:54.000 --> 0:23:58.040 what didn't go right, whether it's what you cooked or 0:23:58.080 --> 0:24:02.959 a family interaction. Let me know what surprised you the most. 0:24:03.080 --> 0:24:08.200 Let me know, like, girl, my chicken came out better 0:24:08.200 --> 0:24:08.800 than I thought. 0:24:08.920 --> 0:24:13.480 Or girl, me and my sister we got along, it 0:24:13.720 --> 0:24:18.080 shocked the whole family. Or honey, me and my husband 0:24:18.119 --> 0:24:22.000 actually got along this year, or me and my in laws. 0:24:22.080 --> 0:24:25.840 Honey, everybody respected each other. I want to know all 0:24:25.880 --> 0:24:26.280 the tea. 0:24:27.520 --> 0:24:33.760 Okay, let me know. I'm so excited. Let me know and. 0:24:36.000 --> 0:24:41.159 Who let me know, and I'll keep y'all posted. 0:24:42.359 --> 0:24:48.320 Because I'm excited about City Center in Washington, d C. 0:24:48.600 --> 0:24:59.560 Christmas tree lighting, of doing some Christmas songs, and I'm 0:24:59.600 --> 0:25:03.439 excited to sing songs that I've never done. And so 0:25:03.520 --> 0:25:07.080 I'm like, is this inspiring like a Christmas record or 0:25:07.800 --> 0:25:11.160 some sort. So well, let me not say that because 0:25:11.160 --> 0:25:13.280 I don't want to hype two. 0:25:13.240 --> 0:25:19.600 People up about new music. So we'll see. 0:25:19.800 --> 0:25:23.879 I'm really excited to even hang out with some friends 0:25:23.880 --> 0:25:26.920 and family in the DC area this weekend. I won't 0:25:26.920 --> 0:25:29.040 be there long, though, because I glad to be back 0:25:29.080 --> 0:25:33.120 in New York City on Sunday for death becomes Her. 0:25:33.440 --> 0:25:35.399 I know y'all can't believe it, but yes, I am 0:25:35.440 --> 0:25:39.120 still committed to Death Becomes Her. I don't know when 0:25:39.160 --> 0:25:42.440 I'm leaving, so people that have been asking, I don't 0:25:42.440 --> 0:25:45.679 know when I'm leaving, and I'm glad about that because 0:25:45.680 --> 0:25:50.600 no one's forcing me out. So it's pretty much it's 0:25:50.600 --> 0:25:54.960 a blessing. Actually it's a blessing. And I do think 0:25:55.000 --> 0:25:57.919 about what my exit time and what that's going to be, 0:25:57.920 --> 0:26:01.320 because I'm like, I want to live life, life, you know, 0:26:01.600 --> 0:26:07.320 outside of theater. But at the same time, I feel 0:26:07.640 --> 0:26:12.159 so blessed. I feel so loved, and I think twenty 0:26:12.160 --> 0:26:16.680 twenty six, I'll feel better about branching out and doing 0:26:16.720 --> 0:26:21.399 other things because Viola is in me. When I say Viola, 0:26:21.440 --> 0:26:23.960 I mean the role that I play in the musical 0:26:24.200 --> 0:26:27.000 Death Becomes Her. I feel like she's in me. Even 0:26:27.040 --> 0:26:28.880 me being gone for a week, I was like, oh 0:26:28.920 --> 0:26:33.120 my gosh, I have friends making sure, like make sure 0:26:33.160 --> 0:26:35.040 you do your lines while you're away. Did you do 0:26:35.080 --> 0:26:36.000 your monologue today? 0:26:36.040 --> 0:26:37.080 And I was like, oh my gosh. 0:26:37.240 --> 0:26:41.000 I found myself every now and then doing the monologue 0:26:41.080 --> 0:26:44.040 or making sure I didn't forget lyrics, and I didn't 0:26:44.040 --> 0:26:47.080 forget I've been doing this show a year and a half, 0:26:47.320 --> 0:26:53.439 it's in me. I'm good, so I I guess you know, 0:26:53.480 --> 0:26:55.560 when people ask me, you know, hey, what can we 0:26:55.600 --> 0:26:58.679 be praying with you about? Yeah, I just wanted my 0:26:58.760 --> 0:27:03.520 steps to continue to be ordered and hopefully twenty twenty 0:27:03.560 --> 0:27:09.040 six continue to even when people say, be fearless. My 0:27:09.200 --> 0:27:11.600 friend Valrie Burton, who I can't wait for her to 0:27:11.600 --> 0:27:15.280 be on the podcast, wrote a book called on Rules 0:27:15.400 --> 0:27:20.359 of Resilience and Even and I was like, man, I 0:27:20.440 --> 0:27:24.760 even wrote a song called being Fearless, and she said, Yo, 0:27:24.920 --> 0:27:28.359 that's not true. You're gonna be afraid. You're gonna be 0:27:28.400 --> 0:27:31.720 afraid to try new things. You're gonna be afraid to 0:27:32.320 --> 0:27:36.359 even step out on faith because you don't know what 0:27:37.040 --> 0:27:39.879 things look like. On the other side, you're not ready 0:27:39.920 --> 0:27:44.400 to embrace the difficulty of doing something new, stepping out 0:27:44.400 --> 0:27:48.040 from your comfort zone, going into another uncomfortable zone. Right, 0:27:48.320 --> 0:27:51.960 But that uncomfortable zone soon becomes comfortable. 0:27:53.040 --> 0:27:55.440 Building this musical. 0:27:55.320 --> 0:27:59.320 Was uncomfortable at times because it stretched all of us 0:27:59.359 --> 0:28:04.280 sleepless nights, tired. It just it just made you uncomfortable 0:28:04.440 --> 0:28:12.159 at times. Now everybody's like, I'm good, so yeah, I 0:28:12.520 --> 0:28:17.280 guess just pray that steps are ordered, and I will 0:28:17.320 --> 0:28:20.720 be praying for you all to have clarity for your 0:28:20.800 --> 0:28:23.720 new year. It's not too late to be it's not 0:28:23.760 --> 0:28:27.720 too early to be thinking about the new year. But 0:28:27.800 --> 0:28:31.639 I encourage you also during this holiday season to be 0:28:31.800 --> 0:28:39.520 present with your loved ones. And everything's gonna work out, 0:28:40.240 --> 0:28:44.360 all right. So I am signing out of this episode, 0:28:44.520 --> 0:28:47.080 and thank y'all so much for thinking of me and. 0:28:48.720 --> 0:28:52.360