A Contagious Smile Podcast
Resilience in Full Bloom: Faith’s Journey from Developmental Delays to Literary Achievements, Fashion Dreams, and Family Triumphs Amid Financial Challenges
What if your child, despite facing significant developmental delays, could achieve something truly extraordinary? Join us as we celebrate our daughter Faith’s incredible journey. From the release of her book, "Phoenix Whispered Legacy Reigns," to her budding passion for fashion design, we unveil the multifaceted talents and resilience of our daughter. This episode is a heartfelt tribute to Faith’s determination and a testament to the boundless love and support that fuels her dreams.
Ever wondered how families navigate the financial pressures and challenges of raising children with special needs? We share our personal experiences, highlighting the systemic inequities that families like ours face daily. From managing healthcare costs to grappling with inadequate government support, we provide a candid look into the struggles and triumphs of our modest lifestyle. We invite you into our world, filled with dedication, selflessness, and a community that thrives despite financial strain. Your stories and insights matter, and we encourage you to share them with us.
Amidst these serious discussions, we also bring you laughter and light-hearted moments from our family life. From humorous misunderstandings during medical appointments to our playful vow renewals, we explore the dynamics of trust, communication, and joy in relationships. Hear about our amusing hospital pranks and the fun-filled traditions that keep our family bonded. This episode is a blend of advocacy, personal triumphs, and the timeless importance of laughter and love in building strong connections. Join us, share your stories, and continue to support our journey. Stay safe and keep smiling!
What if your child, despite facing significant developmental delays, could achieve something truly extraordinary? Join us as we celebrate our daughter Faith’s incredible journey. From the release of her book, "Phoenix Whispered Legacy Reigns," to her budding passion for fashion design, we unveil the multifaceted talents and resilience of our daughter. This episode is a heartfelt tribute to Faith’s determination and a testament to the boundless love and support that fuels her dreams.
Ever wondered how families navigate the financial pressures and challenges of raising children with special needs? We share our personal experiences, highlighting the systemic inequities that families like ours face daily. From managing healthcare costs to grappling with inadequate government support, we provide a candid look into the struggles and triumphs of our modest lifestyle. We invite you into our world, filled with dedication, selflessness, and a community that thrives despite financial strain. Your stories and insights matter, and we encourage you to share them with us.
Amidst these serious discussions, we also bring you laughter and light-hearted moments from our family life. From humorous misunderstandings during medical appointments to our playful vow renewals, we explore the dynamics of trust, communication, and joy in relationships. Hear about our amusing hospital pranks and the fun-filled traditions that keep our family bonded. This episode is a blend of advocacy, personal triumphs, and the timeless importance of laughter and love in building strong connections. Join us, share your stories, and continue to support our journey. Stay safe and keep smiling!
Y'all watched another episode of Contagious Smile. I'm not blundered back Unstoppable, with my wife, victoria and, of course, myself.
Speaker 2:You did a little redneck to it. You had a little redneck spice.
Speaker 1:So we had a big day today with our daughter Kate, and tomorrow my wife will be a little bit out of it. We had a big day today with our daughter Faith, and tomorrow my wife will be a little bit out of it having a surgery herself this is not Faith this is not Faith.
Speaker 1:There's another young man I want to try to get on our show. He was a co-worker back when I lived in Florida and he recently found out he has stage 4. Try to get on our show. He was a co-worker back when I lived in Florida and he recently found out he has stage four. Oh, yeah. So I want to reach out to him and see if he would like to come on our show. Just give us his perspective now.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:He's a young man, probably 38-ish, maybe four kids.
Speaker 2:I thought he was older than that.
Speaker 1:No, so we'll see about getting him off.
Speaker 2:Well, not that we don't have a ton of things going on already, but let's do something good. So our beautiful girl face released her book called phoenix whispered legacy reigns loving tribute to her beloved parents. This was a complete surprise for dad because she had to get myself a little bit on the ins and outs of this book a little. Um. It has been pulled and re-edited and re-published, um, but it is so beautiful and so sweet it really is and it.
Speaker 2:I don't know how anyone who doesn't have an an ounce of compassion or heart or just anything full of love can't just fall in love with this book. It's so beautifully written. You know we all talk about our daughter and how much we love her. You know she is developmentally delayed. She's got some executive function disability and that aspect she, to me, is not disabled. She, to me, is not medically fragile. No matter what the doctors say, she is a powerhouse to be reckoned with. Like she's unstoppable, like literally they say she can't do it and she says watch me. And she has done everything the doctor said she wouldn't. So she wrote this beautiful book thanking us for saving her life and it's like we want to thank her. You know so we want to thank her. You know so we want to support her, it is on Amazon.
Speaker 2:She has a little icon on the back that she uses, where it says Unbreakable. It's her, and now she's into fashion design, so we're trying to support that as well. So go check out any of her five books, let alone this one, because it's just it's faith. That's all you can say. Is it's faith? You know, it'll be on the website y'all. So thanks.
Speaker 2:So something I have been working on I'm in the process of getting almost like a trilogy of books out about domestic violence, how you can prepare your escape plan to a book about narcissists and how they really are behind the mask, and just so much is coming here in the very near future, but something that is really and anyone who knows me knows I am very much about advocating for women like myself who've gone through domestic violence, but also children, and I really want to take an even more. I hate the word aggressive, but I want to take a more forwarding step in helping kids Because in the last year, statistically, one in seven kids is being abused and they say that number is very incorrect because the kids are afraid that if mommy and daddy get in trouble, then when they get back from being in trouble they're going to get abused again, so they don't want to report it.
