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Morgan
This is an iHeart podcast.
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Morgan
Was the same time last year where I decided to do an episode that addressed a lot of holiday struggles and it was one that I didn't realize so Many of us needed. Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love the warm lights, I love the yummy treats and spending time with family and friends and going to holiday pop up bars where there's all kinds of pretty sparkly decorations. And I put up my Christmas decorations way earlier than the world approves of because I can't wait for the season to come. But what I realized in doing that episode and gearing up to do that first episode was how much this holiday also means grief and sorrow and sadness and anger and comes with many more emotions than just joy. And so I had done that episode in hopes to bring people together even more in a season that's meant to bring people together, but not through the happiness and the lights and the presence, but through things that are hard. And you guys all shared so many things about your lives and you've done it this year again in audio form so people can hear your voices through the things that you've gone through. And I cannot wait to share these things that you've shared with me and been vulnerable enough to open up so that other people can feel less alone through similar things they may be facing. And I know that not only with Christmas, New Year's follows soon after. And that means people are going to be posting a lot of highlight reels, a lot of things that you're gonna see where they had this banger year and you're gonna look at it and say, holy crap, that's not what my life looks like at all. And I need you to know that it's not what most of our lives look like. Now I'm gonna give you a vulnerable moment.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
For me.
Morgan
This has been a beautiful year for me, along with a really hard year. I've lost certain people close to me in different friendships and a lot of things have happened in my family. And I have been heartbroken over dealing with my dog and my cat, both being diagnosed with two lifelong diseases that we're now having to face and treat for the rest of their lives. And at the same time meeting someone who I genuinely believe I'm going to spend the rest of my life with, and also having my dog and cat make full recoveries at this moment in time, and having people who do surround me that love me and support me in so many ways. So while this year thankfully hasn't come with much grief in the passing, since I do identify with those as I've lost both of my grandparents and the holidays often bring that grief back up because I miss going to their house on Christmas Eve to Play poker with all my uncles when I was very much not good at it. But I'd sit on my dad's lap and steal all his coins to play it. And the holidays do bring up hard things. As much as it could be a beautiful year, and it has been an awesome year, I look at this life that I've gotten to live in the past year, and I got to host my first ever show that's gonna be on streaming platforms. And my health is improving after years of me putting it through the ringer. And I did meet someone incredibly special. So I know that a lot of us are feeling mixed feelings with the holiday approaching and with the season happening already. So it's why I do this episode. And I can't wait to now dive into all of the things that you guys have shared. And I hope all of us throughout this episode can feel seen and connected, and maybe, just maybe, it will make this holiday a little bit easier. And if you're watching this on YouTube, then I have my emotional support water bottle here, because one, I don't drink near enough water. But also I have a feeling I'm just gonna need a few water breaks throughout this episode. I almost already needed one. So we're gonna start here. I'm not gonna share any names. People were kind enough to share them, but I think it's best just to share their voices and let you hear their stories. So we're gonna start here with the first one.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
Honestly, 2025 was the hardest year that I've ever walked through. And as we just went through Thanksgiving.
Morgan
And now we're approaching Christmas and the.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
New year, it's hard. I don't feel excited or joyful. And you see all these people around you and on social media, and it feels like everybody else is so happy.
Morgan
And joyful and has wonderful friends and family.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
And yes, I'm surrounded by people, but I'm surrounded by people, yet I feel so alone. And I know as the new year approaches, everyone's going to be posting their highlight reels and all the things that they've accomplished this year. And truly, I feel like the only.
Morgan
Thing I've accomplished this year is surviving it. Well, I think a lot of us can relate to that because surviving not thriving has been the phrase for many for several years. And it is a very isolating feeling to feel like you're just surviving all the time. And the health struggles I've dealt with this year, I've realized a lot about myself and about my body and that I was in fight or flight For a really long time following a very traumatic episode in my life. And it just continued to spiral with the way that I was treating and allowing myself to feel. And I think it can be so difficult to find our way out when we feel alone, when we feel like we can't come back from something. And I know that feeling all too well where you sit in a room and you're surrounded by people and it seems like it'd be beautiful, but everything in you is numb or everything and you can't feel what's happening in that moment and you need away from it. I hope you know that's normal. I don't think anybody for a hundred percent of their life ever feels completely on. And we've all had these moments, whether it be because of hard things or just because mental health has been pushed to the limits. It's okay to feel that way. And you're definitely not alone in that struggle. We got another one here. In January, I bought the family business.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
In April, I left my abusive ex husband and became a single mom. Yesterday, a judge granted me said divorce, despite him fighting against it every step of the way. And this month I turned 30. Even though good things have happened to me this year, it still feels bittersweet because I'm grieving the life I thought.
