It's like being stuck in an elevator with a very annoying person.
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Welcome to the Terrible Reading Club, sponsored by Betterhelp Online Therapy. Think of it as our book club for truly terrible times. Haven’t read the book we’re discussing? Good news: In this reading club, that’s not a requirement. Today, we’re chatting with Suleika Jaouad about her memoir, Between Two Kingdoms, in which she writes about […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Sleep experts the world over seem to have countless tips and tricks for getting those eight hours of Zzzs each night. But sometimes our brains just … can’t shut down, no matter what we do. Nora recently asked you, the TTFA community, what’s been keeping you up at night these days, and you answered. Can’t […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll get when you join us on TTFA Premium. For $8 a month, you can support our show AND get ad-free episodes and bonus content — including mailbag episodes like this one. Sign up today at TTFA.org/Premium. Join the TTFA reading club: TTFA.org/readingclub Our twice-monthly newsletter features behind-the-scenes content, […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
If you’re sent into an anxiety spiral every time you hear the words “climate change,” you’re not alone. Everything we read these days tells us that the clock is ticking down, and there is nothing we as individuals can do about it. But we talked to climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe recently, and she told us […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Lynda and her daughter, Sophia, have a busy day ahead of them. First, a bike ride to train for an upcoming sprint triathlon. That evening, a dinner party. In between, a funeral to honor a friend. When Lynda wakes up in the emergency room and learns Sophia and she were in an accident during their […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
You learn to expect the unexpected when you’re a new parent — and for Kari and Aaron, the list of unexpected things is long when it comes to their daughter, Sloan. Sloan is a beautiful and medically complex baby girl who requires constant care. And when a beloved family member dies unexpectedly months after Sloan’s […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
We’re back with another Terrible Reading Club episode, sponsored by Betterhelp Online Therapy. Think of it as our book club for truly terrible times. Haven’t read the book we’re discussing? Good news: In this reading club, that’s not a requirement.Today, we’re chatting with John Green about his latest book, “The Anthropocene Reviewed.” You can buy […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Kari and Aaron had vastly different childhoods. Kari’s was filled with adventures, laughter and silliness. Aaron grew up in a complicated religious household. When the two high school sweethearts start dating, Aaron becomes part of Kari’s family — the son that her parents never had. And when the two get married and begin planning for […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll get when you join us on TTFA Premium. For $8 a month, you can support our show AND get ad-free episodes and bonus content — including mailbag episodes like this one. Sign up today at TTFA.org/Premium. Join the TTFA reading club: TTFA.org/readingclub Our twice-monthly newsletter features behind-the-scenes content, […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
About six years ago, Nora took a notebook and wrote down all of the grudges she was holding against people … and then, she left that notebook in a seatback pocket on a plane and never saw it again. We wanted to know what you, our listeners, would put in your own Grudge Book if […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
High school is a miserable time for Hannah for all of the usual reasons that our teen years are awful … but also for an extra reason. Hannah is disabled, and she’s living in a world that doesn’t seem to want her to be a part of it. Follow Hannah on Instagram @hannahthewildflower Sign Hannah’s […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Melissa is the epitome of responsible. She loves following rules and has spent her whole life trying to be the best person possible. But accidents happen, and one winter morning, a split second changes everything she thought she knew about herself. Can’t get enough TTFA? Sign up for TTFA Premium for $8 a month. You’ll […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
It’s rare to have a friendship that actually lasts forever, but that’s what Josie and Miles have. When Miles’s cancer comes back after years of remission, Josie is there for him every step of the way … until there are no more steps to take. Can’t get enough TTFA? Sign up for TTFA Premium for […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Welcome to the Terrible Reading Club, sponsored by Betterhelp Online Therapy. Think of it as our book club for truly terrible times. Haven’t read the book we’re discussing? Good news: In this reading club, that’s not a requirement. Today, we’re chatting with Anne Lamott about her latest book, Dusk, Night, Dawn, which explores how we […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Children are often taught to respect and honor their parents. For Elissa, this is complicated by the fact that her mother has narcissistic personality disorder. Elissa couldn’t escape her mother’s emotional and verbal abuse when she was a child. Now, as an adult, she must learn how to untangle herself from her aging mother’s web […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Adoption is often viewed as a happy ending, and sometimes it is! But for Thenedra, her experiences as a child in the foster care system and later as a trans-racial adoptee were — and still are — much more complicated than that. This is an episode about what can happen when trans-racial foster and adoptive […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll get when you join us on TTFA Premium. For $8 a month, you can support our show AND get ad-free episodes and bonus content — including mailbag episodes like this one. Sign up today at TTFA.org/Premium. Join the TTFA reading club: TTFA.org/readingclub Our twice-monthly newsletter features behind-the-scenes content, […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
We’ve got another mailbag episode for you, Premium listeners! It’s a simple concept: You ask questions. We answer them. Topics discussed in this mailbag episode include recovering from mistakes, our production process, current TV viewing, grief (so much grief), weddings … and Lucky Charms. Oh, and Costco. Got a question you want to ask Nora […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll get when you join us on TTFA Premium. For $8 a month, you can support our show AND get ad-free episodes and bonus content — including mailbag episodes like this one. Sign up today at TTFA.org/Premium. Join the TTFA reading club: TTFA.org/readingclub Our twice-monthly newsletter features behind-the-scenes content, […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
If you know what it feels like to be on the brink of an emotional meltdown, you’re not alone. Many of us feel like we’re at the end of a rapidly fraying rope … like we’re falling behind in life and it’s solely our fault … like the reason for our problems is our inability […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of folks got really into bread baking. Banana bread! Biscuits! Sourdough! (So much sourdough.) Ashley got into bread baking too, but for an entirely different reason. A week before quarantine began, Ashley’s wife died of a heart attack after years of living with cerebral palsy. Ashley […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll get when you join us on TTFA Premium. For $8 a month, you can support our show AND get ad-free episodes and bonus content — including mailbag episodes like this one. Sign up today at TTFA.org/Premium. Join the TTFA reading club: TTFA.org/readingclub Our twice-monthly newsletter features behind-the-scenes content, previews of […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Ryan’s life often feels like a Venn diagram. Ryan the person loves listening to metal and The Grateful Dead. Ryan the person is a sneakerhead who reads Punisher comic books at night. Ryan the person is also queer — bisexual — and a recovered alcoholic. Brother Ryan, on the other hand, is a man who […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
In our last episode, you met Leticia and her son Anthony. At the end of part one, things were finally looking good for both mother and son: Anthony had just welcomed his own daughter into the world; Leticia had married a wonderful man and was settling into life in the suburbs. But mental illness is […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Leticia was 16 years old when she got pregnant with her son, Anthony. As you might imagine, raising a child more or less on your own when you’re only 16 is really, really hard. It’s even harder when you’re dealing with your own childhood and generational trauma. This is part one of Leticia and Anthony’s story. Part […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
Nora loves giving advice, especially when the questions are really easy and really low stakes. In this episode, she answers a few of your frequently asked questions and later teams up with comedian Tig Notaro to dole out some wisdom about grief, friendships and her everlasting love for skater boys. If you like this Q&A […]
Written by Puzzlehead, in Relationships, TTFA
We all want a good death — a death where we’re surrounded by the people we love and don’t feel any fear or pain. A good death is what Ron Deprez wanted when his body became ravaged by ALS… and thanks to his daughter, Esmé, and Maine’s death with dignity legislation, that’s exactly what he […]