Circles of Strength: Intergenerational Wisdom

Growing up amidst a matriarchal haven has shaped Eryn and Brooke in ways that extend beyond the familial—they've become embodiments of strength and resilience. Our latest podcast episode invites these two remarkable individuals to share their journey from being nurtured by a community of powerful women to becoming integral parts of our circle. Their stories, filled with gratitude for the myriad of maternal influences and an appreciation for their mothers' perseverance, weave a rich tapestry of intergenerational wisdom and the profound impact of witnessing female fortitude.

As we reminisce about the enchantment of our last retreat, the conversation takes a turn towards mystical and transformative moments. The whispers of dreams penned on the wishing tree and the reverberations of sound bowls that healed more than just the corporeal remind us of the collective spirit that danced within our midst. The upcoming gathering promises even more soul-stirring workshops—think empowering anthems and art sessions designed to weave creativity with strengthening bonds—ushering in new opportunities for reflection and growth. Join us for a heartfelt exploration of life's lessons and the enduring legacy of empowerment.

Grab a warm drink and join us- we saved a seat for you. Don't forget to stay updated with Spill the TEA by following us on Facebook at Women Gathering and Growing with TEA or on Instagram at Grow with TEA.

Transcript

Kerri: 0:00

Hi friends, welcome back to Spill the Tea. We are so super excited today to have some of our children with us, and I am going to throw it over to Jen she's going to get us started and introduce the ladies who are with us.

Jennifer: 0:28

Thank you, hi everybody. So tonight we thought that we would introduce you to two people who really were superstars at our retreat. For those of you that went to the retreat last fall, you might remember Aaron and Brooke. They were our go to for just about everything. Go to for just about everything and anything when we were feeling frantic or when we needed to just have a hug. So it's kind of how life has been, and so we thought today we would bring them on and you would literally get a peek into growing with tea, because these guys have basically had a whole handful of moms for most, most or all of their lives. So we're going to start by just talking to them about what they felt that experience was like, and then we'll get into the fact that they are now officially a part of our team for the next retreat. It's so exciting. So welcome you guys.

Brooke: 1:24

Well, thank you.

Kerri: 1:26

Thank you. What has it been like to see your moms have a group of women friends as you've been growing up?

Brooke: 1:32

It was definitely very impactful. It taught me the importance of having community around you, especially community that understands the struggles that you're going through. Like with my mom as a single mom, I think, watching her have the help of Tracy and Jodi and just everyone there, it just made this basis value for me to know that, like when I have kids, I really need my own group of women.

Kerri: 1:59

That's great. I was actually thinking, brooke, about you recently. I was thinking about how many of my own mom's friends that I knew and I really didn't know very many friends of my mother's that well and I certainly didn't have none of her friends were single. That I recall and I was thinking you had posted something, I think, on social media about like never settle, and I was like I'm so glad that Brooke can see me I don't feel like I've ever settled and that maybe that makes it OK for her to just keep searching for what she needs, because she can see someone else has done that and I was like I'm so proud of myself in this moment Because, even though it kind of you know, sometimes I'm like I'm just single and whatever but it felt like, no, I am single and I should be proud of it.

Brooke: 2:56

I'm setting an example that you can be and it can be okay. Yeah, you really should wait until you find someone that truly respects you, respects any situation that you're in and, regardless push or shove, you know they will be there for you. I've always appreciated and looked up to you, knowing that. You know you've done this by yourself. You were a single mom for so long and you are going to wait for the right person to come in until you let them in? Yeah, I'm still in that boat, that's right.

Kerri: 3:30

So, erin, how about?

Eryn: 3:31

you. I would completely agree with what Brooke said. So I just feel so lucky to have grown up in a situation where I had so many women to rely on and where I knew if I had a specific problem. I knew that I had so many women to rely on and where I knew if I had a specific problem, I knew that I had someone who probably could relate to that problem. As a woman, even if that wasn't my mom I always like to joke that I have a bunch of moms. I'm getting married this year and plan to incorporate all of my moms in some way year and plan to incorporate all of my moms in some way. So it's just really nice to have that support and to know that you know you can build this sense of community with people who are not technically, like biologically, family. Yeah, I was.