Morgan
I would have by the time I turned 30. First. I want to say if you again are watching on YouTube, you saw my fist bump, because anybody leaving an abusive relationship should have all the praise in the world. It's one of the hardest things to get out of, and especially with kids. I cannot imagine the extra toll it took on your body to go through that divorce, to fight like hell to get out of it and put yourself first for once in what was probably years. And I know that it's going to be a long road ahead, long road for healing for you and a long road of recovery for your whole family. But I'm proud of you. I'm so proud that you did take that step and put yourself first and fought to do it. And while the road is going to be long, it's going to be bright and it will be beautiful, and you're going to thank yourself a whole lot. I'm sure you already are as you sent that voice note. Because I would imagine a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders in a whole bunch of different ways. And taking over a family business while also doing all of that is absolutely wild. And you're a superhuman. And I think it's so cool that you believed in yourself to do all of it. And we should praise us. Getting to do the things that we've always wanted to do and finally doing them. That's an accomplishment all in itself. But I can also imagine the grief that's coming. When I had left my abusive relationship, it was incredibly difficult to remember all the bad things that happened, not only just because I blocked them out, but because he had me really believing in a life that was supposed to happen. And I had to rewrite the entire life that I wanted for my future and rewrite a lot of my story that didn't have another narrative in it. So that grief that comes with that will be hard, but I'm just so proud of you. And I think this is going to be your next best season yet. And I hope that your community rallies around you and your village to help you raise your kiddos in a way that's beautiful and protected. And I hope that just all the good things come your way. This is kind of up the same realm. So I put these two together.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
This season is rough for me because it's a constant reminder that I had to give up the life I was living to pursue the life I was dreaming of. I've been divorced from my husband for 10 years now.
Morgan
We have both moved on.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
I've been with my fiance for a little over three years now. But me and my ex share three kids. So the holiday season is a constant reminder of missed tradition memories and moments that I didn't get to have with my kids.
Morgan
And he didn't get to.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
Have with them either. It's just rough. It's hard to put your mental well being over everything else. So this is just a reminder that it's hard. But at the end it's worth.
Morgan
Is absolutely worth it. And two things can be true, right? That it's the best thing you did to get a divorce, while also it was hard and you wish that it did work out. And it's beautiful that you have both moved on and found different lives. But I don't know that the grief ever goes away. I don't have kids, so I cannot speak from that perspective. But I don't know that you'll ever not grieve that life. I think it will always be part of you. I think anything we lose is always part of us. But over time it develops into different shape, form and memory, if you will. And I believe that this new life that you're creating is going to bring new memories that will start to make the old ones easier. But I just don't believe it'll ever go away, unfortunately. And there's a beautifulness to that that, that you can always have those memories and remember a life that you did have and a life that you created and you should be proud of. Because just because something ended doesn't mean you shouldn't be proud of it. You still did it. You still had that marriage, you still created beautiful children, and you're still living a beautiful life after that. We often have this finite reality when it comes to things ending. And there are some situations that it should absolutely be the case, as in the one just before this, talking about an abusive relationship that should be over and ended and no repeating and going back to it. But just because something ends doesn't mean it ends in our hearts and in our lives. And it doesn't have to. Just because you decided to close the chapter doesn't mean the whole story is over. And anybody could tell you a million different ways of how you should handle that. And I'm never going to tell anybody how to handle anything. But I think believing and replaying those memories is actually beneficial to you to continue to be proud of yourself that not only did you create a beautiful life first, but you also chose another path for you because you thought it was going to be better. And I think that's a great choice in so many ways. So there's the two true Two things can be true in that scenario. And I often know that that saying is easier said than done.
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Podcast Callers/Listeners
Okay, only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line.
Morgan
But first.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
There, the last one.
