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Welcome to the Why Not Today podcast where we celebrate courage, determination, and the power of saying, Why Not Today.

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I am your host, Leslie Cain.

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Each episode, we dive into inspiring stories of individuals who have taken bold steps, faced their fears, and embraced the possibility of today.

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For entrepreneurs, to artists, to dreamers, to doers, we explore the moments where they said, enough waiting, why not now?

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Or why not today?

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Join me as we uncover the heartwarming, the audacious, the transformative, whether it's pursuing a lifelong passion, overcoming obstacles, or simply choosing joy.

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Our guests share their journeys, inspire us all.

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I started this podcast in honor of my father, Patrick Cain, who often said, Why Not Today.

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Remember, you're just one decision away from changing your life.

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And I always say I'm excited about my guests, but I'm really excited about my guests today.

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And you got to smile, mom.

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So this is my guest, Susan Cain, who is my mom.

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And that's the most important guest I could possibly ever have, because this podcast wouldn't be possible. I wouldn't be possible without her.

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So I twisted her arm and talked her into doing this podcast episode with me.

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But I thought as we celebrate season three, the start of season three, and the second we've celebrate two years of podcast episodes.

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And that would be perfect to have my mom share about courage and stories and lots of things that she's done courageous, including having six children.

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And we're just going to talk about fun things.

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So, mom, why don't you share a little bit about you and a fun fact that somebody might not know.

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A fun fact.

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Fun fact.

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I have to think about that.

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So as Leslie said, I'm her mother, proud to be 60 years.

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I'm not going to say that loud.

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You told my age.

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Head of publicizing.

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Anyway, so Leslie and then five siblings, spaces between the first four and the last two, which was courageous.

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I worked outside the home for many years and then retired several years ago and live in 10 minutes from resting with our, my youngest daughter, Amanda's sister, Amanda, Amanda, Leslie sister Amanda.

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So what's a fun fact about you that nobody knows.

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You think anything was fun childhood, something.

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And I think for one of your first jobs is kind of cool thing where'd you work at a car place.

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Didn't you work with stew to bakers. Oh no, no, no, no, that just happened to the bakers happened to be in community next to where I grew up.

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Okay.

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Yeah, I thought maybe you work there. All right. No, but what does courage mean to you I always ask my guests that so what is courage to you.

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And I think just some of your other brought podcasts. I don't think courage needs to necessarily be related to anything life threatening terribly terribly serious.

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I think it takes courage to just deal with a lot of, of life issues.

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I was just thinking about this one Leslie and I first talked about me being with her doing this podcast, and I said, Why not today. I was a little anxious about it because I wasn't sure I had as much to share some of her other people that she's interviewed.

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But just in retrospect thinking years and years ago, actually, 60 plus years.

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I was walking down the aisle of what seemed then a very, very long aisle at Sacred Heart Church on the campus of Notre Dame and saying those I do is because it didn't really cross my mind at the time.

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However, venturing to a obviously a new life relationship, but leaving the only place I'd ever lived that was 21.

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I would have never been in a new Buffalo, New York where I'd never been before, and didn't know so.

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So that is, in retrospect, that actually was pretty scary some courage it was scary. Yes.

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Yeah, so you've done lots of things as you said, when we were talking about this like anything to share what I've done courageous and I can make listen listen listen listen listen listen things you've done.

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Let's talk about your faith. And I think this is courageous that you on your own without your parents even knowing converted to Catholicism.

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When you were high school, I was in high school I was, I went to a private Catholic girls school high school in South Bend Indiana, and my parents were presbyterian devout Mason Eastern star.

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I didn't have a great love for Catholics, however, to my favorite friends or my best friends in school, grade school and junior high were Catholics and they were going to the school and it was, it was a boarding school but there were townies girls that

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never thought of you as a townie.

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I lived in South Bend. So it was kind of a college prep, not really finishing school but it was a whole lot different than the public school which were there were two public schools in South Bend and I really didn't want to go to the one I would have been the district for.

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So I convinced my parents to send me and then, and they had, there were only 200 students in the school.

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I had to send students every morning before classes started. So I started, I don't know what it was maybe sophomore year so going to chapel with my friends and I just over time embrace the faith and pursued being baptized that back then didn't have the

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racism classes. So it was a priest as it was a friend of someone that I knew.

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Actually, someone I became engaged to but not your father. Anyway, at Notre Dame and he kind of had several private sessions and then. So it was a one time deal I was baptized, confirmed and made my first communion.