Kerri: 4:16

So, aaron, when I was thinking about you, I was thinking about being up in Buffalo recently and we were in a car with you group of us and you were driving and I thought, oh my gosh, erin is driving us around. She was just this little girl when we all first got together, and here she is driving us around. It doesn't feel weird at all, I'm not scared, it's just Erin and she just feels like one of us, not like some little kid. Who, holy crap, why are we letting her drive?

Eryn: 4:47

I think that has been interesting for me too, because you know I've grown up with Brooke as my best friend my whole life, so you know I got a sisterhood with Brooke through this connection as well. So that's something else that I'm really thankful for. And it's kind of interesting to see our quote unquote generations merge and to become more of friends with you guys rather than seeing you more as like my moms, if that makes sense.

Jennifer: 5:14

Yeah, I'm glad that you brought that up, Erin, because I was just going to say that I was glad the way that Carrie interacted with both of you, Brooke and Aaron, because what I was hearing was the experience that I've had, which is how you guys also inspire us, right, and so how cool is that that we can now benefit from that? Because it is true, I think there are. There are things that you all bring to the table. It had been mentioned that you know we were all there were different people you could go to. Well, you each have unique qualities that you bring to the group too, kind of be fostered in you, and say, wow, these are really great people that we want to, and you just really melded right in anyway last year, so now it only makes sense to like make it official and bring you on board, you know.

Eryn: 6:16

Yeah, I completely agree, that's awesome.

Jodie: 6:18

I remember at the retreat I had a lot of questions about regarding medications and Erin just hopped right up and okay, jodi, this is what this medication does and this is the side effect. And blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm thinking, okay, this is all great information, great information. Wait a minute, isn't Erin like three? Like where did? When did she grow up? And same with Brooke. I've had questions with, I've had conversations with Brooke about things that she's just helped me along with so much, and just thinking back to when I met her and how little she was, like this can't be possible, that these kids are all grown up and like they're friends they're. It's just incredible. They've just grown into such amazing women. I just love them so much.

Brooke: 7:00

Thank you. I love you all love them so much.

Jodie: 7:12

Thank you, I love you all. What is your earliest memory of, maybe a tea function at one of your houses? I'll go first.

Brooke: 7:16

Memory is when you all got dressed up to go out in the bar in princess dresses and I was so excited to help you guys dress up and then I was so confused why would Mary go to the bar with a black tooth? That was the anniversary it was the anniversary I think that's one of my very first memories of everyone together being in that community and I don't know just really feeling like it was more of a family than friends, coming over you girls did great makeup for being little girls.

Speaker 6: 7:58

You guys were like five and six, maybe four and five. Then it was wild makeup. Yes, I remember blue a lot of blue eyeshadows.

Brooke: 8:10

Look, we had a lot of brats and barbie dolls to practice on and each other.

Eryn: 8:16

If you need a haircut, brooke is really good at cutting short bangs and getting peanut butter and jelly out of your hair. Yes, I would say my earliest memory, um is when it's like two things because they go together was when all the ladies came over to the house to do their busts, so, um, something that they did. Well, if, if you want to explain, since I was like five years old, I want to know what the five-year-old thought.

Speaker 6: 8:49

I do too. I mean, I know it, but I'm curious what you thought with all we were doing.

Jennifer: 8:53

They're getting naked.

Eryn: 8:55

Well, I just remember my mom like sitting me down to like talk to me about, you know, womanhood and what it means to like know yourself and love yourself, and that they were going to be doing plaster casts of their breasts and then painting them and then auctioning them off at a benefit. So I thought it was so cool. I was just very taken aback by the whole situation and I feel like, you know, something that has always been constant in my life is appreciating your womanhood, and that's one of my very first memories. And then my next memory is blowing up balloons for that fundraiser with the big helium tank and I remember we ran out of helium Brooke and I were, you know, inhaling the helium helium Brooke and I were, you know, inhaling the helium.

Speaker 6: 9:46

Oh, brianna was so mad at you too she was. She was chasing you, and you guys are going under cables. I don't know that you and Brooke got many tied. I think it was Brianna and Ethan that did the tying.

Brooke: 10:01

We did the sucking.

