TRANSCRIPT
Office Ladies | Episode 289.3 - Bonus: Mother’s Day Tributes
Angela [00:00:00] Hi lady.
Jenna [00:00:00] Hi there. Hi everyone.
Angela [00:00:03] Welcome to a little Friday chit chat. You guys, I'm really excited because we're talking about moms.
Jenna [00:00:10] Yeah, this is our special early Mother's Day bonus episode. We're going to share about our own moms, we're going share about ourselves, and we're gonna share about your moms because you wrote us all about your mom's and it was pretty awesome.
Angela [00:00:25] We thought a special way to kick things off would be to hear from our moms. I don't know what Jenna's mom sent in and Jenna doesn't know what my mom sent in, but we did two different questions for them.
Jenna [00:00:38] Yeah, I asked my mom, "What do you love about being a mom?" Because lady, I love being a Mom. I just love it. And I know you do too. It's one of the ways that we connect, through our love of parenting. I wanted to hear, what does my mom like about it? Or what did she like about it when we were little or anything? That was my prompt. So here's what she had to say.
Jenna's Mom [00:01:03] Happy Mother's Day, everyone. This is Jenna's mom, and I'd like to share with you some of my fond memories of being a mother when my two girls were at home and they were little ones. First of all, I was so excited to have a girl the first time. Oh my gosh, I just was beyond happy. The second time, I was even happier than that, if that could be so, but I really was. One of my favorite things to do was to watch them sleep at night, especially as babies, when they would curl their little feet under their little behind. I always thought that was so cute, and I just loved seeing that. We used to like to rough house as a family, in the family room, with the dog. That was always so much fun. That was usually after dinner when we would do that type of family entertainment, if you can call that entertainment. I was always so proud, even to this day, to watch them perform. As children, they danced, both Jenna and Emily. They were both pretty good dancers, by the way. I've always felt so proud sitting in that audience, watching them up there on that stage. Of course, even today, watching Jenna on TV or Jenna in the movies, I still have those same feelings. Probably the thing that touched my heart the most was when they would bring me little gifts when they were young. They would bring dandelions, thinking that they were flowers. Of course, I always put them in a little vase, even though there wasn't any real odor to them. I'd put them by the sink and they would make me smile every time I would look at them. So anyway, those are a few of my Mother's Day fondest memories and I hope you think of your fondest memory, too, today. Happy Mother's day again. Bye now.
Angela [00:03:28] That is so sweet. That just warmed my heart, lady. And I got to see a little window into my best friend's childhood through the eyes of her mom. Oh, I loved that.
Jenna [00:03:40] It's funny that she mentioned the rough housing in the family room because -
Angela [00:03:45] With the dog!
Jenna [00:03:45] With the dog! Because I have such memories of that. They were this really joyous time in the evenings and we had one of those kind of sunken living rooms, where you had to step down into it with the green shag carpet.
Angela [00:04:01] Oh my gosh.
Jenna [00:04:02] The wood paneled walls. My mom would put on a record, usually like Barry Manilow was her favorite. She would sing and then we would wrestle my dad, but the dog would get in there and we would just kind of sing and wrestle. My little sister was such a daredevil. She wanted to do the airplane game, where my dad would lay on his back and he would put her up in the air like an airplane. She'd be flipping around and we would joke, like, when we would wrestle, she would throw her whole body into it. He'd be like, "Oh, geez, Emily, come on." So all those memories came flooding back in. I loved having my mom answer that question. It's something that I'd never asked her really before, you know?
Angela [00:04:58] Yeah, it's just so special. Of course our moms are just whole fully realized people. You think as a kid that you know everything about your mom, but there's so many treasures still to learn. Right?
Jenna [00:05:11] Mm-hmm. Well lady, what did you ask your mom?
Angela [00:05:15] Okay, so I asked my mom "What was something your mom did that inspired you, that you then carried on when you became a mom?" My grandmother's name was Viola May, and I was really curious to hear what my mom would say because I know my mom misses her so much. Shout out to my sister Janet who helped record this with my mom and here's what she had to say.
