EP054: It’s ok to be happier than your unhappiest child: Barb Klein on love and joy in the face of addiction
Today’s guest is a mama who’s learned through searing personal experience that despite what we might expect, it IS possible to be happier than our unhappiest child. Barb Klein is a mama to two young men, an entrepreneur and a happily married woman whose family life took a huge turn a decade ago when addiction altered their realities forever. Each member of the family has since been learning how to navigate the waters of addiction and the destruction it causes.
Over that decade, Barb has found ways to love herself no matter what, and she credits her own journey to self-care and self-love as being the reason she stands so strong today. In this week’s episode Barb shares candidly about releasing her expectations around what it means to be “a good mother,” finding her way back to joy despite the hell her son is still living, and how making space and time for her marriage has kept her partnership solid through it all.
Barb’s reflection that we must respect each soul’s journey through good and bad is an invitation to us all to think about how and when we support each other. Barb’s wish that all families of addicted people receive the same support as families of cancer patients went straight to my heart. If you know anyone who is struggling with addiction, or who’s supporting an addicted family member or friend, please reach out. Addiction is not contagious, and people who are watching a loved one suffer can often feel terribly isolated and afraid.
We’re all walking each other home. Listening to this week’s podcast episode will perhaps give us all the chance to open our hearts a little wider to some of the most difficult situations in life and lead with love.
Barb shared many resources during our conversation. You can access all of the information we discussed by clicking here to get the full details.
In the meantime, I’d love to continue the conversation about today’s podcast over on the MamaFuel Virtual Village free Facebook group. Click here to join us and share your experience with living your full, happy life no matter what.
Outrageous openness, Tosha Silver: send LOVE, not worry, to people you love. https://www.amazon.com/Outrageous-Openness-Letting-Divine-Take/dp/1476793484
Cultivating a heart that can hold it all: Tara Brach
https://www.tarabrach.com/compassion-others-self/
Brené Brown on boundaries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U3VcgUzqiI
Barb’s blog post about her family’s experience: https://www.inspiredpossibility.com/blog
Rick Lavoie, supporting parents of children with a disability: https://www.ricklavoie.com
Brandi Carlisle: song called The Eye https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl_eNu4NUVI
To find Barb’s book, 111 Invitations, click here: https://www.amazon.com/111-Invitations-Barb-Klein/dp/1504355261
Connect to Barb through her web site here: https://www.inspiredpossibility.com/about.html
Or follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/inspiredpossibility/
We need to have more brave, honest conversations about the challenges, surprises, frustrations, pains and celebrations of life as women and as mothers. We need to talk about it all without shame, blame or guilt. So we all know we’re normal. That our struggles aren’t ours alone. That we’re seen and held. That’s why I created MamaFuel: The Podcast — to make sure there’s no mama left behind.
If you love listening to MamaFuel: The Podcast, THANK YOU, BEAUTIFUL!! It makes me so happy to know that the conversations I share are reaching your precious ears.
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