Shawn McGuire Meeks and his dad, Jack Meeks continue their conversation, connecting a mother’s influence to the love Jack has for his gay son and now for trans grandson Max (who transitioned from Mia).
They revisit how Jack reconnected with extended family through a cousin relationship and how that eventually led to knowing Max from infancy, though only periodically. Jack shares how he first learned about Max’s transition from Max’s uncle and later through Max’s older sister and reflects on his instinct to approach the situation with a lesson he learned long ago: “listen, listen, love, love.”
The conversation explores the family rejection Max faced, his deep emotions before attending the “Magic of Listening” weekend, and how being around grounded, loving adults shifted him. Jack describes stepping up as a supportive male relative, attending Max’s graduation, and feeling honored to mentor him.
A key moment is Max asking to call Jack “Gramps,” deepening their relationship, followed by a Christmas Eve surprise visit from Max and his family.
Shawn and Jack discuss how love and acceptance can heal generational trauma, how sincerity and authenticity matter, and how rigid religious beliefs can become exclusionary. The episode closes with reflections and a call to stop the ripple of rejection and start a ripple of grace, and a listener challenge to consider who they have chosen as family and where mentorship and belonging can be claimed.
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FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Welcome Back: Ripples of Love & Today’s Topic—A Trans Grandson
00:42 Recap of Prior Episodes + Introducing “Magic Max”
01:23 Family Ties Explained: Cousins, Live Oak, and Reconnecting After Years
03:21 Mia as a Child: How Often They Saw Each Other
04:21 Hearing About the Transition: The Call, the News, and Initial Reactions
06:31 “Listen, Love, Love”: A Prison Ministry Lesson Applied to Family Acceptance
08:25 Stepping Up as Family: The Hotel Blanche Conversation with Max & Holly
10:00 From “Mad Max” to “Magic of Listening”: Finding Grounded, Loving Adults
12:39 Chosen Family Moment: Max Asks to Call Jack “Grandfather”
13:33 How Being Trans Changed the Family Dynamic—and Opened a New Window
15:16 Watching Their Bond Heal Old Wounds (and a Little Jealousy)
16:10 “Call Me Gramps”: How the Grandfather Name Happened
17:46 Christmas Surprise & Meeting Max’s Family
19:58 The Ripple Effect: From Anger to Purpose Through Listening
21:53 Scars, Laughter, and the “Triangle of Love”
24:30 Authenticity vs. Performance: The Nixon “Be Sincere” Story
25:39 Redefining Family & Faith: Love Over Rigid Religion
28:07 You Are Not Alone: Prison Ministry Story & Final Micro‑Challenge
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