Speaker 2:So I just saw a picture of a little girl with a piece of tape over her mouth and it written on the tape said if you tell anyone, yep dot, dot dot and the thing is is that the parents think it's okay that they can have a bad day, that's fine in their world, but if the child has a bad day, then it's not justified. And I'm looking at these beautiful kids who A did not ask to come into this world. None of us raised our hand and said can we please come into this world?
Speaker 2:today and parents are not all, but a good section of parents are using children, not not for children sake, like we think of it, but like for government assistance, for their own punching bag, for leverage to and I hate to say this because I'm a woman, but some, some women use it as a pawn to keep a man you know, I'll be the first to say I've heard that this has happened. I know people who've done it. I think it's wrong, but you know it's still being done.
Speaker 1:Um, we've heard of some women um fostering or adopting more children just because of the financial absolutely.
Speaker 2:If you, if you foster a child with special needs, you get so much money it's unheard of, and you get it for as long as you have them, and you get even more if you adopt them. Now take that into consideration for a minute. You get all that. You get insurance on top of it.
Speaker 2:But then let's look at you and I for a minute. You know we are hard working american family who bust our ass to have a roof over our head and help other people. We are so selfless that you know when everything is going on we still do everything humanly possible to help other people and we ask for nothing back. We don't.
Speaker 1:If we can help, we will try our best to help well, we have asked only one time in the past will they go find? Me correct when faith was in the hospital and whitney set that up for us right.
Speaker 2:But I'm saying like we've given away so many beautiful cups, we've done so many things. I mean faith has been raising toys and things right since she was four we recently gave away a scooter yes, and literally since she was four, she's done fundraising and never asked for a single thing in there ever, and that's just her heart. That is who she is, and it's amazing.
Speaker 2:But then you, you see these parents that always have their hand out, but then we, as parents who need it, you know, and I'm not saying all of the government assistance like we need that supplemental insurance, we need that full coverage insurance, cause I mean, think about it, you're not going to get Rachel disability, it's just not going to happen. But let's say the average child gets 800 a month. Let's just do a fair number and you get 800 a month.
Speaker 2:Well, let's just say you have a 10 a month copay on cement or like we saw today and earlier in the week, because we were at the hospital again this week with faith that we're at 20 for parking, just then you know. And then the gas and gas isn't cheap. So how do they expect anybody? You're not trying to live in a mansion, you're not trying to whatever but you've got to be able to take care of your child, and you know there's certain things that come into factor that I don't think you know.
Speaker 2:People take into consideration like fate has to stay at a cooler temperature because of all the stuff she's had, and so if she gets overheated, we could go into an episode within minutes Like it becomes a really big deal. She gets very red faced and she gets hot and then she starts to get a headache and it's just like a domino effect, and so we would have a higher power bill than some of the other people, and so we would have a higher power bill than some of the other people.
Speaker 2:Or you know the fact that she has to make up calorically what she can't take in orally, so by food then. So you know, like she likes her Starbucks and she can have. We get them at Costco because it's the cheapest, but she can have one for every like, however many bottles of water she drinks, and that's pricey. But you know, you and I are so frugal. We don't go out, you know, to nice restaurants. We still wear the same grungy clothes we've had forever. We don't go buy designer purses or shoes or, you know, like we don't, we've never been on a vacation and we've never been on a hunt, you know, and we have been so frugal on everything all the time.
Speaker 1:And let me tell you folks, I, in my opinion, I, am a millionaire. Can you explain that? Because I have this loving woman with a big heart, an awesome, freaking daughter, and I couldn't want anything more. What'd you do?
Speaker 2:I didn't do anything, and I didn't do anything and I didn't pay him.
Speaker 2:But literally, like we, just when things are on sale, we save, and that's when we get things, and you know it's so hard, and when you like, when I had Faith, you know, and they were like you need to get on disability for her, you need to do this, you need that. But the prerequisite was so ridiculous and they were like you need to get on disability for her, you need to do this, you need that. The prerequisite was so ridiculous Like, you can't have a car worth more than $2,000. You can't have more than like. And the numbers might've changed, so please forgive me if I'm not right on the numbers, for right now, like 2000 is a bit. You have to liquidate all of it before they'll even consider giving you this disability. Well, you know, when she had her tracheostomy, I was changing that too almost daily at one point, and they only give you like three or four a month and it's a piece of plastic but it's like a couple hundred dollars for each one.
Speaker 2:But you know she never had a stone manufacturing, she never had rsv, she never had these things. But it's like you know, here you go with the senate and the congress who have set salaries that are six figures and you know, and they're set, they get their salaries even after they leave, and so they're set. Like seriously, it's, it's wrong, especially when you have people like aoc. Sorry, I, I am not an AOC cheerleader. Do you even know who AOC is? Yeah, no.
Speaker 1:So how many of our listeners out there have special needs loved ones in their life that are having similar issues, or can add something to these type of stories?
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:You know, if you have a special need loved one in your life, a child, a sibling, maybe even a parent, I don't know you can reach out to me at Solomon4. The number four. The number four at the contagious spacom and see about getting you on the show here.
Speaker 2:Well, you've got to brag. I do brag. Tell everybody You've got a beautiful, awesome wife. What faith did the other day that was? I'm so proud of her the other day. Just don't be geographic. And you know, just kind of generic, but it's so big for her it's so hard to be generic.
Speaker 1:So how can? We put this she observed two of the most well one of the greatest narcissistic people she has encountered and one of the I shouldn't say dumbest blondes, but I don't know what category to put her in.