Morgan
Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes.
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Morgan
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Podcast Callers/Listeners
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Morgan
Get 15% off plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe at prolonlife.com iheart that's prolonlife.com iheartra when you own your.
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Morgan
6Am Make a new hire or promote internally.
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Morgan
Here's another one.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
So in 2019 my husband got a spinal cord injury three months after we had just got married and right before COVID and seeing him through his rehab I fell in love with occupational therapy and how it changed his life and gave him his independence back and seeing how it affected everybody else around him who were patients with him. And so I decided to make a complete career change and I was had a degree in marketing and I decided I'm going to switch and go to the medical field and get into occupational therapy. And so this year was the first year where it was I had a spring, summer, fall semester and I'm 30 and going back to school school full time like this has just been wild to me. I never thought that I would be able to do this. When I finished my marketing degree I was like hell yeah, get me out of school kind of thing. So it's really funny that I am going back to school full time and doing this. But I guess my advice is that you can always change your mind, you can always change your dream and opportunities will come for you and you just have to walk through that door and it's going to be hard and it's going to be challenging but you can get through it and you can survive.
Morgan
This Can I just say, holy crap that you guys got married and then this happened. I cannot imagine that experience for both of you. And also incredible that you were by his side through it all to work through those things. And I bet he is incredibly appreciative of the support that you provided him. But wow, what a crazy turn of events to then see a profession and say, you know what, I'm going to change what I'm doing and walk through this door. Because much like she said, I applaud anybody who can see a crack opening and say, I'm gonna go after that because. Because I know there's times where I've seen cracks open and I haven't taken it or heck, even a window open and I won't jump out of it. To completely change the life that to go after something potentially even better is an accomplishment all on its own. And it's so cool that you're doing it and it may feel crazy and I think this world is going to try and make you do anything to stay comfortable, to stay in the position that you're always in, because it's easier to be comfortable than it is to be uncomfortable than it is to try something new. And the fact that you're doing that all amidst a whole lot of things happening is a wild and awesome, so dang inspirational. And you probably didn't even expect that was going to be my response, but I think it's awesome.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
The month of November was extremely hard. I got anxiety and add symptoms that resurface that I haven't felt in 10 years since college and after struggling for an entire month, productivity decreasing, realizing that I was doom scrolling and staring at my computer screen at work without getting any work done, finally decided to go get help for the first time. I saw a psychiatrist for the first time ever, started therapy and started anxiety medicine for the first time ever. And I'm honestly feeling much better and shedded my shame in regards to getting that help, but so happy that I did. Okay.
Morgan
I want to give some snaps here because getting help is awesome. I think if you ever feel the need, there is a lot of shame associated with that from a multitude of places, but there shouldn't be. Getting help is you putting yourself first and you put yourself first to take care of you. And mental health is no joke and getting medication to support you to go through life is incredibly important. It's incredibly brave and I love that you shared this because I know there's a lot of people out there where getting help could be shameful, but I don't want you to feel shame. I want you to be proud. I want you to say, I did that, wear that badge of honor. Because getting help means you're setting aside your pride, your ego, and saying, I need to do better for me and you're showing up for yourself. There's not a lot of people who can actually say they're showing up for themselves. They actually put themselves on the back burner. I'm one of them often. And to say, hey, no, I need to set this aside and take this step forward is incredible. And I hope more people do. I hope in the new year we can have less mental health issues because it's clear that each year it keeps getting worse and worse with financial issues, the economy, the different things that people are experiencing, from job loss to losing people. We are on a very difficult stage with mental health. And talking to someone unbiased, like a therapist or a psychologist or whatever that may be, is a brave and great thing to do. And there should be absolutely zero shame attached to that.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
I'm Morgan. I'm Sherry. Currently live in Tennessee, but moved just under three months ago from Maryland. Diagnosed with stage four breast cancer about 15 months ago. And currently my struggle is because of my treatment, I've gained a lot of weight and despite a lot of effort, my treatment is preventing me from losing weight. So not feeling myself, struggling with body image, really wanting to get back into the dating world and new state, not knowing anybody, having cancer, battling weight issues. It's been a lot. Thanks for letting me vet for a second. Love your podcast, Sherry.