Angela's Mom [00:05:41] I think one of the most amazing things my mom did to inspire me and teach me is that every school year, she would get the catalog down (probably Sears and Roebuk, or whatever that is) and she would tell me, "Pick out what you want: skirts, shirts." We didn't wear pants to school. I would pick out the prettiest patterns. I mean, I'd just go there and and I'd see a picture and I pick it out and she would make me the exact copy of what I picked out. Every year and if I needed anything else during the year, she would tell my sister Bess, Bess would get the fabric and mom would make it. Like in home ec. We had to make things back then. But my mom, every year, she would sew for me my whole school wardrobe. I was one of the best dressed kids in school. That's the amazing thing. It probably sparked the same thing in me because I made everything for you girls until blue jeans come in. Then I quit sewing for you, mostly. But Billy and Janet, they'd come in from school when they were in high school or even going to church camp. They'd have to have two outfits a day and I'd make those. Sometimes staying up at one to two o'clock in the morning and then Billy come home like they were going to have something in high school and she said, "Mom, I really need this, like, tomorrow night." So I'd figure out a way to make it, and that's my mom. That's how she inspired me. That's just one of the ways, though. I love her to pieces.
Jenna [00:07:50] I love it. Is that what you expected her to say?
Angela [00:07:54] No, I had no idea. I really didn't. My mom comes from a really big family and they would all pitch in and help, but I had no idea what she was going to say, specifically about her mom.
Jenna [00:08:07] Mm-hmm.
Angela [00:08:08] But I loved it. I did not know the catalog story, that they would get the Sears catalog and flip through it. I had never heard that before. So that was just like I got to spend a little moment with my mom and my grandmother. Oh, it was so special. I loved hearing it.
Jenna [00:08:27] Well, lady, I want to share one other audio clip if it's OK. So I knew that my mom wasn't going to be able to figure out how to record herself. So I got my dad on board. He is a former engineer, so he took this assignment very seriously. He sent me a test audio before he recorded my mom.
Angela [00:08:53] Oh, my goodness. Lady, that is so sweet.
Jenna [00:08:56] And I have to share it. I asked him if I could, because it's just kind of amazing.
Jenna's Dad [00:09:04] Okay, so this is a test to see how this works and to see if it can be sent when I finish. Actually, I'm reading a text from Jenna. It's about flights. I'll take a look at that when I get done doing this, but this is 24 seconds at this point. We'll see what it's like for about 90 seconds and then I'll send it. So I got my grass cut today. I'll do Emily's lawn tomorrow. I have her sending the kids out to pick up all the branches and twigs out of the yard, because that ruins the lawnmower blades. When I took the lawnmower in for service, at the end of the summer last year, they did a complete overhaul and they said, "We were replaced both of your blades because they were in such bad shape. We couldn't even sharpen them." So I'm hoping that they'll last for a while.
Jenna [00:10:08] That's it. He made it to the time limit and he just stopped talking. But I just I love it, that somewhere in the middle of that he took a screen grab photo, probably of the text message I had sent him about flights. I'm going home soon to see my nephew in his school musical and then my mom and I are going to go do a mother's day trip to New York, actually, and the whole thing was just sort of amazing to me and I loved it.
Angela [00:10:38] Just so adorable. My mom and sister couldn't figure out the voice memo. So what my sister did was she just filmed my mom answering.
Jenna [00:10:48] Yeah, like a video.
Angela [00:10:50] Except she just filmed the tablecloth. So you don't even see my mom. That was really special. And I'm so thankful to have both of those stories from your mom and my mom.
Jenna [00:11:03] Well, listen, the next thing we decided to do was we wanted to share three things that we love about our moms that we have carried into our own lives. So, lady, do you wanna start? And then we can go back and forth.
Angela [00:11:19] Yeah, yeah, that's perfect. Well, my first thought when I thought of my mom was how she has always just spoken positive words and prayers over me and my sisters. She always builds us up. She really taught me that our words are so powerful and that when we speak over ourselves and the people we love, it can really take root in a person. To this day, you will not hear my mom say anything negative about anything in her life or our lives. When I was a kid, it would sometimes annoy me because I'd be frustrated and I just would want to be annoyed about something and vent. Sometimes I would get down on myself or I'd want to give up. She just flat out would not let me, you know? She would let me have the moment to blow off the steam. But then she'd be like, "Alright. Now that's done and you're gonna tackle this and it's gonna be okay." But she really just always kept building us up. There is a scripture that she would say to me that I carry with me always. I'm going to probably paraphrase it and not get it exactly right for those listening, but you'll know it. It's "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." When I think about that, when I get down sometimes and I'm griping or I'm just kind of being negative, I pause and I say, "Wait, what is my heart full of?" Because I don't want my heart to be full of negative things. I think about that a lot. My mom just has always built me and my sisters up. She is someone that just speaks positive over the people in her life. That's powerful. It's really powerful.