Speaker 1:But for her to restrain herself, to show discipline and the maturity level that she displayed right then, to not explode, was just. It was a proud moment for us as parents to Nightmare on Elm Street movie we recently watched, where the girl took back her energy from Freddy Krueger, took back her power that she gave them, and that's what our little girl did. She held back and not displayed exactly what they thought she would do upon seeing them.
Speaker 2:So she was freaking awesome in our boat and the thing is that people think they can never get to that point, that they can never get to that level. And here, and let's give you just a tiny little bit- more insight, so it makes a little more sense.
Speaker 1:Yes, thank, you?
Speaker 2:we haven't. We've been no contact with my biological parents for close to four years now. They have not reached out to either of us.
Speaker 2:I'm okay that they don't reach out to me, but when you have a granddaughter who literally was, as she says, dancing with the reaper and won To me, she kicked the reaper's ass but, um, you're looking at 15, 20 times that between the coding and and everything that she went through and and they know about this and they never reached out. And it's not just my bio family, his did the same too, not all of his, not all of mine, but my bio parents did not. And we literally ran into them, not physically, but we saw them and of course I pulled right up in front where she was, was. She was part of me legally at that point and I pulled up and she literally looked like I don't know. You want to say a deer in the headlights.
Speaker 2:for the first, I don't know a couple seconds and then, when she realized that it was us, she would not look at us anymore like she. She immediately grabbed her phone and was texting like where can come outside she's here, you know, like whatever um, and continue to present her eyes to either the rearview mirror, where she was trying to find her husband, or the side mirror and wouldn't look in our direction for whatever reason. And then faith was just sitting there, not believing that she was right in front of us. And then out walks my biological dad who gets into another vehicle and he had to come past us to get by. And they both drive by us. Neither would even look in our direction, neither would even turn their head remotely in our direction. They literally looked out the driver's side window because the way they were going we would have been on their passenger side and didn't even look at us. Now, and I said this to my husband, because to me it's not about me it's about they.
Speaker 2:They did not even try to say a word to her after we almost lost her and she's basically been in the hospital since December of last year and we went from 34 surgeries to over 53 at this point and not a word. Not. How can she do? How's she doing? Can we see her? Nothing. And, of course, faith is sitting in the jimmy.
Speaker 2:She's like my mom got an amputation and you haven't seen her, but you know what happened and you haven't even tried to talk to her either. You don't even care to see my mom. But see, faith back in the day would have stood up for me, no matter how much I tried to shield her. She was and always has been and will be very protective, as I am for her, and she didn't have a filter to say it safely, and that's one of the things I love about her. She always uses her voice. Well, she did say let me off my chain, you know and I was like what are you talking about?
Speaker 2:and it was a metaphor for her, like let me get out of the vehicle and say something, and then she didn't try, the doors were not locked, we weren't parked, she didn't try to go for the door, she stayed right in her seat and then when they left, she was, like you know, such being proud because I'm in my 40s and it took me a long time all of this time to get where our kid is and she's not 20, you know and she was so amazing and we told her that you know metaphorically what that meant was her not getting out and starting anything, because misery loves company.
Speaker 2:And had she gone out there and given them that fuel, then they would say, oh, we still have our you know claws into you. Oh, we're still you know affecting your life and obviously we don't give two shits about you. But we know we have our hold on you. And she didn't give them that and she was like I felt nothing when I saw them like nothing and I said you just give them the biggest taste of their, of your own medicine, and you know what? They hate it.
Speaker 2:They hate it, they want to have that control they want to have that final say they want because they're miserable, they want you to be miserable and they couldn't even look at you like they couldn't even look you in the eye and I said you celebrate this victory because it's huge and you deserve it and you earned it and I'm so proud of you you think you had something to do with my influence?
Speaker 1:Yeah, are you sure? Yes, because she is dead girl. No, she's not. Do you want to bring her in here again? No, she's taking a shower A?
Speaker 2:what Shower? Is that? The redneck? Or a leak? Okay, what is a shower? What Shower?
Speaker 1:Okay, you're in a hematologist.
Speaker 2:A hematologist.
Speaker 1:I don't know what you're seeing.
Speaker 2:What's a hematologist? I don't know when did you get? Hematologist, you're going to be seeing a proctologist for your colonoscopy that's coming up. He finally scheduled it. Yes, that one Otolaryngologist.
Speaker 1:That's right, otolaryngologist you folks out there say that word Autolaryngologist. That's right, autolaryngologist, you folks out there say that word Autolaryngologist. No, yes.
Speaker 2:How about you want to see how many words I can say? You can say no, ma'am, why?
Speaker 1:Let's continue our show, keep it on track.
Speaker 2:Oh really, yes, Okay, now we're going to be like that. You were in left field as the daughters today you know, what I had to bring you back around I was so just, it was so honoring that somebody was like you know, all this, I don't even know, why I'm telling you this.
Speaker 2:And so he's like oh, the doctor, yes, I'll tell your husband. He's like because you already know all this. And he's like you're a scientist and it was just that to me was the best compliment ever, like, not about anything, really, from an outside person. Right, I'm saying from an outside party. I praise you all the time. I said from an outside person, not saying from my husband, I'm saying from an outside person, that's what I said, it was very flattering to hear that, not from my.
Speaker 2:Listen to the words coming out of my mouth, not from my husband, an outside person. You know what was also flattering. If you mention, let's have this, because everybody loves our playful banter. You want to talk about that?
Speaker 1:tiktok video no oh no, I was talking about your, your hispanic friend no, but you know what here you can say this about it.
Speaker 2:So we had this person and I'm not going to be in, you know anything specific whatever.
