This Is The Family I've Been Looking For
One month into launching our podcast, we couldn't be more grateful for all of the connections we've made with other Refamulators :)
Thank you for an incredible launch!
It’s hard to capture in words what it feels like to give birth… to a podcast. When I first conceived of the idea for this show back in summer 2022, I was embarking on a new journey as a known egg donor and feeling both utterly excited and deeply lonely. I was single, childless, and watching most of my friends and acquaintances start families of their own. Comparatively I seemed to be drifting farther and farther away from the familiar.
I created this podcast as a way to connect with other adults who also find themselves questioning convention as they step into the unknown. I wanted to share my own experience and invite other people to share theirs, too, so I could feel less alone as I catapulted myself into uncharted territory without road maps and role models. My deepest hope was to somehow create a space of togetherness, where others could join me in feeling more connected and inspired.
It’s been exactly one month since Refamulating was born and my heart is fuller than I could have imagined. First and foremost because it takes a team to make dreams come true, and I couldn’t ask for a more aligned and talented partner than producer Claire McInerny. We’re so grateful for our generous network, Feelings & Co, our amazing editor, Josh Gilbert, and our fabulous engagement manager, Grace Barry.
And the stories we’re telling are striking a deep chord. Messages of resonance and encouragement are coming towards us from every direction. As I write this, I just received a text that says, “Your podcast is changing my life. I’m so grateful you’ve offered this to the world!”
Thank you to everyone out there who’s joining us on this journey, and thank you to all the brave, beautiful people who might feel a little lonely and uncertain as you step into a future that only you can live, and a family that only you can create.
I feel you, and I’m with you.
Love,
Julia
Welcome, Refamulators 🤩
Someone on Instagram used the word “refamulator” to describe themselves, and we think it’s the perfect word for everyone in this community :)
Getting to chat with so many people who resonate with the concept of refamulating has been the BEST part of launching the show. We’re currently taking a month long break to produce five new episodes about YOUR families. If you want to share your family’s story with us, send us an email at hello@refamulating.com.
We also want to hear from you about what refamulating topics you want to hear on the podcast. Are you quietly considering polyamory? Do you only hear negative stories about divorce? Whatever it is, let us know!
The Link Round Up
Every month we’re going to share what books, movies, podcasts and articles we’re consuming. Feel free to share your own recommendations with us too!
Book Rec:
Inconceivable, a new memoir by Alexandra Collier, tells the story of Ally’s journey to single motherhood. After a break up in her late 30s (because he didn’t want kids), Ally had to grapple with her deep desire to have kids: should she wait out the biological clock waiting for love or try and have a baby on her own? This memoir is filled with emotional honesty about the struggles and insecurities about finding her way to motherhood, and will make any woman who has felt the pressure of having a baby “in time” feel seen. -Claire
This book comes out June 18 and is available for pre-order now.
Refamulating News:
In April, Michigan legalized surrogacy and ditched it criminal ban on the practice.
The New York Times interviewed the members of this 20 person polycule (a group of polyamorous folks). If you read that and thought, “how do 20 people function in a relationship?” smash that link.
NPR did a deep dive into the ‘science of siblings’. One story in the series we loved was how these two academic colleagues became “sisters” through an ancient practice in the Syriac Orthodox Church.
Refamulating at the movies:
Housekeeping For Beginners is a new film from Macedonian director Goran Stolevski. It follows the story of a blended family coming together, and is playing in select theaters around the U.S.
I love this and I’m so grateful to know you and Claire and witness this beautiful journey! 🧡🧡