21. Family Part 2: Who Shows Up For You?

We're excited to announce our first guests on the podcast — my stepbrother Jimmy and his partner Jackie!! We an honest, beautiful conversation about what family actually is. It’s less about blood and more about who shows up: the people who hold you through grief, who make English muffins at dawn, or who fly across the country for chemo.

Family came up as responsibility, duty, acceptance, and unconditional love, but also as something fluid you get to shape. We talked about addiction, caregiving, and those painful, unavoidable parts of family — and how those hard moments can also be the ones that deepen our bonds.

We swapped ritual stories — pizza nights, game and puzzle tables that spark real conversation, Sunday traditions, and shared projects — little customs that create safety and connection. Those small, repeatable acts are the glue: they give us reasons to overlap, to be together, and to become closer.

We also dug into labels and belonging: partners who aren’t married, family trees that don’t include every loved one, and generational ways of seeing things. The takeaway? You can expand your definition. You can choose to show up. You can be the kind of person who makes someone else feel like family.

If there’s one thing to walk away with: cherish the people who show up, make space for new traditions, and don’t underestimate how lucky and grateful you can be for the family you build. Now go call someone you love — maybe invite them over for pizza.

Connect with Us:

• Sarah Koch: @radintimacy | radintimacy.com
• Bryan Russell: @sadhanayogaschool | sadhanayoga.com
• Suggest a topic: DM us or email [e-mail]

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