Speaker 2:He reached out out and wanted something and every excuse came up under the sun, and it wasn't just reaching out once. This person reached out like four different ways, four different times. Then reached out to my husband and then calls my husband and starts talking about everything except what she should have been trying to talk about, like she offered to pick him up, she offered to take him to her home and I'm sitting right there I say nothing. Now my husband will tell you that when it comes to jealousy, I have zero. Is that safe? That's great.
Speaker 1:None, why are you not jealous?
Speaker 2:Because I've never been jealous.
Speaker 1:Because is not an answer, because why it is too.
Speaker 2:Because I've never been a jealous woman Ever.
Speaker 1:Okay, that doesn't answer my question. Why are you not jealous about me? Because you don't do that. There you go, good girl, that's what I'm looking for. So this TikTok video, because you won't do that there you go.
Speaker 2:Good girl, that's what I'm looking for. So this TikTok video.
Speaker 1:Anyway, so this? This all started because I tried to sell an item.
Speaker 2:Right. And then she comes back and says something so out of left field for me oh, that was yours anyway. Said something so far out left field. She's like, oh, I haven't been to you, it's only been my husband speaking and I no no, it hasn't been your husband speaking, it's been you and no, no, no, uh-uh, and she goes out like so far you think I went out in the field.
Speaker 2:No, she goes way out and says something like you're jealous of me and that's why you have a problem. And I was like your. Her pos car has nothing to do with what you were trying to get. Your two dogs, your snow blow machine, your snoopy adventure, I don't care. Whatever it is you want to talk about, that's nothing to do with this. Oh, you're jealous and I was like okay, I don't know where you're going with this, and all I said, very soft and quiet in the message, was okay, obviously you don't know me I.
Speaker 1:I'm not jealous.
Speaker 2:I know where my husband is, I know where my husband will be and you are subconsciously like throwing this out there, because you have your own insecurity.
Speaker 2:So I wish you good luck. Hope you find what you're looking for. Give me a reason to call text or smoke signal us again. And the reason I have to reiterate this was obviously she didn't understand, because she would message and women get this. Have to reiterate this was obviously she didn't understand, because she would message and women get this, women get this. She would message my husband, like before. It would go ding and ding and ding. It was like repeat on, like just rerun over and over and over and over again, and it was in later in the evening and you're like you know, and he'll tell you how. I think you know he says all the time like I'm so lucky to have a wife that's, you know, has a good sense of humor. What is it you said the other night it was really sweet, you have a good sense of humor, you're not jealous. Um, you know, and and he's like it's such a refreshing, it is very refreshing.
Speaker 1:My wife is a very clean woman. Meaning Sorry Meaning.
Speaker 2:I'm going to refrain.
Speaker 1:This is my soulmate y'all. I don't have to. When I go to work, I don't have to worry, Even though we have 10 or 11 cameras here. I don't have to worry that More than that, joey bag of donuts from down the street is watching when my truck leaves the driveway to come over here and have an affair with my wife. I know my wife is clean and I trust her. Say it no, I trust her implicitly.
Speaker 2:Implicitly.
Speaker 1:They know I'm a redneck and I can't talk right, also implicitly, implicitly decent. Okay. So I'm so proud to have a wife like that because in the past I've had cheater wife's wife's pearl you've had like um.
Speaker 1:So you know, I'm always thankful, you know, and I tell it all the time. Thank you for being a trusting wife. I can sit here and talk to another female uh, almost about anything on, whether it be, you know, marketplace, facebook or any social media, and the wife's right here and you know, and she trusts me, I can walk out of the room and then I trust her.
Speaker 1:She's, she's in here, she's doing zoom calls, she's doing videos, she's, she's talking to folks all day long, she's on the computer, uh, and, and then you know I don't even talk with celebrities I don't. I don't control where my wife goes. I don't keep track of her. We have our phones to where we can find each other, but that's also on our kid's phone and we show her that that she's not, you know, specifically excluded for that one purpose. We do it for all of us, like today.
Speaker 2:Here's a good example, because my husband always gets lost everywhere. It was like in an airport parking lot, but sorry, only for an hour yes, that was an hour.
Speaker 1:So today I I uh took time to cut the grass here late in the evening. Well, I ran up on a snake and, of course, being dad, I grabbed the snake and called the wife and tell her hey, send faith to the window so I could show her in fairness, I'm also playing like devil's advocate, because snakes won't bother me and she is petrified she's been petrified for years and we and I have been working on her right.
Speaker 2:but she wants me to be in the same way with her and I'm like, oh, I can watch them on TV, I can look at them, I can go next to them. I'm fine with them. I mean, I don't want one as a pet, but I'm fine with them. I don't have an issue with them. And she can't even look at one, she slips.
Speaker 1:So she came to the window and I'm still outside. She had no idea and you saw the snake and she saw it through the camera.
Speaker 2:Yes, she didn't even make it to the window. Okay, I couldn't even get her to come to the window.
Speaker 1:So after releasing the snake in the neighbor's yard, Did you put it far enough where it won't come back. It was a baby rainneck snake Very harmless. Well, I knew that it ate worms and bugs. So I come back and talk to my daughter I'm sorry, our daughter, thank you. And I said baby girl, what did you see? She said I saw you holding a snake. I said okay, let me change your perspective on this.
Speaker 1:I said dad was out there and holding the snake that he caught. Why did he catch the snake that he caught? Why did he catch the snake To remove it from our yard? Because he knows that our girl doesn't like snakes. Okay, I said you saw that. The way I see it now correct. She said yes, I said so. Dad's out there doing his job, protecting you. He's not trying to harass you and prank you and put a snake in your bed. He's trying to protect you and he's showing you that. So I was just trying to get her to see it differently. That way, you know, she puts more trust in me and you also picked up like how big was that?