Speaker 6: 10:05

We were the moral support so, erin, your five-year-old explanation is exactly what we did oh, okay, well, I'm happy to hear that.

Eryn: 10:15

Let's talk about last year's retreat.

Speaker 6: 10:18

I was just gonna say, like what were your expectations going into it? And then what actually happened.

Eryn: 10:24

So my expectations going in were you know this is a tea event. Since we've been little, it's been all hands on deck. You know you do the jobs that you can do, so I was very prepared to just do what I was told. You know, and you know we did. We did do what we were told.

Kerri: 10:43

You did, you totally did.

Jennifer: 10:45

That's a brilliant answer.

Brooke: 10:49

What do you think, brooke? I think my expectations going into it was that I personally was at a point in my life where I felt very lost and I didn't really have a sense of direction in what I wanted to do. I didn't really have a sense of direction in what I wanted to do. Going into this retreat, I just saw so many women come and find their self-worth, reawaken their goddess energy. It was just a very awakening experience for me too. I really learned that within the retreat, that is the type of stuff that I want to be able to do with my life. I want to be in a place where I feel comfortable, where I feel grounded, where I can help women that are like-minded, that are very spiritual and just ready to be empowered.

Kerri: 11:41

I feel like every time the tea ladies do something together there's this feeling of magic. I want to know if you guys have felt that magic before, that different way in the past.

Eryn: 11:54

You know when you guys would get together, all of us kids would be able to get together and it was just that sense of extended family where you got to go.

Eryn: 12:13

I got to go hang out with my best friend and we would play hide and seek upstairs at Laura's house that we called Duck Sauce, because one time we ate Chinese food before you know there was no rhyme or reason my older brother just named our hide and seek game duck sauce and I just remember you guys would be meeting and you would hear us stomping around upstairs. You know, yes, but I feel like that's all, Ethan. But I feel like at the retreat I felt the magic in a more adult way where I've never felt so connected to myself as a woman and connected to other women. Like Brooke said, it was just completely eye-opening. When I went into it, like I said before, I was just ready to hand stuff out, go do what my mom needed me to do, but I was really, really happy to participate in all of the activities that I just that was one of the best weekends I've ever had. So I'm I definitely felt the magic.

Brooke: 13:17

Yeah, I definitely agree that the whole weekend was magical. Weekend was magical and I think for me personally, I felt it in like a different magical way, like literal magical and like spiritual and like before the retreat I knew that I kind of had a sixth sense. I was very intuitive and, just like when Jen was doing the sound bowls for us, it was such a magical experience that I cannot explain Like you have to do it for yourself to know what I mean. Like it was literally magical and you know we had spirit come through a couple times and it was just amazing. Honestly, it was magical, it was invigorating, it was eye-opening and I've still continued to feel the magic through today after the retreat. It just really set this flame in me that is ready to just continue burning and seeing the retreat. It just really set this flame in me that is ready to just continue burning and seeing the magic.

Kerri: 14:30

That leads me to a question I've been wanting to ask, like everyone who came to the retreat, just because I'm curious. So we had the wishing tree at the retreat and we sent home wishes with people. Have you guys pulled out those wishes? Do you have those wishes somewhere that you are looking at, because mine are like right, they are hanging on a light in my house. I look at them every day.

Brooke: 14:51

Oh, here's my wish. And it's very weird because my mom and I have always talked about how I'm very good at manifesting things. And she had kind of made a joke and she was like, well, since you're so good at manifesting, you need to get my wish on the tree. And she had kind of made a joke and she was like, well, since you're so good at manifesting, you need to get my wish on the tree. And that was kind of a joke between us and I really thought about it deeply and I was like you know, I do want to get my mom's wish, I really want to help her through whatever she's going through, just give her that extra energy that she might not have. And I waited until I got home and I opened my card and I got my mother's wish.

Speaker 6: 15:32

Oh, it's so beautiful, so magical there's like just a million serendipitous stories from that weekend that keep coming out and I'm like, oh my goodness.

Kerri: 15:44

I got one of my own wishes, but I passed it on to someone else I feel like it was meant for them and when I got my own, I thought well, I'm not gonna wish this wish for myself, I'm gonna share it with who I think should have it. And so I passed it on and someone else has it now do you know who has it? My wish yeah, did you pass it on my own back, when I got my own, I thought well, I'm not gonna wish for my own wish, I'm already wishing right so I need to pass it on but you said you passed it on.