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And unfortunately, when I told my parents this they were very, very upset, especially my father.

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Well you know, I always talk on podcasts about the story behind the story and there's always a story and the stories changing grow and the story that I thought I heard is and probably wrong is that you went to the Easter vigil mass at Notre Dame, and were confirmed in the Catholic

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church and grandma and grandpa saw it on TV, but I guess that was wrong. It was wrong. It was nothing. I mean, it was private. Okay, and I was when I received the sacraments. However, they, the midnight mass and Notre Dame was televised.

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And that's what my parents saw. And then this this is again way way back. So there were kneelers at the altar and you walk up and kneel to receive communion. And of course they saw that and when I got home, oh hell broke loose.

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Yeah. So, yeah, so that was courageous and then, and we keep referencing Notre Dame and she grew up in South Bend Indiana where Notre Dame was and my dad went to school and that's how they met after he graduated.

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So, you guys got married at Notre Dame, which is pretty darn cool. And then how quickly after you got married did you move to Buffalo, New York.

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Three weeks, three weeks went to California on our honeymoon, flew back to South Bend packed up, Patrick's your dad's car and drove to Buffalo. Wow, this was in May. Well, and I think there was still remnants of snow in May.

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Well, and you know, it's those hidden blessings from the courageous things you've done. So with you guys move into Buffalo, probably my fondest memory and connections is there was one of dad's business partners, or somebody worked with Jerry Bauer and you guys became very good friends with

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our family and we're still to this day friends with our family and I moved. They were in Buffalo with us but moved back and forth. They were in rest and at one time. Yeah, and rest a couple times I think, and their kids were like my older siblings my older

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sisters. So it is fun just that those connections were still there. So you're in Buffalo for all of two years, three years, the best day of her life when I was born.

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My sister, Lisa was born there and then, of course, my dad decided it was time to move again. Well, his company opened an office in Bethesda and ask him to run the company so we moved from Buffalo to Bethesda and actually, so we moved to

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Bethesda in July of 66. You were two Leslie or a man, Lisa was five months old, six months old and I just found out I was pregnant with Brian. Yeah, so that's a courage that definitely takes courage. Here we are in a brand another brand new place, pretty scary.

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We drove out to rest and flew into national, drove out to rest and Route 7 was two lanes, Tyson's Corner, was anybody listening knows what Tyson's Corner is. It was a gas station on a road just the Route 7 and whatever across the road but it was a gas station that's all it was.

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Today it's a mini city. So we're driving and driving and driving and your dad says well it's just out of little ways. So, but we get to the road that goes into Rustin turning on Village Road.

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And after being in Buffalo for three years, I said I don't care where we live, but I want to live here was ultra modern contemporary lake, and there weren't many houses, a variety of houses townhouses apartment and few single family houses that were even were built by them.

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And I'm barely here so that took courage to move and take two and a half kids there. And then, I probably say the most, and these are my recollections of courage things is what I was.

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And so four of us so then my brother Christmas born, and then 12 years later, my sister Catherine was born. And this is probably the story we share and I remember my sister in law, like, hearing the story and going you aren't serious, I'm like, Oh, we're so serious about the story.

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I don't know, I guess dad had the grand idea which is so funny how I followed his footsteps so much working for myself traveling a lot so he worked for himself. And thinking back I mean it was a pretty bold thing that he did and a gift that he gave us although I didn't appreciate it I was 16 years old, and they bought a 25 foot camper.

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I think it was 30 30 something I drove it at 16 which was pretty scary and packed up. And we left July of 1980. Catherine was all of five weeks old. I was 16. So we show us 1413 and 12 and then Catherine was all five weeks old and we packed up and left.

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And we're gone. I used to know exactly the time it was five weeks and there are so many days and so many hours and minutes and because I was 16 years old and the last thing I want to do with be with parents family I want to be with my friends I just got my driver's license.

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And I didn't want to be with my family traveling. And so I think you drove all of, maybe 20 minutes, maybe, maybe, and then myself and my dad drove legitimately legally. And, you know, they gave me as a 16 year old wheels of a 30 foot camper.

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And so what the heck was going through your mind take it a five week old and four other kids and being gone for five weeks in a camper. Actually, that was going to be one of my courageous stories.

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So the night before we left, dad had been in California and business and brought the red eye. So I'm laying there in bed and I course had my all my spices and these things that I felt are electric skillet.

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And I had a lot of my important things and already packed up in the camper so that night I couldn't sleep because I was laying there thinking.