Speaker 2:But that snake skin, it was several feet.
Speaker 1:I was like three and a half feet tall.
Speaker 2:Right, you picked this up. And then she's like what she thought it was a snake snake, not the skin, and I'm like it's a snake skin, skin.
Speaker 2:Now, going off of what you say whenever we go and we're walking around the store or anything like that, because I hate shopping and we see snake skin and I'll go to touch it and I'm like, hey, you're gonna feel this. And I was like what do you think it's gonna come back to life? Like it's not. She won't even touch shoes or a purse or a wallet or anything. That was what to say. And I and like it's just the skin and she's like and it can stay over there and she will go away and walk all the way around, not come near it, and that's the other thing.
Speaker 1:I pointed out to her that one dad caught the snake protecting you to get rid of it, and two dad's not gonna pick up a poisonous snake and I said that's not that dumb at all, brother that opened up the door. She started laughing. She said well, you had your moments welcome to playful banter yes, yes but you can't.
Speaker 2:You went off in left field there, victoria, because you were talking about how we have this talking about our children no, we were talking about the stress issue we have, you know, with the opposite sex.
Speaker 1:You know, the thing is is that he's in other people's houses, he's had, he's gone to someone's house and they open the door on a towel and he came inside the garage with me in a towel, right, nothing but a towel and a smile, and he came home and told me and I was like, okay, you know, and the thing is, what? How many times have I told you women's ugly? I don't know. Most of them are old, older but then you know it's.
Speaker 2:It's kind of like he says I don't know. Previously he's had to like block his phone and he doesn't allow. He didn't allow them in his phone, his others, but um with me, I have the code and you know and he's like babe, my phone's ringing, check it.
Speaker 2:I'm like no it's not my phone he's like I don't care, or the text message goes off. He's like who's texting me and I'm like I don't know, it's not my phone. And he's like, babe, it's fine, open it up and I'll say hey, like my phone might be upstairs charging and I'll say hey can I look?
Speaker 2:I look at something on Google and he's like you don't have to ask, just pick up my phone. And I'm the exact same way, unless it's like Father's Day or a birthday and we might see something, and he's that way too. But we hide nothing from each other, nothing. And it's so refreshing because you don't have to worry. You know we tell each other.
Speaker 2:Well, first we tell each other everything, and then, second, you know, I hand him my phone and you know, he even says to Faith he's like look, I'm going through my phone and she's like okay, and he's like you know what, if she has somebody else and Faith's like my mom would never cheat on you ever, and she goes. But if you cheat on mom, snip, snip you boy. She's just hilarious and we have that understanding.
Speaker 1:And let me tell you when you have that in your marriage.
Speaker 2:I think it takes it to a whole different level, because there's a respect and there's understanding and it's just there's almost like a freedom to it where the answer is don't have to worry. You know, like before my husband, if I've never been a jealous person, but like if I was seeing someone and they were like oh, I'm gonna go out with somebody else. Okay, good, nice, knowing you.
Speaker 2:I'm out, I'm done, not even gonna think twice Ever, you know, and I hate to say that because I would have- them replaced by the end of the day, Like next let's go. Who am I going to have on the count? But I didn't know you. You're the only one who ever broke my heart. I said thank you for acknowledging how beautiful you are Whatever. But I'm not going to say it, but you're the only woman who ever broke my heart. And Faith actually told him.
Speaker 2:You know, mom used to compare any guy who ever talked to her, to you, and there was like this, the standard, like okay, you're, you're coming up and approaching, but you're not, you're not michael, and so you'll never be, and so bye, I'm not into wasting my time, bye and it's. You know. Just I know, like it's so weird because had you said to me 30 years ago, you're gonna meet your soulmate and you're gonna know it, I've been like, just say no to drugs. And then I would think about that commercial where you crack the egg is in your head. You're right on drugs. But the night I met you, I knew, and ever after I knew and I've told faith a hundred times, like we were with this doctor today, and he even said years and years ago, when I first met her, 10 plus years ago, whatever it was, 15 years ago she told me about Idiot the bad man and she said there's only one man I will ever let be a father to Faith.
Speaker 2:Because I was being asked is there? A role model in her life and I said there's only one man. I've ever let hold that level and it's him and he, he told Michael that today he's like.
Speaker 1:That's absolutely true.
Speaker 2:Like and that's not the first doctor. Many of them have all said oh we know, about you and that's true because I've always known and it's just like to lay down next to your best friend is such a gift and we laugh all the time. I don't even think that's a fair thing, like we're at the doctor's office and we're cracking up we are in the car.
Speaker 1:We are cracking up.
Speaker 2:I mean, I don't know how to say that Like we are always laughing every day. I don't know how to say that, like we are always laughing every day, all three of us.
Speaker 1:The best thing ever is the playful banter between him and our daughter it is downright hysterical.
Speaker 2:It is so like part of her thing today, is they?
Speaker 1:were asking her some questions.
Speaker 2:She came in fit to be tied because they asked her a personal question and she wasn't having it like just not gonna have it, and she let them know that it was not okay and we got into the vehicle and she let loose and, of course, what does my husband do? I just my husband, yeah push that button he takes that button and just almost gives his finger a seizure. You know pushing that button, you know. On the same subject, and she's like dad stop, dad it.
Speaker 2:Dad, it's enough, dad, it's enough. And then she's like go shut up. And he's like what did you just say? And she's like I'm sorry, but I cannot deal with it and I'm trying to drive in traffic. No caffeine and it's like it's a riot. They're amazing together.
Speaker 1:So what's our statistics as far as gender? Who listen to our show? Do you know?