Jenna [00:13:11] Will you say the quote again, Angela, the scripture?
Angela [00:13:15] "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."
Jenna [00:13:20] I love that.
Angela [00:13:20] Isn't that great? And it's such a thing that I hold, even when I meet people. Some people, you'll see them kind of just spew out some stuff and I think, "I'm gonna pray for their heart. Because they're holding on to a lot of negativity."
Jenna [00:13:41] Mm-hmm.
Angela [00:13:42] And it's coming out.
Jenna [00:13:45] Well you definitely bring that into your life, lady. You do.
Angela [00:13:48] I try to. I really do.
Jenna [00:13:49] You do. I did not know we had your mom to thank for that, but I get a lot. I'm the receiver of a lot of that, so I'm very grateful to your mom.
Angela [00:13:58] Well, thanks, lady. And thank you, Bertie. What about you? What was the first thing you thought of?
Jenna [00:14:04] Well, the first thing that came to my mind was my mom's love of travel. That my mom loves travel. She loves learning. She loved seeing new places, experiencing new cultures and people. When we were growing up, she would always find ways for us to travel and explore. She would research things that were happening in neighboring states around Missouri and we would just load up in the station wagon. One year we went to Graceland and we just immersed in Elvis and his music and we went Graceland. Then I also remember driving one time to Memphis to see this traveling King Tut exhibit at a museum. She was always planning this stuff. Dreaming it up. "What are things we could see? What are experiences she could give us?" And along with my dad, she's been to so many places in the world. They're still traveling. My mom's in her late 70's. My dad is almost 80, and they're gonna go to Iceland later this year.
Angela [00:15:15] That is amazing.
Jenna [00:15:17] Yeah, and I just know that her list is never ending. She will always want to explore and see things. But I definitely carry that with me, and I 100% credit her with that.
Angela [00:15:32] You really do. And you're also someone that wants to learn, you know? That's a big part of your mom wanting to see all these places. She wants to learn like, "How do people live here? What's important to them? What are the adventures? How do they get out into nature? The food?" She's a very curious person, in that way. And I think that is wonderful.
Jenna [00:15:53] Well, my mom always said to us that she thinks it's important to see how other people live. Whatever that means. She said before, "San Francisco is so different from New Orleans," you know? "Texas is so difference from Montana." She's like, "You should try to see places that are different from what you're used to because it opens you up. It opens you up to people." That was always really important to her. She definitely instilled that in me. And she's such a talker and people person, that she is gonna wanna meet the locals.
Angela [00:16:34] She's never met a stranger.
Jenna [00:16:36] Correct.
Angela [00:16:39] Well, I just love that. Alright, are you ready for my second one?
Jenna [00:16:42] Yes.
Angela [00:16:44] So my mom will be 88 this year, lady, and she is still just out there, just doing her thing. So when I think of her, the other thing I really think of is that she is a do-it-yourselfer kind of person. I had written this, what I was gonna share, before I listened to her audio clip, right? Before I got the video that they sent. So guess what she was doing when she made that video.
Jenna [00:17:15] Was she quilting?
Angela [00:17:17] She was sewing me a cushion cover for my little fireplace bench.
Jenna [00:17:21] Oh, amazing.
Angela [00:17:23] So it is so much a part of her, and clearly so much apart of her mom, because she talked about that so lovingly. My mom grew up in a very big farming family and they often had a tough time making ends meet, but my mom said she never felt like they lacked for anything because they always figured out a way. They made the things they needed. I just can't tell you how many times I have seen my mom tackle a big project by herself. I mean, she sews, she quilts. You know, you'll be like, "Oh, I wish I had a tote bag," and she's made you one. Oh, a crossover purse? She made you one. When Isabel was little I saw this thing, it looked like a little purse, but it was a dollhouse. Then the roof opened and the little dolls were inside, but it looked like little handbag. My mom made that for Isabel. What? Table runners, Christmas trees, you know Jenna, it goes on and on. I just love that about her and I really feel like I've carried that into my life, too. I think that I never approach a project with, "Well, we can't do that." I'm always like, "Alright, alright, let's see. Let's see if we can figure it out." One of my favorite examples is that my mom came to visit me years ago, before I was a mom. I was just sort of setting up my first little house and the backyard did not have a walkway from the back door to the grass.