Morgan
I hope you know that you are beautiful and I know that just in the way that you presented yourself, you're gosh, and it sounds like you need to give yourself some grace because you've been through it and you can't fix the world in one day and you can't fix yourself in one day. You are fighting an illness that shouldn't exist in the freaking first place. Cancer. But you're taking care of yourself. You're doing treatments to help you get better. And I hate that it's taking away your confidence and it's hurting you in ways that you didn't imagine. Probably when this all happened, you were just thinking about the diagnosis and how you're going to survive. And now you're having to face the body image struggles and the confidence and things that you just probably were not anticipating. And I hope you know that focusing on surviving and taking care of yourself and your health right now is all that matters. The dating will come. The confidence will come back. The ways that you want to take care of yourself when you've fully healed will still be there. And I also hope you feel supported by whoever is around you and is reminding you that you're beautiful. And you going through any of this, especially heck if you are trying to date and all of this, props to you because I know that's incredibly difficult. But more so than that, hopefully it will help you weed few even more red flags that are out there. Because hopefully if you do meet someone, they show you how incredibly awesome, strong and supportive they are and if not, kick them to the curb really fast. But more than anything, I want you to give yourself some grace because you're going through a really tough time and moving in all kinds of things that are happening at one time for you. And sometimes it's okay to just survive. There will come a time in your life when you will thrive and you will heal and you will feel amazing and that's not going to be every day and that's okay. There are a lot of days where I often don't feel great and I feel like holy crap, what has happened. And that's just on a normal day. I can't imagine dealing with a fight that you're fighting right now and trying to feel great about yourself. So I hope you give yourself grace. I hope you find your sparkle again and hopefully you can also take your some time for yourself over the holidays and treat yourself to something. Whether it's to a dinner date or a spa or heck, your favorite guilty pleasure treat. I just want you to give yourself grace and treat yourself because I think that's what you deserve this holiday.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
Okay? What is hard for us right now is my sweet mother in law had a brave and resent rupture and she's in the hospital under sedation and she's still alive, but they're trying to get her brain to stop swelling and everything to go down and look normal. And we're just waiting and not knowing when she's going to get better and when she's going to wake up. And it's just hard. Like right now and not having her here for the holidays, that's our hardest thing. So please keep us in your prayers. Thank you.
Morgan
Well, we absolutely are. And one of the hardest things is to be in a situation where you're not getting quick answers and you don't know what's going to happen. And the silence of that is really deafening. Anytime I've had loved ones in the hospital, it feels like I'm just Waiting by the phone for that call, or any call for that matter, to know what's next or what's coming and to be there and witness it is even more difficult. And right around the holidays when you just want to all be together and it gives you a lot of perspective. The hospital visits will always bring perspective of how you just wish you had time back or you just wish you had one more moment of this. My heart's with you guys and I hope that she is able to recover so great and be back with you guys soon. And hopefully you can celebrate a really late holiday. But we're thinking about you.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
I think the hardest part of the holidays is learning to navigate them without your parents. It's a whole new normal that you're absolutely not used to, especially when you don't have a lot of family around or when you possibly do have a lot of family around, but you are not close with them. And it's absolutely a struggle. That's a very hard thing to navigate through the holidays, regardless of what holiday it is. And it's especially hard when those holidays were your parents favorite. So for anyone that's dealing with that, whether it be a new normal or an old normal, my heart absolutely goes out to you. And just know that it's a struggle for all of us.
Morgan
I can't imagine. The idea of even losing my parents makes me tear up. So I cannot imagine what that day will be like when they're no longer here. And the grief I hear in your voice is heartbreaking. And to face a holiday that they loved, that you probably spent together and did all kinds of wonderful things, that's hard. And I wish there were magic words that I could say and to make it all better and give you a band aid to, to help the pain, but there isn't. I have a few of these that are about grief. So I'm gonna. I'm gonna let them share and then I will give you guys my perspective on grief.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
Just the first Christmas since my dad passed away and I'm having a hard time. It's hard just to keep going on with life as usual when it feels like my world is standing still. Hey, Morgan. My name is Logan. I live in Maryland. Me and my wife had our first baby in January and my mother passed away on November 9th of this year from non small cell lung cancer. So that's been tough to navigate, but just gotta keep pushing through. I appreciate you guys and the Bobby Bones Show. I listen to you every day and thank you for what you do. Hi, my Name is Nicole. I lost my husband to brain cancer two years ago. The Christmas season has become a bit more difficult because of that reason. We celebrate with our friends and our family, but that only illuminates that my family is not all together and seeing all of their families together. And the new year just signifies, like another year that he won't see.