Speaker 2:It's more females than males.
Speaker 1:Okay, that probably gives me.
Speaker 2:But no, not as much as you think Last time. I checked which was like a couple months ago, we were at 54% female.
Speaker 1:Is that right and?
Speaker 2:46% male.
Speaker 1:Okay, give me a microphone. So, guys, let me talk to you.
Speaker 2:No, I'm not saying.
Speaker 1:Open up everything to your significant other. Okay, I did that upon very even before I married this lovely other. Okay, I did that upon very Even before I married this lovely young lady. I opened up everything to her, told her all them damn skeletons.
Speaker 2:What.
Speaker 1:Them skeletons, skeletons, skeletons, skeletons Pulled them all out of the closet, opened up every drawer left, every rug. I showed her everything, told her everything. There might be some things I forgot, but pretty much everything was on the table before I married her right, Because I wanted her to know who you were getting involved with.
Speaker 2:I think I knew you.
Speaker 1:You thought you knew me.
Speaker 2:But you were getting involved with. I think I knew you, you thought you knew me, but you were. You were stunned when you finally told me.
Speaker 1:You thought, you told me everything you were like.
Speaker 2:What was my reaction?
Speaker 1:you knew some things that I didn't think you knew of course.
Speaker 2:And then what was my reaction at the end?
Speaker 1:okay, now what? So? So you hear that. So it wasn't as bad as you think. It might be okay to open up, and when I when I say open up, I mean open up, sit on the end of your bed naked with no clothes on and have this discussion with your significant other.
Speaker 1:Just let them know everything that you have kept hidden. Okay, and then, if you're a cheater, okay, admit it and then get rid of that, that, that loose end that girlfriend, that boyfriend, delete their phone number or whatever, and open up to your wife. Change your number if you have to. The amount of stress and freedom, as my wife explained, is it's just, it's a good feeling, y'all. Okay, I can go to sleep instantly with my phone next to the, to the bed or on her side of bed, I don't care. If she has my phone for the entire day, she can look at every little thing in the little black book, as it used to be called right, but I never right, I have no side burner.
Speaker 1:Uh, in fact, we have every login and password to everything that we can think of that we're on every account, every social media platform, uh, everything. And we haven't even written down in a book that we keep in our safe. I probably shouldn't have said that it wasn't even better. You and.
Speaker 2:I like a lot of females. You know, kim, bless her heart. May she rest in peace. She would never have her, her ex-husband who passed away. She would have never shared our information with each other, like if I wanted to talk to Steve, I would have never, shared our information with each other.
Speaker 2:Like, if I wanted to talk to Steve, I would have to say, hey, can I talk to Steve for a minute? And she'd say okay and hand him the phone because she was so insecure, believe it or not, that she was worried he would flirt or hit on me or whatever. And you can put me in a room full of men and I'm not going to flirt. And if you have somebody, I'm not touching them. And I should be the wife's best friend because I'll tell you hey, you're man skaters, right, but she never would let her friends become friends with receive, ever.
Speaker 2:And you and I don't have that we have. Like, your friends are my closest friends, like you talk to them, you're on social media with them, you know they reach out and talk to you and they have conversations or text you or whatever, and I don't ask what they say and you know you've had the same thing with me and vice versa, and you know it's it's. It's refreshing because you don't have to go around and say what did she say to you? What, like? Now? I do that because I hate surprises if he's working with someone to do something I don't like, for a gift or whatever, but that's different.
Speaker 1:But there's such a freedom to know that that's there I don't, I don't have to keep up with the lies.
Speaker 2:That's when I didn't know how you did it when I really learned the truth back then.
Speaker 1:I don't know how women are, but us guys, you know, it's not that we just have one on the side, we may have multiple. And to keep up, one lie with, you know, a, and then one lie with b, and then one lie with c, we were doing something. And then come back to your spouse.
Speaker 2:It's just, it's such a huge relief did you ever feel guilty for cheating on your spouse? Not?
Speaker 1:that I don't remember because it's been 20, 30 years ago. I'm old y'all. By the way, I had a birthday here recently, which was I had a good birthday. I made you cake and an excellent wedding. They were both in the same day. I got remarried to the soulmate of my life.
Speaker 2:We do it every year on a different date so that he can use the excuse.
Speaker 1:he doesn't remember and we added last year's ring to our copper tree of life. It's coming along. It's coming along. It's still kind of ugly looking.
Speaker 2:It's not ugly.
Speaker 1:You know, it's kind of one of those things you know you pity it, but it's beautiful.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:So we have three sets of rings on there now. So we get married every year Renew our vows and we add the previous year's ring to a branch.
Speaker 2:And you really are taken to this year's ring. I love this ring. This is awesome.
Speaker 1:It's a black, it's not onyx, but it's tungsten with a gold band in the top of it. Yeah, nugget.
Speaker 2:So obviously you know we can't afford the nugget rings.
Speaker 1:As my wife said, we are frugal. We go with the tungsten because they're comfortable on our they don't. I've had an issue where I broke out here recently with a silicone band that I've had for a while. Yeah so, guys, if you are listening, um, you know look in your spouse's eyes and oh, my god, I look at my wife all the time, every every podcast.
Speaker 1:I look at her eyes all the time. Every podcast I look at her eyes like almost the entire show, if I'm not looking up at the one of the lights in the cameras.
Speaker 2:So and look your spouse in the eyes and say something from your heart.
Speaker 1:I love you.
Speaker 2:Just for that I have to tell everybody this joke. So today at the office, my husband, I make these faces because I'm very like face making, or whatever you want to call it, because I have a master's in sign language, and so you really are expressive in your face when you're talking with your hands, and so I very frequently cross my eyes I know I'm gonna get stuck that way, focus crap.