Jodie: 16:17

Did you pass it on to someone in particular? Yes, so you know who has it.

Jennifer: 16:20

Okay, yes yeah mine, is in my daily planner, so I look at it every day, literally every day, um, and I think about it and I, like Brooke said, I feel really connected. I feel like having that reminder every day is really helpful, but I don't think that there is a day that goes by where something doesn't come up that makes me think about this, one of the things I want to share, and I don't know that Aaron even I don't think I even told Aaron this, so, surprise, I am coming up on seven years of being sober and I used to play in a bar band on several different variations of bar bands, several different variations of bar bands, and I had to stop doing that because it can. It was a, an environmental trigger, I guess, is how I would refer to it, right, and so I haven't done that and I haven't really performed since then in a space that made me the outset was a little nervous about, and so I was like I just don't know how this is going to go, cause, like I don't know if there's anybody out there listening, you know, like liquid courage, right, or or whatever kind of courage you get from whatever you're consuming. I just wasn't sure how it was going to go, but, like, aaron and I never practiced it together.

Jennifer: 17:46

Until we got there, I had been singing in my car for weeks and weeks and weeks, obviously, you know. And just as soon as we started singing, I was like, oh, this is gonna be fine, and I think we said that to each other, even Aaron. We're like we're gonna be fine, it's gonna be fine. And it's so cool because now I'm, you know that experience is forever solidified, as you know. Oh yeah, I can still do this. I can still be brave and stand up in front of people and use my tool, my voice, to contribute to the space and the community in a way that's very different from the way it used to be. So that is one of my favorite memories among handfuls. Thanks for that experience, but it was really cool to be able to sing with you at that and I didn't know that.

Jennifer: 18:35

Yeah, I know, I was like. Actually I was like I don't think I said this out loud, so that makes me so happy. And I think we're hoping to incorporate music into next. Okay, I didn't want to. I didn't know if I could say that.

Speaker 6: 18:52

The girls are both doing workshops, and that's that's a good segue, then, if you want to start with yours, and then I'd love to talk a little bit before Brooke talks about hers.

Eryn: 19:02

Yeah, of course. So the workshop that I am going to be leading at the retreat is based on music, like Jen had said. So the tea ladies all came together and thought of some songs that you know really embody female empowerment. A little bit about me is that I used to be the music director of an all-female a cappella group during my undergrad studies at my college, so I definitely have a background in music. What I'm going to be doing is teaching the individuals in my workshop how to sing a certain song. Is it okay if we divulge what the song is?

Speaker 6: 19:42

Yeah.

Eryn: 19:45

So the song is called Girl on Fire and I just think that it really embodies our mission during the weekend is to, you know, rewild and reconnect with ourselves and just be your true, authentic self. So I'm very excited to teach the ladies who are in my workshop how to sing it, and then we're planning to perform it for the rest of the group. So that's very exciting.

Kerri: 20:14

It's super exciting. I can't wait. I do not want to sing, however, that's okay Everyone.

Jodie: 20:24

I want to sing, I just can't.

Eryn: 20:28

I think everyone can sing.

Speaker 6: 20:35

Yeah, I can sing badly. What if you are somebody that's like I love to sing but I don't know if I'm good at it and they want to take that workshop?

Eryn: 20:41

I would encourage them to. This is a safe place for everyone to explore what they enjoy, and I'll work with anyone, absolutely anyone, so don't be intimidated. You could have a ton of music knowledge like Jen, or you could have no music knowledge. You know this is going to be a workshop that's targeted at everyone. You know I'd love to have anyone and everyone join.

Kerri: 21:05

Now I'm feeling like maybe I need to be brave and take Karen's workshop. Now I'm feeling like maybe I need to be brave and take.

Eryn: 21:10

Karen's workshop. Yeah, I think you should.

Speaker 6: 21:13

That's something we did this year too. We have enough workshops, so that the tea ladies, can some of us will?