Jenna [00:18:53] I knew exactly what you were about to say, because I have this memory of you, because this was early in our friendship. I remember thinking-
Angela [00:19:03] Yes, this was like season two of "The Office."
Jenna [00:19:04] Yes, I remember thinking, "This is my person."
Angela [00:19:10] So, anyway, this little house had a back door and then it was just dirt and it was dirt for a little bit until you got to the grass. I was like, "Gosh I wish I had a path from the back door to the yard." My mom was like "Alright, let's do it." I'm like, "What do you mean?" We went to the hardware store, we bought a pallet of grass, we bought bricks and cement and that day we a pallet of grass and we mixed the cement in a bucket. And we made a brick path from the back door to the yard.
Jenna [00:19:47] I remember this so vividly, you and your mom laying down this path in your backyard. I was like, "I love these ladies."
Angela [00:19:55] But yeah, I love that about her. Alright, what's your number two?
Jenna [00:20:01] My number two goes a little bit with my number one, but my mom is a "get your hair wet in the ocean" kind of mom.
Angela [00:20:10] Oh yes, I love that. She's not afraid to get herself messed up.
Jenna [00:20:16] No, and that would be true when she's cooking; she makes a big old mess, all over the kitchen. She'll get muddy while she's gardening and if she's at an ocean she's gonna just get in, you know? I love that about her. She's not fussy or vain. It was inspiring to me. I loved that my mom will just get her hair wet in the ocean with me, when I was little and to this day, she's still that kind of mom. She's just gonna jump right off the back of the boat into the water.
Angela [00:20:51] I love it. That is so real. When you said that, I just knew immediately. I know those women and they're so inspiring. I love that your mom is like, "I'm gonna jump in the ocean, my hair is going to be matted, sticking to my forehead" kind of gal. Here's my last number three, when Jen and I were talking about this, we're like, "Three things, that's it?" We could go on and on, but we try to limit it to three because we really wanna hear from you guys and you wrote in the most lovely tributes. So here's my number three. My mom is the person who inspired me to never stop being curious. I've always sort of shared here that I don't think you age out of wanting to learn new things. And that is so true. My mom was in her late 30's when she decided she was gonna learn tennis. There she was, a brand new tennis player, and she ended up winning the singles tournament a year later in our neighborhood. Our neighborhood had tennis courts where you could like enter tournaments. And mom won it. All those other women had been playing for a long time. She also decided that she was going to learn how to paint and she's an amazing artist. I have her paintings hanging in my house. Those are just very small ways to show you guys that she is a curious person and she loves to learn and there is no age limit to that. She's still learning new things. I mean, I can't tell you how deep on Pinterest my mom has gone. She loves YouTube tutorials on how to make things. So I just love that. She's almost 88 and still wanting to learn new things.
Jenna [00:22:42] That's awesome, and you're like that too, lady. I love that.
Angela [00:22:46] This is just making me so happy, this episode. What is your number three?
Jenna [00:22:50] So my number three is that my mom is the person who gave me the courage to pursue a career in acting. I'm gonna get a little emotional. Even though we lived in the middle of the country, very far away from Hollywood (and even though we didn't know anyone in the entertainment industry) from a very early age, when I expressed interest in wanting to have a career as an actor, she took me seriously. She never treated it like a dream or like a fantasy. She treated it, like something I could achieve. She never said, "Oh, that's silly." Instead, she said that she felt a calling in life to be a teacher and she loved her job. She said, "If you feel called to be an actor, then that is what you should try to do." I know that kind of belief in me, from such a young age, was a big boost to my ability to succeed in this business because I never had to justify my choice. I never to push back against an unsupportive family. One of my friends that I moved to Los Angeles with, her family were constantly fighting with her, telling her she should come home, telling her that she should lead a more traditional life. She was so conflicted. She was depressed. It was so much work for her to be self-expressed. If she didn't book a job, her family would say, "Well, I guess you should come home." But if I didn't a job my mom would say "You'll get the next one, just hang in there. Just hang in, you can do it." It created a strength in me that I'm so grateful for. I realized how lucky I am, to have a mom, a parent, who listened and accepted me for who I was and didn't try to change me.