Speaker 2:But I cross my eyes. And my husband today pulls the jeff foxworthy out and says I can cross my eyes too. And I said, okay, let's see. And he tried and I'm like, when are you gonna do it? He's like I am doing it and I was like, no, seriously, when are you gonna? But here you do it. And he really believed in his big old heart of hearts that he was crossing his eyes. And I said baby, you're not crossing your eyes. He was like, yes, I am, I feel it. Okay, no. So he says, take a picture. And I said okay. So he's like tell me when. I said when. And so he tried so hard, he had tears in his eyes.
Speaker 2:He says my eyes are burning like a little cartoon my biscuits are burning. But he was like my eyes are burning, my eyes are burning and I said here now I turn the phone around and anybody who's ever seen Dr. Doolittle when they take the tail off and put the thermometer in the butt and the animal goes hello. It's about what? Michael looks like when I showed him this picture of his eyes, because he thought he was we were cracking up laughing.
Speaker 2:It was hilarious. And he was like stop, I have to pee. And I'm like well, sorry. So faith comes in. And I said guess what dad thinks he can cross his eyes? And she was like yeah, right, and so he tries. And I showed her the picture and she cracks up and she's laughing hysterically. And so she's like hey, and so she puts her glasses down and she crosses her eyes and then she goes on to say I said she's got you wrapped around her fingers. She's like no, I'll tend you know, and he's like what?
Speaker 2:and she's like yeah, I'll tend and it's. I love it because we always laugh like it doesn't matter. We make fun times with anything like. She's just hysterical. I think the best and I know you don't want to say you don't want me to say this, but you know she does give him a pretty hard time about his past, because he has told her that he's a reformed slut and so she.
Speaker 1:She does hound him about this quite frequently, so it's like the other day.
Speaker 2:She says, dad, you know, mom has to take a wedding room off for her surgery. And he's like that's okay, you know, I know it's good, whatever. And I'm watching the time because I can't eat anything after a few minutes. So she says, well, not only that, but you know she's basically naked on the or table. And I'm like I don't understand that, because let's be real, if you're having let's just say something done on your head why do you have to?
Speaker 1:be naked under the OR table.
Speaker 2:Like women, can wear cotton bra and panties. It's not going to catch fire because there's no metal. Why can't we have a little dignity under there? Right, because you know I am heterosexual and I don't have anything wrong with people who go whichever way. But I can look at a female and say she's a pretty person. Right, there are pretty nurses out there. But it seems like whenever I'm having surgery, now, if you're married or whatever, you're automatically off the list.
Speaker 2:And when I was single and I was having surgeries like every two weeks, I would be like we don't have a McDreamy, we don't have a McSteamy, we don't have any eye candy, and I don't have eye candies in my OR and I'm like I literally come in here, I'm laying here naked on the table, vulnerable, and I've got nobody to look at, nothing, it's just whatever. So faye goes on and says mom's going to be on the table at her wedding ring on naked, with an all-male staff tomorrow.
Speaker 2:And of course michael's like wait what? And it's just hilarious. And now she's torturing him with this and she told me privately earlier she goes. I will remind dad while you're back there that these men are doing things to you on the table and you can't do anything about it.
Speaker 1:That's not right. The last time you were in she sent me the one of the hottest mail that was alert.
Speaker 2:You gotta tell that. Go ahead. No, you have to tell it. Okay, you can help me tell it. So I, as all women, do have to go to the OBGYN and have our, you know, duck bill procedure that we all hate, and so I'm going in for this procedure and of course, Faith is with me.
Speaker 2:And so I had told her that the day she starts to have intercourse is the next day she comes in and gets this bill, and you know, and that's like what happens which is, by the way, moms, the best best talk you could ever give to your kids, because then she's like I'm never having sex for, because I don't want that thing to remind them how bad it hurts and so I'm going in and my surgeon, my OB, is a surgeon and she is amazing and she has her chief in there and her chief is of Asian descent.
Speaker 2:Well, and it's a female. She's female, super nice and super pregnant, like eight and a half months pregnant, right, and they is in there just talking for a minute and then they're like all right, sweetheart, you have to go right outside this door to the waiting area while your mom gets examined. And so she goes and sends my husband what did you send him?
Speaker 1:A picture of a male nurse a male doctor, male doctor. And handsome as fuck. You know, just muscular, handsome black hair the asian, the. What would you say? I would say five o'clock shadow beard. You know that looks good on, so I didn't examine him that closely oh yeah, he was a handsome fella he was asian and for her to send me that. Knowing my girl, I I knew she was pranking me.
Speaker 2:Not at first. You didn't, you did not.
Speaker 1:And I'll go along with it to get her to laugh, because we love to hear a laugh from our girl. Because let me tell y'all, those weeks that she was with a ventilator down her gullet.
Speaker 2:Which I'll have tomorrow.
Speaker 1:You know we begged to hear her. We took the weight to hear her fall Right. But you know I always want to make her laugh and to me that's Dad's job.
Speaker 2:So you get this picture of this hot Asian guy who is?
Speaker 1:And I'm like, oh hell, no. And she's like I'm coming in hell. No, and she's like, and I'm coming in there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and she goes. I had to go to the waiting room, but I just wanted you to know she's in good hands. Here is the guy who's held and spread and all that is hilarious. And I didn't see the picture. Well, she comes in and she shows the OB, the female OB and the female Asian chief resident, and they both almost lost it. They were laughing so hard that one of them started having tears in her eyes and she's like. I love these pranks.
Speaker 1:These are hilarious.