Speaker 6: 21:22

be, able to go workshopping, so we're pretty excited about that. Probably in a couple months I'll be ready to talk about my life in the last couple weeks. But I had some, some shit went down. I desperately needed my community and um, and every one of them came in a different way. In the last weekend and I remember looking at one point over at Brooke and just the transformation in the last. I don't know has it been six months since the retreat? Yeah, six months, okay, All right. So in the last six months, like she was able to lock up my house and she had this she had herbs to change the energy in the house and she had crystals that we could put around the house to to change the energy. And I just looked at her and thought, oh my gosh, she's becoming a priestess. She is just becoming a freaking priestess, a little goddess. My God, I'm proud of this kid and her retreat workshop's going to embody all that stuff.

Brooke: 22:25

Well, I'm really glad to hear that it meant a lot to you. I didn't want to overstep boundaries and make you, force you into a space that you might not have been ready for, but the intention was there and I Crown Workshop. I absolutely loved it. I felt so empowered and I felt like I was making an extension of myself.

Brooke: 22:58

And I got home and I look at it every day but I'm just sad because I have no use out of it, I don't wear it, I don't wear it out, it just sits there and collects dust. So I was like I need something like this that I'm going to use every day. And what could that be? And I had a bunch of mirrors sitting around my house and I was like, okay, I think I know what I have to do. I have to see my own goddess reflection every single day. So I tinkered around with these mirrors and I added lights to them and whatnot, and I feel like I use it every single day. It's such an empowering mirror.

Brooke: 23:38

So back to the workshop. Goddess Reflections is basically going to be women that are looking for their self-worth and are needing to be reminded of it every single day. You are going to create this beautiful mirror that you know encapsulates these women's identities and you get to add your own crystals to it, to add intentions to it, whether you need to be more grounded, have more energy, need protection, you need to find your voice more. You know we're gonna have all of these crystals there so you can make the exact mirror that you need to see yourself every single day as a goddess, and you need to continue to put those intentions out in the universe every single day that's awesome.

Jennifer: 24:26

I'm speechless, like I'm just like, oh, that's exactly. Oh, I can't even. I can't put into words that kind of stuff. The creation from the creation is exactly what we want all of this to be. It's my favorite line from one of the songs in Rent the opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation.

Speaker 6: 24:53

Right, and it's yeah right, slow down and say that again, say it slow, the opposite of the opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation.

Jennifer: 25:02

You know, the destruction of war, the opposite of that is the creation, right? So the idea that the like you are literally taking ripples brook of this experience from this one into the next one, who gives me goosebumps everywhere?

Kerri: 25:18

oh, it's so good no, I can't even imagine what this next retreat is going to feel like. Like the first one we were going in and we knew it would be magical and powerful and all the things that it was.

Speaker 6: 25:29

But the second time is like, oh yeah, it's going to be right, it'll be dialed in, because all the things that we didn't know we know now, like there were so many things that were like I don't know if that'll work, we'll try it. I'm so excited for both of these workshops. I just absolutely can't, cannot even wait. It's going to be so beautiful. Maybe we should have a mini retreat for ourselves. You know, I want, I want to do these two, but, like now, yes, that's what.

Jennifer: 26:00

I'm thinking.

Kerri: 26:02

So I originally was thinking I maybe didn't want to do a workshop, but I kind of have had an idea and I want to do a workshop. I'm not sure if I actually want to do the workshop or if it's just something that maybe would happen in the maker space, but I keep seeing these reels where in someone just my, actually it was our friend, chelsea sent me one of someone doing this and it was. It was two people that were in a couple and they were sitting across from each other, but they were each painting a picture of each other and they had like a certain amount of time, and then you had to reveal it, but I've also seen some instances where two people are sitting across from each other.

Kerri: 26:45

They paint for 10 minutes and then they switch. They paint for 10 minutes and then they switch. They paint for 10 minutes and then they switch, and at the end they come out with this beautiful, unique, crazy painting. So I've been thinking about incorporating that into something that we could do. I think it would be super fun to create two paintings that two people get to walk away with, that have both of their energies kind of entwined into it I love that idea so much.