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What the heck are we doing five week old baby. But as it turned out, it wasn't that bad.

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It was that plan adventure and it was fun. We had a we had a system going we'd get up in the morning and of course, dad and I'd wake up I make coffee and then because Catherine was awake and everybody else slept.

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The next morning, we have a plan that was roused and we had this plan. All right, we had these maps. National geographic.

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I saw those the other day in somebody's house. Yeah, maps they were in a orange or yellow box wax cloth, you know, yellow box. Anyway, we got the map and dad and say, all right you kids, where do you how far do you want to go where do you want to go what do you want to see.

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So we kind of plotted out no cell phones.

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I was thinking back on now, it's kind of scary.

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Well, I remember you saying the deal was

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that we stayed in hotels part of the time.

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I think we stayed in like.

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I wouldn't even agree to go unless Dad.

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We barely stayed in any hotels.

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We didn't stay.

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We stayed campgrounds, and we get to the campground,

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and we picked the campground as the kids

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with the fun things to do.

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And then you, or Dad would get to do work.

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He would go to the pay phone and do his work.

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It was crazy.

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It was fun.

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So yeah, we went on lots of adventures as kids, not just

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that, but also I have your fond memories of Dad

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would have worked to do.

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And we just all throw us in the car and we'd go.

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We had to go to Maine, went to Florida, and he'd go work,

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and you'd drive us around and entertain us.

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The other kind of thing, let's go back to the camper thing.

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So this is the crazy story.

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And hopefully there aren't any police officers listening.

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I guess statute of limitations expired.

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And people can't believe the story,

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but we were driving this 30-foot camper.

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Now, I'm 16 legally driving, I said.

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But Alicia, Brian, and Christopher, who Chris was,

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I think, 11 at that point.

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He hadn't even turned 12 yet, drove the camper at some part,

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because my dad had to get his martini.

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And so the seat swiveled.

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I don't know if he can do that until we can.

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No, he did.

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I'm going to disagree.

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The seat swiveled.

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So he would swivel the seat and slip out,

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and one of us would slip in and drive.

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Now, we were in the middle of nowhere going down straight

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highways, probably going way too fast.

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But that was the first experience of us driving.

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Yeah, there were some crazy experiences there.

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The other thing, too, is when I was 9, 10, and grandpa Kane

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died, I remember coming home from school,

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and you didn't have to go religious ed class.

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It was called CCD.

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I distinctly remember going, you don't have to go to CCD today.

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I'm like, cool.

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So your grandfather died, which it wasn't

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traumatic at that point, because we knew him,

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but he didn't live here.

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I lived in California.

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So literally, we met.

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I remember we meeting dad, and he's coming home from the airport.

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He traveled a lot and jumped in the car,

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and we went to California.

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We were there for three, four months.

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We didn't jump in the car.

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Well, he got in the car.

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And we went, no.

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And then we flew.

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Yeah, we flew.

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But dad met us.

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Dad had been out of town, but he came.

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I think we met in New York or something,

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because John, his distance partners took us to the airport.

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Right.

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Yeah, we flew.

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We all flew out.

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Yeah, so but we got there and you put us in school,

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and we lived there.

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Well, from November, he passed away.

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Yeah, three, four months.

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And actually, October, because that's another fun story.

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That's probably.

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October until February.

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Yeah.

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So yeah, so that was a fun experience,

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but you put us in school.

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You had to take, you had four kids.

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I do remember distinctly coming back from,

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and we literally left with suitcases.

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And my dad was traveling back and forth.

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And you went to Toys R Us and came back with all these cool toys.

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And I still remember that.

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And it was a great experience.

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So we've had lots of cool experiences.

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And then probably two years later after the epic trip.

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And this was a very courageous thing.

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And it still takes courage every single day.

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Is raising my younger sister, Amanda.

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So Amanda was born with Down syndrome.

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You did not know until the day she was born.

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And didn't wasn't even sure what it was.

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Right.

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And it was a traumatic delivery.

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And she was born with Down syndrome.

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And we didn't really know what it was or anything about it.

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And at the point Amanda was born, I remember several people asking,

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are you going to keep her?

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And I'm like, a very close friend of ours.

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Yeah.

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Well, and at that point, a lot of people with Down syndrome

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were institutionalized.

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Actually, the nurse that was in, because I had an emergency

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section who's in delivery said after she was born,

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and she's telling us what she is.

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And she's never going to be normal.

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And she said, you know, you do have the option

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of placing Amanda in whatever.