Speaker 2:And I said can I see what you did?
Speaker 1:And I look at it and I went. I see what you did.
Speaker 2:And I look at it. I went, oh my god. And so she was like, yeah, he's all up in there right now, dad. And I'm like oh my god. And she was like yeah, and I said, why would you do this? And she goes, why would I not? And it made me feel worse, because later on he showed me this and she looks at me and she goes should I tell him that he looks just like your ex? And I was like no, and she just thought it was hilarious to poke the bear.
Speaker 1:Well, she's got some catching up to do, because when she came back from the hospital I'm going to tell you something I peeked out her bedroom Barbie bedsheets, Barbie pillow, pink bear, about 50 pink balloons, pink tissue paper, the wall, the ceiling it was everywhere. Everything was pink.
Speaker 2:She comes in and she's like I know you did something, I know you did something. Now this kid has been in the icu for months. She almost passed away numerous times. She can barely walk when we bring her home and we knew because she had her pick line and like three other tubes and drains that we were going to move her bed into our bedroom, so she would literally be right there because both of us have our hearing and so she would be in her bed across the room, but right there with all the equipment.
Speaker 2:So she opens the door and she looks over at it. She's standing there next to Michael and there's like 50 balloons and she's like, well, I know where all your hot air went and she goes. You've had like months and this is the best thing you could come up with and she was like, because mom never went home, you went home to, like, take care of the dogs and go to work when you had to, and this was all you got, and so she's patient, as anything she looks and goes.
Speaker 2:Mom, can you help me in the bathroom? And I'm like, yeah, so I walk her to the bathroom, thinking she can't walk to the bathroom yet because she hadn't been walking, and I take her to the bathroom and she took a pillow, or no, I'm sorry, I apologize. She took a towel, made it like a pillow and screamed it and she goes. I will not give this to him. What the f? And she was like, and she was like, and she was like oh my god, it's on. I cannot believe he did this to me. He's gonna fix it. He's gonna fix it. He's gonna. I am so. I've been pissed and I'm like watch your mouth, she's. I almost died, I don't have to watch my. And you're like. And so she literally is like I am living and I will not clean it up, I will not, I'm gonna get in. This is war. And so she walks out.
Speaker 2:I didn't hear any of this Right, because she had the water on and the pillow and she walks out and she looks at you, she put her hand on you and she goes. Nice, try for an amateur If you want to play in the big leagues you've got to step up your game. Yep, and I'm like just a minute ago she was, was in there just and I'm looking at her and she just wakes at me. That is faith, that is the relationship she has with her dad and that is amazing.
Speaker 2:I love all of our amazing listeners and I want to thank you for that, and if I cut it short, I'm never the one who cuts it short my husband's always the one who cuts it short because I am told I cannot and this will not air tomorrow, it's going to air next week.
Speaker 2:So they the thing will be off. But I'm not allowed to have anything to eat or drink after midnight. And what I don't understand is that don't laugh, it's not funny. Is that like if you go to the hospital and I've had how many surgeries now?
Speaker 1:About 187.
Speaker 2:Not a half. That's I hospital and I've had how many surgeries? Now about 187 not that's.
Speaker 1:I don't want that number fix it that's I'm telling.
Speaker 2:What are you having eating that? So you go in, if you go in if you know, you know what for surgery 187 and like 5 am or 6 am arrival, then I understand not eating after or drinking after midnight. I'm fine not having food, but I have to have my tea. I have to have my own sweet tea. It's really not advantageous for people to be around me if I haven't had my tea around redhead and I'm right and I'm happy I eat.
Speaker 2:So it really is not smart. So I have all those factors to play. Plus I have secondary concussion syndrome. So I get headaches every single day as it is, just some days are worse than others. So I understand the whole like five, six-hour thing.
Speaker 2:But I get told today that my time for my thing is late, like not night late, like after lunch late, and I can't have anything after midnight. And I'm like, no, I don't care, care about the food, but you better go find me an anesthesiologist and understand that I'm coming in there having my teeth because you have people who have emergent surgery. You know, this is that and the other I'm having my freaking teeth. I'm telling you you don't want to come in that room if I have it. It's not smart. And so she writes him back and says, yes, you can have it up to six hours prior and I'm like, great, that's fine, I'll be having a gallon, no problem. But it's just common courtesy. I mean, you're gonna have us in there, I don't care that I'm hungry, whatever. And you make us hurry up and wait. If you have a anybody with surgery, let's say you have a six-day arrival.
Speaker 2:They don't start till 8 30. Why do we have to hurry? Up and wait, I can understand 30, 45 minutes early, in case they get done sooner and they can get you back sooner. I get that, but like an hour and a half, two hours early, that's ludicrous, I seriously. Why are you laughing at me?
Speaker 1:One, because you talk about Mr Chris. You haven't heard the commercial, have you? Two, you mentioned that you're half Yankee. Thought you had a little Southern in you, which I am. Oh, you stole my thunder. You heifer, you, heifer. This is how well my wife knows me. You have her. You have her. This is how well my wife knows me. I'm talking about the same page. We live on the same page all the time, and with that we're going to wrap it up and we're going to get her a small snack here. Y'all keep listening and share what you can. We love it. We see that y'all share a lot, a lot of downloads that y'all keep of the episodes that we do. Y'all want to come on the show.
Speaker 2:please write me, Solomon, why is?
Speaker 1:it only right to you.
Speaker 2:Because I get 20,000 emails a week.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to take a little work off of you.
Speaker 1:Let me get a show here and y'all stay safe, okay? A contagious smile, unstoppable Victoria and Michael and faith. Thank y'all.