Morgan
There's a lot of grief messages that I received in lieu of this podcast.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
The loss of a friend three weeks after she was diagnosed with cancer. We all feel lost when we miss her.
Morgan
There's a few more that I'll get into here in a second, but I just want to address grief, because.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
Grief.
Morgan
To me is love. And I think I saw a quote somewhere online. I definitely know I didn't make this up, but grief is love with nowhere to go. And I always thought that was really pretty because just because somebody's gone doesn't mean you stop loving them. Doesn't mean their story's over in your life. Heck, it probably means that their story is more so part of your life. Like I had mentioned earlier, just because there's an ending doesn't mean the entire story is closed. And how those people will carry on through each of you that shared that and how you're going to share their stories as your life goes on. It's really cool to think about because they get to live on through you. But, man, I just. My heart breaks for anyone who has to experience loss on any level. Because grief is hard and you'll get hit with it at random parts of any day. And so many of you are losing parents. And the idea of that even thinking about losing mine or thinking about the loss of my grandparents, just. It rattles in my brain. And for you guys who have lost people so near and dear to your heart while experiencing, like the guy who shared that they had just had a baby. And it sounds based on that timeline, she got to meet your guys's first child, which is so beautiful. But I know hard. Two things can be true always. But grief is just one of those prices we pay for loving and showing up. And it's easy to look at the other side of that and say, well, if I didn't love and I didn't show up, then I don't have to feel that pain one day. But I don't know about you guys, I think I'd feel the pain a million times over to explain experience the love that I get to experience in my life even without those people still here. Dang, I need a water break. My emotional support. Water bottle is calling my name.
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So if a Lenovo computer for your business is on your holiday list, don't shop around. Just go directly to the source. Lenovo.com it's your last chance to get exclusive deals on the PCs you want for your business, like the ThinkPad X914, Aura Edition and Yoga 7i 2in1. So avoid all that shopping chaos and price comparing and just go directly to the source. Lenovo.com where PCs are up to 35% off. That's Lenovo.com Lenovo Lenovo.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
Okay, only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line.
Morgan
But first.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
There the last one.
Morgan
Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes.
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Morgan
6Am, make a new hire or promote internally.
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Podcast Callers/Listeners
Season 2 of Unrivaled Basketball is here and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back with even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Becker, Snafeeza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more. Take the court and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher and every athlete shines. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5th on TNT, TruTV and HBO. Max.
Morgan
Okay, I told you guys I'm an empath, so I feel the pain and I feel the hurt in a lot of these and gosh, there's a few more that address that but also some other things.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
Morgan, thanks for asking. It has been a rough Season, and not many people want to hear about it or talk about it. I lost my best friend nearly 30 years. In March, she passed away from pancreatic cancer. We raised our daughters together who were also best friends. So this holiday season has been difficult without her. We walked through her cancer trial together the last two years. So, yeah, there's that also, Can I just say work. I've been doing my job for over 40 years now, and there's just been a lot of changes with the computer and a lot of changes, basically. And I feel like everything I've known for 40 years, I no longer know. So that has been overwhelming as well. But we'll get through it. 2026 will be another new year, another.