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Crazy.

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And they didn't even ask if you want

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to be in another area in the hospital away

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from the normal mothers.

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Like crazy.

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So Amanda.

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Of course, your father being what he was,

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he looks at this nurse and challenges

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her to what is normal.

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In fact, he have, I still have it.

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He dictated a letter on the way home from the hospital

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that night.

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And I'm sure he didn't have it.

204
00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:05,400
Yeah.

205
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About what is normal.

206
00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:09,480
So yeah, Amanda is now 42.

207
00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:12,760
And the big 41, she'll be 42, I guess.

208
00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:16,080
She's already on her 42nd birthday planning it,

209
00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:17,120
not till July.

210
00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:20,440
But yeah, it's been a courageous journey for all of us

211
00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:25,560
raising Amanda and all the things, the challenges.

212
00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:28,480
I remember you putting her on the bus to send her to preschool.

213
00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:29,560
And followed the bus.

214
00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,360
And she had open heart surgery.

215
00:18:32,360 --> 00:18:36,840
And so lots of courageous things going through that.

216
00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:40,560
And raising Amanda and it's taken a village.

217
00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:41,840
I was just going to say that.

218
00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:42,360
Yes.

219
00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:45,080
So not dad's, not dad's original saying,

220
00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:47,120
but he always said it takes a village and it did.

221
00:18:47,120 --> 00:18:50,400
It was our faith community, our resting community.

222
00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:51,400
Yeah.

223
00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:54,880
And I think, you know, so as you mentioned, dad always,

224
00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:57,080
and that's kind of the premise for the Why Not Today podcast,

225
00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,080
he always saw a positive side to things.

226
00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,200
And he always said it's figureoutable.

227
00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:04,400
And is that a word?

228
00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:04,960
It is a word.

229
00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:06,080
There's actually a book.

230
00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:07,080
Somebody wrote it.

231
00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:08,200
Everything's figureoutable.

232
00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:08,960
And it is.

233
00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:10,560
And we've had lots of challenges.

234
00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:14,480
And my dad had a major stroke in 2000.

235
00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:15,960
And we didn't know if he'd live.

236
00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:18,040
And that was a courageous thing.

237
00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:19,120
That was a courageous thing.

238
00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:20,560
So we've had lots of ups and downs

239
00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:22,360
and you've survived all of them.

240
00:19:22,360 --> 00:19:23,200
I think I did.

241
00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:23,840
You have.

242
00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,240
And raised six amazing kids and we're all successful.

243
00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:29,560
I have seven grandchildren, one great grandson,

244
00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,960
which is crazy that I have a great nephew.

245
00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:38,240
But so let's talk about dad as we celebrate the anniversary.

246
00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:38,920
And I love to cry.

247
00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:42,040
We were going to record this on his birthday, but we're not.

248
00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:48,440
So what are the traits of my father, your husband,

249
00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:54,240
that you admired the most through your whole,

250
00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:58,760
you guys were together for almost 50 years married.

251
00:19:58,760 --> 00:19:59,840
He passed away.

252
00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:03,320
And that's a whole another funny, courageous, funny story.

253
00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:04,480
What do we do now?

254
00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:05,320
He passed away.

255
00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:07,200
They had planned their 50th wedding anniversary

256
00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:08,720
for Sunday, March 11th.

257
00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:12,320
And my dad decided to pass away on Tuesday, March 5th,

258
00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:13,480
his birthday.

259
00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:13,800
Yeah.

260
00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:16,160
The funeral was Saturday and the party.

261
00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:18,400
We still had the party because that's what he'd want.

262
00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:22,600
But so yeah, so anything you'd want to share about the courage

263
00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,760
he had and the things, traits about my dad that.

264
00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,760
I wish I would have thought about.

265
00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:31,840
So when your dad passed away, and you know this,

266
00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:36,240
I think there was an outpouring from people he'd

267
00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:41,240
mentored, people that he knew well, people that he never,

268
00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:45,480
that he didn't know at all, but the outpouring of these thoughts

269
00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:47,920
and people who shared all these things.

270
00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:49,040
So he was.

271
00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:53,920
He was always, and he was a professor, of course.

272
00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:54,680
I mean, not really.

273
00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:57,360
Actually, he was an adjunct professor at George Mason and UVA.

274
00:20:57,360 --> 00:21:01,040
But he was always trying to educate someone.

275
00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:03,360
Someone would ask him a question and he'd turn around

276
00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:04,720
and ask them a question.