Angela [00:24:58] Wow, that is just... I think one of the most important gifts you can give your kid, is just seeing them. You do that with your kids, lady. I've watched you many times. When they tell you something, you take them at their word. You don't blow them off. Do you know what I mean? If it's important to them, it is to you, and you don't scoff at them and be like, "Oh, well." No, you're like, "Okay, this is what you're interested in right now? We're gonna learn everything we can about it."
Jenna [00:25:28] Now, listen, that's not to say that my mom saw every part of me or understood every part of me, but this was a way where she did just have an open heart and an encouragement that meant so much to me. Because this was really big piece of me, that if I had to suppress this my whole life, I think I would have been sad like my friend was sad, you know? So I appreciate that.
Angela [00:25:56] I do, too. I really do. I mean, my family was just kind of scratching their heads when I was like, "I want to go to California." Mom said that I told them when I was four, I wanted to be Carol Burnett. So she knew it was coming. It was tough, but they were supportive. I think about it now with our kids, lady... Isabel's looking at colleges, I'm like, "It has to be driving distance from me. You can't go that far."
Jenna [00:26:26] Yeah, I mean my mom has always said that the one part about it that broke her heart was how far away I had to be, to do this thing. I think she loves that my sister lives close.
Angela [00:26:41] I know. I'm thankful for that too. I'm thankful that our sisters are close by. Moms, man, they're just complex and layered and amazing. I feel like my mom's an onion, there's always some layer and I'm like, "What? You did what? When was that? I didn't know that!" As we're talking about moms and stuff, I did just want to shout out the other women in my life who were also so nurturing and supportive. I had teachers and coaches and neighbors. I'm sure, Jenna, you did too. The list goes on and on. I feel like in honor of those people that helped shaped our lives and were such an important part of our lives, that maybe we're never biological mothers... I mean, we all mother someone in some way.
Jenna [00:27:37] Sometimes your mothering doesn't come from a biological mom. It can come from lots of places and so thank you to all those people too. Well, lady, why don't we take a break? When we come back, we are gonna hear from you. We're gonna share some of your tributes and letters that you wrote us about your moms.
audio cue [00:28:01] [musical sting]
Angela [00:28:05] We are back and I'm gonna kick us off with a beautiful letter from Zoe P. in Dallas, Texas. Zoe says, "My mom speaks for the trees, both literally and figuratively. She is a high school AP environmental science teacher whose passion for the environment inspires generations of students, as well as myself. She is the reason why I chose to study environmental science in college and why, to this day, I continue to be an advocate for our planet. Not only is my mom a beekeeper, she also raises chickens, grows a variety of fruits and vegetables in her backyard, and bakes her own bread, including amazing flavors such as chocolate cherry and cinnamon swirl. Her dedication to living sustainably and compassion towards all living beings is one of my favorite things about her. Given she is a teacher, my mom does not often get the recognition that she deserves, especially when teaching such a niche subject. So I wanted to take this moment to let the world know what an amazing person she is and how much she means to me. I cannot imagine a world without her and neither can mother nature."
Jenna [00:29:12] I love that!
Angela [00:29:14] I know.
Jenna [00:29:17] Alright, well, I wanted to share from Leah S. in Germany who said, "Hey guys, I know you wanna talk about moms. I wanted introduce you to my grandma. I hope that's okay." Leah, it's very much okay.
Angela [00:29:33] Yes it is.
Jenna [00:29:33] This is exactly what we were saying before the break. Right? Sometimes mothers come in other forms, like teachers and like grandmas. "My grandmother is the coolest person I know. She's my idol in so many ways. She's taught me to view the world in a beautiful way. When I was little, she would be there in the morning because my mom would have to go to work very early. She would make me hot chocolate and I would lie in her arms. The headlights of the cars passing our streets reflected on the walls. Every reflection had a different story, a different person behind the wheel. She taught me to build tables and make fire. She showed me what plants I could eat and which ones would make me sick. She showed how to cook marmalade. She didn't secretly give me money or chocolate like the other grandmas. She built a house and made sure I got into the right school. She was on the phone for hours when I wrongfully didn't pass an exam and couldn't get into 11th grade. She forced me to visit her every second day to teach me math, so that I could pass tests and exams in school. She went mushroom picking with me even when I was 14 and wanted to be anywhere but the god damn woods. She made me listen to singing birds that I can now differentiate. She bought me a new MacBook so I could edit my movie on it so I can get into film school. She directed movies that both broke and healed hearts. She could have been anyone. She could have had any career or job. I sometimes cry when I can't comprehend how much I love this woman. In fact, I'm crying right now. Today, she taught me how to renew a seat cushion on a vintage chair she got me for my 22nd birthday. I also have the coolest and most wonderful mom ever, but today I wanted to tell you about my grandma. I love you guys so much, and I'm so incredibly grateful for this podcast. I learned so much from you. Thanks."
