June 2024: Refamulating is back with new episodes!
We have five new episodes coming out this month, including queer stories to celebrate Pride.
This show was written in the stars
A few weeks ago I talked to an astrologist to get a birth chart reading. It was the first time I’d talked to someone, besides the Internet and my best friend, about my birth chart and let me say, what an amazing experience!
At the beginning of the phone call she told me she was going to speak for a while, and just run through everything she saw in my chart. I shouldn’t confirm or deny anything while she was doing this. She talked for almost 45 minutes, and everything she said was completely true to my life:
Such as…I put a lot of attention and care into decorating my home. Yes.
She said I'’m a storyteller, and I love connecting with strangers and people around me. Also yes. (I was a reporter for 8 years and now write narrative non-fiction podcasts.)
Then we she got to the part of my chart that has to do with family.
She was able to tell me about my relationship with my parents. She warned me that alcoholism might run in my family (yup). And then she said something that made me chuckle to myself.
“You think about family differently. You question traditions and I could see you having a non-traditional family.”
At the end of the call, when I told her my reaction to everything she said, she also laughed when I told her about Refamulating.
“This might be the best moment I’ve had learning about someone after a reading. It’s just so perfect.”
A few days after the reading, I told Julia all about this. AND GUESS WHAT!! She had talked to a PSYCHIC that week! And that PSYCHIC told her that making Refamulating is something Julia is called to do in her life.
The fact that this project is showing up in our charts and spiritual practices isn’t surprising to either of us. We already knew that making this show feels so special. But this week it felt like we also stumbled upon something we were born to do. Maybe you were also destined to find us too :)
love,
one of your woo woo Refamulating aunties (Claire McInerny)
Season 1 resumes today!
When we started working on Season 1 more than a year ago, we interviewed people we knew or friends of friends. That’s why we planned a little break in the middle of Season 1- we wanted to connect with new people in order to tell your stories. And we have! In the last few weeks we’ve interviewed a few of you, and the rest of Season 1 will include some stories from our audience.
When we took our break we knew we wanted to be back by June, because it was so important for us to share queer family stories during Pride Month.
Queer people have always been refamulating, because “traditional” families were never gay. So much of the language and models we have for non-nuclear families come from queer families who have been paving the way by simply living their lives. Every season of Refamulating will include queer stories, and we’re excited about the ones that are coming up in this next round of episodes, which will take us all the way through Pride Month.
The episode that came out today is a funny and heartwarming story about a lesbian couple and their sperm donor creating a family together. Another queer story you will hear in a few weeks is about a single, trans man going off testosterone so he can get pregnant.
The Monthly Round Up
Every month we share books, movies, podcasts and articles we’ve found while working on this show. We think these resources may help others as you navigate your own refamulating journeys. Share your own recs with us in the comments or on Instagram!
Podcast: Calling Home
This month Julia and I met Whitney Goodman of the Calling Home podcast. Whitney’s podcast, Instagram and online community help adults who want to improve their family relationships and end generational patterns of dysfunction. Whitney’s a therapist, but she’s also an adult navigating her own family relationships, so her show is filled with tons of great advice. My favorite episodes are the ones where she takes callers’ real life problems and walks them through it. - Claire
TED Talk: Why US Laws Must Expand Beyond the Nuclear Family
This talk by lawyer and LBGTQIA advocate Diana Adams literally blew my mind and served as a major source of inspiration for the inception of this podcast. I watched it like 10 times and sent it to everyone I know who has a non-nuclear family, then went on to talk passionately for way longer than anyone asked me to about why I think it’s important. Diana Adams believes that all families, regardless of biological relationship or legal marriage, are deserving of equal legal rights and recognition. They present a vision for how US laws can benefit all families and explain how a more inclusive definition of family could strengthen your relationships and community. Refamulating fuel! - Julia
Poem: How To Be Alone
My friend sent me this poem by Pádraig Ó Tuama. It’s called How To Be Alone and I found it to be a beautiful reminder of self-love. It reminded me of times when I was single when I was too focused on finding a partner and not enough on creating a good relationship with myself. Being single is such a common and important step in Refamulating for many of us. If you find yourself in that position, I hope this poem speaks to you too :)
The poem starts with: “It all begins with knowing/ nothing lasts forever/so you might as well start packing now./In the meantime/practice being alive.”
-Claire
Substack: A True Life Built
Liz McCrocklin is a New York based writer I discovered last year when she recorded one of her essays for It’s Going To Be Okay (another show in our network at Feelings and Co.) She writes really beautiful essays about life after her divorce, dating again and creating community in midlife. So much of her writing touches on Refamulating topics, but Julia and I wanted to share this essay, about creating relationships with children when you’re a child free person. In a few weeks we are sharing an episode about being child free so this topic has been on our mind for months, and Liz’s writing always feels so soothing to me. - Claire
What an incredible post to kick off the June episodes, which I’m so so looking forward to. I would say I can’t believe it about the psychics’ reading (both of yours!) but I CAN believe it – destiny. THIS (Refamulating) is what happens when the stars align and you’re in alignment with your truth. So honored and proud to be along the journey as an inspired and moved listener.
Claire, Julia, and Grace, you are the best! You were destined for this beautiful work and you are changing lives! 🥹