Morgan
Loss that unspeakable, I can't imagine. I know that you guys are probably supporting her daughter, being that your daughter is her best friend, and she probably feels like you're a second mom to her. So I hope that friendship continues to be such an important part of your guys's lives, because, again, her memory is gonna live on through that. But I can't imagine that kind of loss. And my heart goes out to you. The work side of this is fair. You guys can share audio messages about anything that's bothering you guys. I. I love hearing from you guys because this is real life. Work is hard. It doesn't matter if you have the most perfect job in the world or you people think you have the best job in the world. Work is hard. Work is work. And anybody who says work isn't work is lying to you. It takes time and effort, and it's draining. And we don't get near enough breaks to feel things that are going on through our lives often, which means we're balancing 80 different plates all the time. So work is very real, especially around the holidays. Everybody's about to finally take a big break. And I feel like it's the one time of year everybody resets. We talk about New Year's Eve and New Year's and the new resolutions. But can we talk about the break that we get at Christmas? Everybody, for the most part, and if anybody else doesn't get one, I think we should just shut everything down. The world should shut down for a week, and we all just get a break from life and each other and do whatever we want to do for that week, and then we reopen, and everybody can breathe a big sigh of relief because we got the break that we all deserved. Let me just say that. So here's another one about work.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
Hi, Morgan. My name is autumn. I'm an emergency room nurse, and this is the toughest season, I would say, for my life, especially during flu season. Everybody's coming in sick, Covid's rising again, and there's a new flu strand going around. Nobody's wanting to get vaccinated. They're just choice. We're short staffed, overworked, the usual. We're not considered as professionals anymore. To everyone's opinion. Yeah, it's just very tiring and, yeah, makes my anxiety very high. My depression's kicking in and it's just very overwhelming. But congratulations to you and the new boyfriend. I'm very happy that you found somebody who can treasure you and value your values. Thank you for everything that you do. Your podcast. If it wasn't for your podcast, I would not be able to get through the day. I enjoy listening to it. I hope you, your family, and your boyfriend have a happy holiday and a good new year. Bye.
Morgan
First of all, this felt like a an actual voice memo coming from one of my friends in a text message, which was so sweet. Thank you to the kind woman who shared that. Because there's a lot of effort that goes into this podcast, and hearing that it helps you and it gets you through the day means a lot to me. So thanks for listening. 1, 2. I just want to shout out all the people out there, the educators, those that work in the medical field, nurses, teachers specifically. Everybody has a role to play in our lives. Everybody has a role that matters and an education that matters. And we need teachers, we need nurses, we need people to support us through every phase of our life. And what you do matters. The work you're doing matters. I have two educators in my family. I have nurses in my extended family. And I recognize you as very important and very valuable. And I think the work that you're doing is hard and the things that you guys deal with is unimaginable. And just as I feel that every job that we have out there is necessary right now, and there's things that that change and develop over time, but we're always gonna need teachers and nurses in some form or fashion, and there's so much crazy noise happening on social media around them. But just know that I appreciate you. I appreciate the work that you're doing and the work that went into you guys being able to do that work. So I know it's a really rough time, and I know that you guys are in a really hard space, but please know I appreciate you. I know there's a whole lot of people that appreciate you and I don't want you to stop doing what you're doing. But take a deep breath, take some time for yourself over the holidays and hopefully you can come back and be stronger than ever to keep serving in the ways that feel meaningful for you. In another work capacity, we have a few of these.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
So I was let go at the end of May, a month before moving to a brand new place. Hours from friends and family, and it's been really hard. I've been looking for a job, I've been trying to settle in a new place, but that's hard to do when you're working retail part time with a variable schedule to try to make some money. Money that does not make ends meet. And when you need a little help or talk to about it, people tell you that you're not working hard enough, or you're not doing enough, or you just need a job. As if I'm not applying and interviewing and being told things like, great, you made it to the top 10. We got a thousand applications in three days and then you don't make it to the final round or you make it to the final round and they choose a different candidate because they've got a thousand to choose from. It's really frustrating and been a tough season, which I hope is coming to a close.
Morgan
I hope for you too that it's coming to a close, because I'm gonna say this and people probably disagree, but looking for a job is a job in itself. To apply for jobs these days takes a whole lot of work and a whole lot of effort. So as long as you're applying and trying things, you are doing a lot, you're trying a lot of things. Heck, even if you're not applying and you're taking a break because things went to crap and you're trying to regroup and reset, you're also doing a lot. So I hope you quiet out the noise, put some earmuffs on and take everything out of this picture and know that your new season is coming. This is just a bump in your road. And there will come a time when you look back in your life and you will have gotten over it. And you did it because of how strong you are, because of how much you push yourself and the willpower that you do have. So quiet the noise around you. Because sometimes the people around us can also be really detrimental to us when we're going through a certain season. They're really helpful and they're necessary and important, but sometimes it's also necessary and important to focus on you and go into your own shell cocoon and focus on what's the most important thing for you right now in this moment. And I hope that season does come to an end so you can start your new one. And it's incredible. And you kick ass at a new job because you will and you'll find it, even if it's a small job to get to a big job. There's always seasons of this where we never know what is just around the corner. And I think there is more around your corner because this isn't the ending half the time, it's only the beginning.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
After my mom got breast cancer in one, my husband and I struggled with fertility miscarriages. Still struggling, probably can't have kids and then lost my dad this summer. So really struggling this season with being grateful that my mom survived and with the loss of someone you love and the hardships that go along with fertility issues.