277
00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,840
Which I admire now and I see as a positive.

278
00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:09,720
But as a child, and especially in school

279
00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:10,720
and trying to do your homework.

280
00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:12,680
Just give me the answer.

281
00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:14,320
But he'd always stop and listen to people.

282
00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:20,560
He was way before his time with just projecting his thoughts

283
00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:23,920
and case in point is Tyson's Corner.

284
00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:30,720
He did a study in 1980 on what Tyson's Corner should be,

285
00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:31,560
which it is now.

286
00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,280
It's like a city and bringing the train to Reston,

287
00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:40,760
and which is ironic because we were on the first ride.

288
00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:46,760
And I think it was two, three months after he passed away.

289
00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:48,400
Something he lived for.

290
00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:52,560
Yeah, but always respectful to other people.

291
00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:57,480
I can't think of anything else.

292
00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:58,960
He was always involved.

293
00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:01,760
He was always first to jump in and be involved.

294
00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,560
It started in 1966.

295
00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:10,200
Reston Catholic Community and our faith community.

296
00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:14,000
So he was just wanted to be involved with live, play,

297
00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:15,280
live, work, and play.

298
00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:15,800
Absolutely.

299
00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:18,800
And I think it took courage on his health journey

300
00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:20,120
because he had the stroke.

301
00:22:20,120 --> 00:22:23,120
And he lived 13 years later.

302
00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:24,160
He passed away.

303
00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:26,440
He was like, I got things to do.

304
00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:27,680
I'm going to live on the side grass.

305
00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:32,280
And that took courage for you to be patient and be kind

306
00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:34,320
and caring for him because he was not always

307
00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,600
the most easy to deal with, especially through his.

308
00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:39,920
Well, now dealing with his limitations.

309
00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:40,420
Yeah.

310
00:22:40,420 --> 00:22:42,120
His left arm was always parallel.

311
00:22:42,120 --> 00:22:42,720
Yeah.

312
00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:43,840
But he didn't give up.

313
00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:44,560
He was abandoned.

314
00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:48,000
As you said, when we left our move from our lake

315
00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,320
house to a townhouse, he would walk.

316
00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,560
I don't know how far a walk it was longer because he had

317
00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:59,040
walked with a cane to the plaza.

318
00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,240
He figured out how to take the bus from the corner where

319
00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:05,640
we lived to the library.

320
00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:06,760
So lots of courage.

321
00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:09,400
And I think he passed on to all of us.

322
00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,240
Both of you guys, both of you are courageous.

323
00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:14,120
He was more out in the public doing stuff.

324
00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:18,400
You were behind the scenes making sure everything ran.

325
00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:20,120
And yes, she did work outside the home.

326
00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:22,680
But I don't remember that after growing up.

327
00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:26,360
But I always remember you were the Kool-Aid cookie mom coming

328
00:23:26,360 --> 00:23:27,040
home from school.

329
00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:29,600
But we'd come home from school and she's out with her friend

330
00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:30,440
laying out in the sun.

331
00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:32,480
But she had cookies made and sitting there.

332
00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:36,440
And always made every event, every thing special.

333
00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,480
And you still do.

334
00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:40,880
And you got lots of courage stories.

335
00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:43,320
We could talk all day long.

336
00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:43,680
Probably.

337
00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:44,960
And such a blessing.

338
00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:47,640
And you've passed on so many amazing things to me,

339
00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:50,360
to other my siblings.

340
00:23:50,360 --> 00:23:51,000
Lots of courage.

341
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:55,880
So how would you encourage somebody else to be courageous?

342
00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:57,600
Well, actually, I think a lot of it

343
00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:00,560
is you don't think when you do it that you're

344
00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:02,240
doing something courageous.

345
00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,800
You just kind of step up to the plate, so to speak.

346
00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:09,800
And I know the last year before your dad died.

347
00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:11,560
I got to bed at night.

348
00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:13,480
And thank God I had energy to get through the day.

349
00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:15,360
And the next morning I say, thank God.

350
00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:19,840
Or ask God to give me energy to get through another day.

351
00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:24,600
So as I said, it's just things that you

352
00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:29,280
may be doing day to day that you don't realize how much courage

353
00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:29,760
it's to be.

354
00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:32,280
Sometimes I always say it's about getting out of bed

355
00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:34,720
some days and doing the next thing.

356
00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:36,840
And especially caring for Amanda.

357
00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:39,480
And life happens.

