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Amanda Lee is a domestic abuse survivor and the author of the new book One of The Lucky Ones. 1 in 3 women have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner. This extraordinarily common form of abuse silences victims and paralyzes them with terror, a pattern Amanda is all too familiar with.

In this episode, Amanda shares her dramatic story. Like so many women, over time her fairy-tale romance became increasingly turbulent and violent. And like so many, she felt at times that her future looked bleak, but through courage she eventually found freedom.

Amanda is a sixth-grade teacher and lives with her two children in Fairfax County, Virginia, where she pursues her passion for writing and advocating for fellow victims of domestic abuse.

Amanda and I discuss non-physical forms of domestic abuse like gaslighting, belittling, and emotional abuse; why it can feel impossible to leave an abusive partner; how to support a loved one...

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

My best friend Megan and I, who have five young adult children between us, reflect on our transition to an empty nest together this fall. We share the story of our unique lifelong friendship, and our shared experience entering motherhood, midlife, and now empty nesting together. We recount some of our favourite parts of living without kids again and some of the unforeseen challenges (or are they perks?) like chocolate-covered peanuts for lunch and key lime pie for dinner, playlist control (Piano Chill, anyone?), finding a “new normal” with your partner, and the lack of any requirement to follow a routine.

We discuss the toughest parts of not having your children close by and share what we did to find our own sense of purpose before our nests emptied and how that has helped to make this a surprisingly joyful time of life. We explore the idea of anticipatory grief and provide some very helpful insight into how to...

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

There's also a new Bite-Sized Balance Episode today, and it's a really special one. 

My sister Meg and I share our recent experiences in the “sandwich”- raising a herd of teens while caring for a dying parent.

The last few years of our Dad’s degenerative condition included a medi-vac flight home from Florida, a grueling touch-and-go 4-month hospital stay, a year of around-the-clock in-home care, and our Dad's eventual passing two years ago. 

We share our most important lessons learned around navigating the care system, supporting each other and our mom, protecting our own wellness and fulfilling our many other responsibilities as parents and business owners in the process.

While there were lots of tough moments in those few years for our family, there were also so many unexpected gifts, including lots of very funny stories, many of which we share in this episode. 

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