Angela [00:31:38] Oh, Leah, my mom would love to hang with your grandma. They would make so many things together.
Jenna [00:31:43] I would love to hang with Leah's grandma. Gosh, the gifts. I love the specificity of the gifts that have been passed down from this woman to another.
Angela [00:31:56] So, so special. Well, next up, we actually have an audio clip. Abby R. from Fort Wayne, Indiana sent us in her tribute.
Abby R. [00:32:05] Hi Office Ladies, my name is Abby, and I just wanna shout out my mom, Mary. First of all, she is your biggest fan. Angela, just a side note, she thinks if you two met in real life, you would be best friends. Honestly, I agree, because she loves her birds and she loves wine. I just want to shout out my mom because she's the one person I call for literally everything. Example: I called her because I was making a chuck roast for the first time. I called her and I said, "Mom, what kind of meat do I buy when I'm buying a chuck roast?" And she just waited and said, "a chuck-roast?" And lo and behold, a chuck roast exists. So yeah, but my mom is who I turn to for everything. I just want her to know how special she is this Mother's Day. One of the biggest things she did for me was, unfortunately, before I had my son, I had a miscarriage. Um, I couldn't tell her I was pregnant because it was so early on. So I called her the next morning and she was at my house in about two hours just to be with me all day. As well as when I had my son, who I have now, Felix. The first two weeks, first really whole year of his life (moms understand) was really hard for a new mom. She stayed with us those first two whole weeks and I couldn't make it through without her. So mom, I love you. Just know the gift that you are and how selfless you are. I hope you have the best Mother's Day ever. Bye, thanks Jenna and Angela.
Angela [00:33:51] So wonderful, all of them, it's just a beautiful thing really. I know, like, her mom lives two hours away, but she was in that car immediately.
Jenna [00:34:02] Yeah, you know, the story she told about the chuck roast that really got me. Because, you know, I'm faced with the realization that I won't have my mom and dad forever. I mean, I am 52, and they're getting older. Those are the moments, you know, those are things when I want to be able to call my mom, and say, "Mom, do I melt the butter, or just soften it for this snowball recipe? I can't remember." And she tells me the answer, you know? The things that just her brain has that they hold. I just have this desire to know them all and access them all before they're lost to me.
Angela [00:34:45] One of the things that I miss the most about my dad is just being able to pick up the phone and call him
Jenna [00:34:57] Well, our next letter is from Lacey C. in Oklahoma. Lacey says, "Hi, I would love to share this story about my mom because she, in my opinion, deserves so much recognition and appreciation. I am now 20, but when I was 15 and a freshman in high school, I suffered depression for the first time. I didn't understand it or how I was feeling and started to see no point in life. One of the hardest things that I did was tell my mom about the thoughts I was having and the things that I was feeling. She never once asked me why I felt that way. She never judged me and she immediately did everything she could to help me and to get myself to see life in a more positive way. She never allowed anyone else to judge me or tell my story. She's been my biggest advocate. She also has always told me that it is my story to share when I feel strong enough to. This is only a small part of that story, but I will always appreciate everything that my mom did for me during that time of my life, on top of everything else she has done for me and sacrificed for me. I would also like to use this time to give a message to anyone who may be struggling: it may not seem like it right now, but it can and will get better. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but one of strength and tremendous bravery. If you're looking for a sign, this is it. I am now studying clinical psychology and Office Ladies podcast plays every morning on my drives to class. I love you guys."
Angela [00:36:38] Aw, Lacey, thank you so much for sharing that.
Jenna [00:36:42] Yeah, thank You. With all my heart, I know for certain that your message reached someone today.
Angela [00:36:49] That's right.
Jenna [00:36:50] It reached someone who needed to be reached.