358
00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:42,640
And we just have to look at it a positive way

359
00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:44,720
and have the courage to say, OK, I

360
00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:47,760
don't know why God is placing this in our path,

361
00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:49,120
but we're going to figure it out.

362
00:24:49,120 --> 00:24:50,640
Well, Amanda is a case in point.

363
00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:54,440
Perfect example, not knowing what we had ahead of us.

364
00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:57,800
But dad, she was maybe a month old when he already

365
00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:01,200
had her signed up to go to Fairfax, which I drove her

366
00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,040
two times a week.

367
00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:07,360
But for a day time, I developed my classes.

368
00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:12,360
But there are so many people throughout our lives

369
00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:14,840
that we wouldn't have known, wouldn't have connected

370
00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:16,480
if it wasn't for Amanda.

371
00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:17,440
Absolutely.

372
00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:18,880
Yes, she is definitely a joy.

373
00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:23,480
And I think she's got the best courage attitude of anybody.

374
00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:25,800
And she just does the things and lives her life

375
00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:27,640
and looks at the bright side.

376
00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,600
And we laugh about this now.

377
00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:31,960
And you probably don't remember this.

378
00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:34,040
But the dad passed away and I came in.

379
00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:35,560
It was late at night and I came in.

380
00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:37,080
And it was pretty chaotic.

381
00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,440
The police were here and the priest was here

382
00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:42,360
and we're all a little hysterical.

383
00:25:42,360 --> 00:25:46,400
And I walk in Amanda in Amanda fashion and goes, my dad died.

384
00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,040
Can I have a cell phone?

385
00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:51,680
Was it a cell phone or a TV?

386
00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:53,400
One of the TV, too, but the cell phone.

387
00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:55,640
She wasn't quite so brave because then she just, yeah,

388
00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:56,400
she fell apart.

389
00:25:56,400 --> 00:26:00,480
But she's brave because she lets her feelings out.

390
00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:04,040
And most of us hold them back and we're

391
00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,840
aren't courageous enough to say, I feel rotten and this sucks.

392
00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:10,160
And I don't like it, but she does.

393
00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:11,120
I'm sad.

394
00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:12,640
You know, she talks about her dad.

395
00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:14,720
Yeah, she did this morning, she said.

396
00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:16,400
Because every day she reminds me,

397
00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:18,160
Leslie's birthday is Friday the first.

398
00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:20,200
Dad's birthday is next whatever.

399
00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:24,200
As we're recording this, we're recording at the end of February

400
00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:26,000
and we'll come out beginning of March.

401
00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:28,640
And in between there, I have one of those milestone birthdays,

402
00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:30,880
which we're not going to talk about.

403
00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:31,520
Can't believe it.

404
00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:32,720
But doesn't she look good?

405
00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:35,040
Or if you're watching this live.

406
00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:36,440
So thank you for doing this.

407
00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:37,920
I know it was out of your comfort zone.

408
00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:38,920
It took a little courage.

409
00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:39,720
But you twisted me.

410
00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:40,320
I did.

411
00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:43,400
And I just said, present me with why not today.

412
00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:44,280
Why not today?

413
00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:45,240
It's a conversation.

414
00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:48,400
So thank you, everybody, that has followed and watched

415
00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:51,520
and listened to the My Not Say podcast for two years, which

416
00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:52,360
is crazy to think.

417
00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:56,400
It started with an idea and then grew into this.

418
00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:58,080
And who knows where it's going to go.

419
00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:03,040
So thank you for joining us and for sharing

420
00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:04,280
your inspiring story, mom.

421
00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:07,240
Remember, every day is an opportunity to take action.

422
00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:08,960
Choose your dreams and make a difference.

423
00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:10,240
So why not today?

424
00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:12,880
You can subscribe to the Why Not Today podcast

425
00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:16,920
on any podcast channel, share it, keep pushing forward,

426
00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,080
make sure you're saying why not today.

427
00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:22,680
And remember, you can get some why not today swag

428
00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:24,360
and merchandise on the website.

429
00:27:24,360 --> 00:27:28,480
Follow us on or check out the Why Not Today podcast

430
00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:30,200
at whynottodaypodcast.com.

431
00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,000
We have a Facebook group, which is a Why Not Today community.

432
00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:35,680
And starting next week, we will have an official Why Not

433
00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:36,960
Today newsletter.

434
00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:39,400
So until next time, stay motivated.

435
00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:43,760
Keep making things happen and say why not today.

436
00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:44,800
So thanks, mom.

437
00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:54,800
You're welcome.