Morgan
Oh man. All of those things that I can't personally imagine and I've never walked through. But gosh, to be able to celebrate your mom beating something while also losing another parent and to be really wanting something to happen and hoping that this is going to happen for you guys while experiencing those two things. Holy crap. I. I simply couldn't put myself in your shoes even if I wanted to. And I'm sorry that this is all happening at the same time. When it rains, it pours or something to that effect. And man, it does. Sometimes you're dealt with a hurricane instead of a tornado or a light rain instead of a tsunami. But I'm sorry that yours seems to have been a tsunami for the last several months. And I hope that one you are able to find some love and light in the memories of your dad and also hopefully receive some good news soon or a new door opening in some way if it isn't the path that you guys want to be on. But maybe it's an even better one. So my heart goes out to you. I can't imagine balancing all of those things at one time.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
Hi, it's Michelle from Apple Valley, California. It's been a rough year. Some health issues, some financial issues. Being 56 and single, I not sure how to navigate this. I do have two great kids and four amazing grandkids, so that keeps me going and some great friends. But I would really like to figure out life and be happy on my own with myself. So hopefully this helps.
Morgan
I do hope you're able to find the happiness within yourself because it's a really fun season when you can hit That I heard the hurt in your voice of 52 and single. I hope you know that love doesn't have an age limit that's gonna come at any point in time in your life when it's supposed to happen. Ew. I know. I can't believe I'm saying that, but it will. And you're more than capable of it. Because here's the thing. This is what I always told myself. I exist, and I have love in my heart, and I have so much love to give. And if I exist, then someone else out there exists to give me that same thing in return. And it's really hard often to see that. It's hard to see through all the mud and things that you've gone through to hope that there's a light at the end of that tunnel. But there always is. And unfortunately, sometimes it takes a really long time to get to that light, but you always will. Maybe it's more of a lighthouse than a shining studio light, but you will. And it will happen. And I think it's going to be beautiful when it does. And it's going to be a new season for you because you're gonna be, like, 52 and married, and it's gonna be awesome. And you're deserving of that. You're deserving to find love as many times as you want to. You're deserving to never get married again if you don't want to. If you want to be 52 and single, maybe you're single and you're like, heck, yeah, I really like this life. Never again do I want to be married. And whatever you choose, I hope you know that it's gonna be an awesome decision either way. But I want to also recognize that I know how hard a single season is, especially being a single mom and having beautiful kids and also knowing you have history in certain scenarios, and all of those things are hard and they're difficult all on their own. So I hope you're another one where. Gosh, I hope everybody here is giving themselves a lot of grace and understanding because the new season will come, and I think it's going to be pretty awesome for you. Michelle and Apple Valley. I would say that one of the.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
Toughest parts about the season is newly dating someone else or you've been with someone for a year and it's time to start sharing holidays. Which holidays do you spend with which family? And you want to make sure you do it when you choose the family to. To spend, let's say, Christmas with. You want to do it in A way that doesn't hurt the other family. And I'm finding that this is harder than I thought it would be to make sure that no feelings are hurt.