Eryn: 27:15

I love seeing those videos too, especially when one person is like very artistically talented like you who gets partnered with somebody like myself who's musically talented but artistically not as much. So it's you see, like these beautiful drawings and then you see like a stick figure, and then you see these beautiful drawings and then a sun, like I just remember that if I come into your workshop and you have these beautiful voices and then you have Carrie's- Carrie has a beautiful voice and I will bring it out. Thank you.

Speaker 6: 27:50

Your singing voice must be good, because you're talking voices like butter.

Jennifer: 27:54

I don't know about that. I love the idea of the painting thing. I love both ideas. Actually. It makes me think of that the Doug Beauty Project video where, like, we perceive of ourselves in a totally different way than others perceive of us, Right, but I got a special spot in my heart for the flips because I used to do that with my kids where you'd fold the paper and you wouldn't even know what the other person drew above you and then you'd unfold it and the whole thing would come together or be ridiculous.

Jennifer: 28:27

And then with my friends we used to do these things called me, me and me poems. So it was similar to the painting, where we would write a stanza of a poem past the book, someone would write the next one past the book, someone would write so at the end of the poem. It was a co creation of everybody that was there and and I love the idea that both of those bring very different energies to kind of what we do like to do and I'm thinking back to Aaron talking about the bus casting and how those actually turned out to be so empowering. It was very vulnerable but it turned out to be really beautiful and really unique and really each one was very different and really unique and really each one was very different and that was definitely a collaborative project, because we all some of obviously we helped each other, but some of us also did not. You know, we traded painting and all sorts of things. Right, I can see where both of those ideas, Carrie, would fit right in, so very cool.

Speaker 6: 29:26

I'll take it to vote. If it stays in the podcast, then it's happening in the retreat. Can I have a motion to approve carrie doing a workshop as described motion?

Jodie: 29:39

yeah, all in favor, second it, hi all in favor hi, any opposed.

Speaker 6: 29:45

Nay motion carried. He's carried literally. We're motioning to carry yes thank you no problem.

Eryn: 29:55

I love the idea carry yeah, I also wanted to bring up another beautiful, wonderful experience that I had at the last retreat, which was with the cutest little lady. Um and I became the best of friends by the end of the weekend. Her first grandchild was just born, so we were tie-dying a little onesie for her new grandchild. But somehow the whole weekend we were always near each other so we were always partnered up and I remember the really the fun exercise where you closed your eyes and you moved and your partner had their eyes open and they copied. You copied your movements so that you were authentically moving and they were connecting with you in that way.

Eryn: 30:44

I remember you know, at first I was a little skeptical of the whole you know exercise because it's really vulnerable to put yourself out there, not seeing how others perceive you. And you know that's the exercise is that it doesn't matter how others perceive you, it's important how you carry yourself and how you be your authentic self. And she made me feel so comfortable and so loved. So I don't know, you connect with people you don't expect to connect to on the retreat as well.

Speaker 6: 31:14

I just need to put this out there we only have 24 tickets left. So if you're listening to this and you're like, oh my goodness, this sounds like I need to do this, you need to like get on that because we haven't advertised yet, we're we've advertised a little, just a little like we put out little snippets, but we haven't like gone full carry we will don't worry, full carry.

Kerri: 31:46

What the heck does that mean?

Jennifer: 31:49

we all know what it means With the mighty power of advertisement. I don't know why I went into like a German voice just now.

Speaker 6: 31:59

I heard Arnold Schwarzenegger. I know, I don't know.

Jodie: 32:02

I don't know, arnie.

Kerri: 32:07

We're moving into butter, I guess. Wait, I have a question for the girls. Okay, maybe I'm asking, so I'm going to ask this question, maybe because I have a question for the girls. Okay, maybe I'm asking, so I'm gonna ask this question, maybe because I have a son. But what do you guys think the impact of the tea ladies has been on the young men that have been in our families and have seen us together? Just curious curious.

Speaker 6: 32:34

I want Brooke to answer this first, as she comes from a household with five young women.

Brooke: 32:43

I think, the impact it had on young men. I think that it was just as important for them to view it and see this community of not just women people coming together, raising their children together, just having this amazing bond that goes past friendship it's family. So I feel like it did instill some values within companionship and whatnot. Watching these people come together, I don't know. I think a lot of you women carry yourself well. You have very open minds, you are very articulate and you are very firm with your beliefs. I feel like it set up an amazing foundation for these men to appreciate what a good woman is and what you should expect, male or woman, whatever you want to go for. It really showed what you should expect from your other person.