Angela [00:36:54] Who needed to hear it. Yes. Well, our next letter is from Emma P. in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Emma says, "My mom is one of the smartest people I know. She has a master's degree in math, but what mattered most to me growing up wasn't her credentials. It was what she taught me. When I was in elementary school, she didn't rely on worksheets or wrote memorization. Instead, she built her own math games in Microsoft Excel so I could learn my multiplication and division tables. She made learning feel empowering, creative, and possible. But her lessons didn't stop with numbers. She made sure my sister and I knew how to cook, how to manage money, how to budget, and how to do our taxes. She didn't just want us to succeed, she wanted us to be independent, capable, and confident adults who could stand on our own. There were three questions she asked us constantly. It was a routine we had every time we got in the car. From the moment we could talk, she would ask, 'Are you smart? Are you strong? Are you capable?' And before we could even fully understand the questions, we would always say 'Yes, yes, and yes.' She built our confidence the same way she built our skills: consistently, intentionally, and with love. Last year, my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. As her memory begins to fail, I find myself holding onto my memories of her even more rightly. When I look back, I realize that everything she taught me is still there, the confidence that I can do anything, the resilience to try again if I fail, and the belief that I can figure things out myself. Even during hard times, those lessons don't fade. Now, as a new mom myself, I think about those memories a lot. Whenever I talk with her, which we do regularly, we often go down memory lane as I remind her of the stories and everything she instilled in me. I hope I can live up to her example. I hope that I can instill the same confidence in my own daughter. Even now, whenever I buckle her in her car seat, I ask her the same questions my mom asks me. 'Are you smart? Are you strong? Are you capable?' And because she can't speak yet, I answer for her, 'Yes, yes and yes.'" Oh my gosh, it's making me tear up. Oh my Gosh. Oh, Emma, thank you for sharing that. That is so powerful. What an amazing woman your mom is, and I love those three questions.
Jenna [00:39:32] Women are amazing. The traditions and the determination and the love that we pass through one another and to one another is just really freaking cool.
Angela [00:39:47] It is.
Jenna [00:39:48] Well, I thought we could end with this letter from Winnie in San Jose, California, because this is another part of motherhood, and it made me laugh. Here's what Winnie said: "I love The Office. My mom, however, does not. At all. Sorry, ladies. But this means that when she sits down to watch it with me, usually after a tough day, it means the world to me." It's making me get choked up. Winnie says, "I'll always be grateful for that. She's the best. P.S. I shouldn't say she doesn't like it at all because I have frequently heard her singing. The 'Hey Mr. Scott' song from Scott's Tots over the past several years." But I loved this letter because, that's the thing. That's the thing about parenting. My son loves music. He loves Metallica. I can't tell you how many hours of Metallica I have listened to. It is not my cup of tea.
Angela [00:40:57] I know it's not.
Jenna [00:40:59] I know it so well. He did get me into Rage Against the Machine. I love them. I'm sorry, Metallica, I don't understand you, musically. But that's the thing, when you have a kid and they love something, you're gonna love it with them. Whether you love it or not.
Angela [00:41:23] It is, it's so true. It's the things we do. We were just talking, Jenna, the other day that sometimes we get up extra early and help our daughters with their hair. They're older now, so of course they can brush their hair, but if they want a fancy hairdo or something. Sometimes we're doing things like that and we're like, "We haven't even had our cup of coffee yet, and we are trying to do some intricate hair thing." But I just know that I will miss all of it. I am looking at that empty nest. It is on the horizon for me, for two of my kids. Then we'll have one at home. Josh and I kind of joked that one is going to get so much attention. He's going to be like, "Back off." But what a joy it is to share these stories and to hear your stories. And so many people wrote in. Jenna and I read all of them, just so you know. We read every single one and we would have loved to share every single one. They were all wonderful, so thank you so much for sharing your tributes about your moms and grandmas.
Jenna [00:42:28] Thank you everyone, we hope you have a great Mother's Day in a couple of weeks. And thank you Macy's for sponsoring this bonus episode.
Angela [00:42:37] I know, it was a real joy.
Jenna [00:42:40] Alright everyone, we'll see you next week.
Angela [00:42:42] See you then.
Jenna [00:00:17] Thank you for listening to Office Ladies.
Angela [00:00:19] Office Ladies is a presentation of Audacy and is produced by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey.
Jenna [00:00:24] Our senior producer is Matt Beagle. Our audio engineer is Sam Kieffer, and our associate producer is Aynsley Bubbico.
Angela [00:00:32] Audacy's executive producer is Leah Reis-Dennis.
Jenna [00:00:35] Office Ladies was mixed and mastered by Bill Schultz.
Angela [00:00:37] Our theme song is "Rubber Tree" by Creed Bratton.