Eryn: 33:43

I agree with that wholeheartedly. So Brooke grew up with a household of women. I had two brothers, no biological sisters, so I got to see the impact that having a group of powerful women has on boys as they develop, and I think that it gives them a very unique perspective, like you said, about how strong women are and have to be in our society. So it gives them a deeper appreciation for how hard you have to work to be a woman in our society. I think that gave them a foundation, like you said, for what to look for in a future partner, whether that be male or female. I definitely agree that they you know Auden's experiencing this too. Auden is Brooke's son. I hope that's okay for me to share, of course. Okay. So you know, I see this with Auden too. Auden's Brooke's son, and he is an absolutely incredible kid Absolutely incredible, and he has so many powerful women to look up to and to guide him as he grows, and I think that's so important.

Kerri: 34:59

I think I asked because I obviously I have a son and I always think you know, what does he think about us? You know he, he knows that I love you all dearly and all of the things, but I don't really know, like he doesn't share, like how that has impacted him in any way.

Jennifer: 35:14

So I was just curious what you I think we see it in them too, though, right, like they're not the stereotypical patriarchal male or, you know, like they're sensitive human beings who are aware of their surroundings. You know, like they're sensitive human beings who are aware of their surroundings, you know, and aware of what it is to be compassionate and kind and aware of. I want to say like to like they kind of learned what they can't get away with. I don't want to say it like that, but you know what I mean. I don't think like even though they would have obviously grown up in and I don't want to be like stupid, gendered about it, but like bro culture, right, like locker room talk, I don't think any of them put up with that, you know what I mean Like I think that they would, they would speak up, you know. So I think it had absolutely had an impact on them in the best way possible had an impact on them in the best way possible.

Speaker 6: 36:18

They're all really wonderful humans.

Eryn: 36:23

I drove past my house today and called Erin and said I just drove past the street that I live on. I don't know. And that's all she said. I said okay.

Speaker 6: 36:31

What are you doing? And it is Thursday what are you doing?

Kerri: 36:38

it is thursday and you haven't lived there that very long, aaron and brooke. Every time we end the podcast, we tell our listeners how to make tea, for until they hear us again. If you were to tell our audience how to make tea this week in general, what would you want them to be thinking about?

Eryn: 36:55

doing. I feel like we have to come to a consensus before we answer.

Kerri: 37:01

Okay, well, go ahead.

Eryn: 37:02

You guys can have time, we can cut out whatever you come up with, my first idea was to think of the children in your life and your impact on them and think about how you know I don't know how exactly I would phrase it, but like think about how you, you being your authentic self and um you, you know all, all of the impacts that you have on the children in your life and you know, be proud of that and recognize how important it is to have that impact on the younger generation.

Speaker 6: 37:42

Can you come up with a task associated with that thought.

Kerri: 37:51

Plant a tree. Plant a tree. Yes, you have to sing plant a tree.

Eryn: 37:54

Plant a tree. Yes, sorry, you have to sing. Plant a tree.

Kerri: 38:01

I think part of it too is um maybe you guys can add this in is thinking about who you let into your children's life. Is that what you just said? Like it's not who you're.

Eryn: 38:17

You know I don't know I don't know what I'm trying to say. No, I agree with you. I think you know Brooke could also, you know, weigh in on this.

Brooke: 38:26

but thinking about your impact and the people who surround you's impact on the children in your life and, yeah, um, a task could be to evaluate that and, you know, make changes accordingly I think it's really important, too for moms to actually sit down with their children, their sons especially and really have them open up about what's going on in their mind, what's going on with their feelings, and feeling comfortable enough to let that out and not keep it bottled up. So, yeah, I definitely think it's important for their parents to. It's a task you could sit down with your kids and ask them very personal questions about their life, their upbringing, be very open to it and I agree.

Eryn: 39:13

I think it's important to also give your kids words to describe how they're feeling, because we as a society are not very good at that. You know we think mad, I'm mad or I'm sad. You know. Give them descriptors of how it's okay to not be okay, and if you're feeling this way, you know you have this support. Thank you.