Morgan
I'm currently going through this. It's so much fun to get to have new people in your life and more people to spend holidays with. It's almost a blessing. At the same time, it's also difficult where you're trying to balance everybody's feelings, you're trying to not hurt anybody. You're trying to make sure you're nurturing relationships while also keeping your family and those relationships that you've had for decades happy. And oftentimes people do get hurt in the mixture of changes, because it's bound to happen. You can't make everybody happy. You can only do all the things that you can do, right? And there's only enough time in so many days. But I think there's also an excitement to it where you get to add new people into your life and find new traditions and find new things that you never knew existed. But this is one of those scenarios where it can also be equally as hard if you have family who has a lot of opinions and has a lot to say, and they want things done a certain way. And that challenge can be really tough, especially on partnerships. So one of the things that I know I keep doing with my boyfriend is checking in and saying, how are you feeling? Give me your actual feelings about this. Tell me what you think. I need to know where you stand. And it's checking in with each other, because oftentimes our two opinions could get lost in that mix of deciding what's best and how we're going to go this way or that way, where we're going to spend each holiday. And there's a lot of conversations that him and I have had of just trying to make sure him and I are both happy and are both getting what we want. And how do we do that? What does that look like? So really open, honest conversations. And that is on both partners to. To share all their honest feelings and thoughts when I know it's hard. But it's also on both partners to own situations, too. Right? It's on both of them to not only be able to share their real feelings, but also help navigate their families. They have to show up and say, hey, we're gonna do this. And you're owning that as a partnership, not just saying, oh, well, my husband wants to do this, or, well, him saying, my wife wants to do this. It's owning that you're a team and working through that together. And we're very much in the real thick of that right now as I'm doing this podcast episode. So communication is such a big part of that, but also just how cool that we get new traditions and new memories and things that never in my wildest dreams did I see happening in my life. And here is our last entry for the podcast.
Podcast Callers/Listeners
Hi, this is Jennifer in Oklahoma City. And for me, I am at the age where I still have children. I have, my youngest is a freshman, or actually she's a sophomore in college and she's out of state, so I'm trying to help her along. But then I also have aging parents who have reached the age where they need a little bit of help, too. So I'm caught between my kids and my parents. And I will say this. Aging parents are much harder to raise than even teenagers. But I just am trying to find other people that are in that phase of life and build that support. I'm really throwing myself into the holidays because it's my favorite time of year, and I'm lucky that I get to rely on my faith. And I'm grateful, Morgan, that you asked us to share, because I think that's really what it's about, is connecting to others and finding out that you are not alone can be incredibly powerful. So, as always, I'm grateful for you, I'm grateful for your podcast, and I just wish you the merriest of Christmases. And to all of your listeners as.
Morgan
Well, this is a beautiful one to end on for a lot of ways. One, because this is someone who is navigating multiple different changes in their life, but who's trying to do it with support and in community and find friends while there is a lot of things happening in life, and I think that's one of the hardest things of life. It's one of the lessons that I've learned this year is that when you go through life changes and when people in your life go through life changes, oftentimes friendships end and relationships change, and it's hard. It's hard. It's really difficult to. To, you know, as I get older and I see my parents getting older and encouraging them to take care of themselves in certain ways and do this and do that, while also trying to just let them live their lives how they want to and wanting to talk to my grandma about doing things so she's around forever. And I think it's hard when you're in a season of life where everything just feels up in the air and not anything is settled. And that very much feels like this situation to me. And I could be completely wrong, but. And. And trying to find friends who can relate to that. Right. Because we like to have friendships that connect to where we're at in our stage of life. It's often why we see people who are single and all single together. And then you get in a relationship and hopefully those friendships stay. That's always the goal. But oftentimes they don't because people get into relationships and others don't. And sometimes people have kids or they get married or they go through grief or they move away and our situation changes, which makes our lives a lot harder in that experience because we don't have the same support system that we once had. So finding community alone is really tough and finding people who can relate. So I'm hoping that this person is able to find that and maybe it connects with some of you guys, and maybe I can connect you guys on the Internet, because Internet friends are also awesome, especially in a season of life that you're already pulled and so many which ways connecting in person is often difficult. So that is the beauty of social media, the good side of social media. And I just want to say that I'm so eternally grateful to everyone who shared their story, whether it was in messages or in these audio messages that were left. I think it's so cool that I've created a community here where we can all share our hardest things and hope that it connects with somebody else, because we deserve to feel seen and heard. And again, it was the entire point of doing this, of creating this podcast, was I often see so many things on the Internet about trying to take away our attention or trying to focus on things that aren't hard or working on ourselves. But I love community. I love connecting. I love hearing people's stories. And this alone shows us right when you are out doing things for the holidays and shopping and in the madness and chaos of the holidays, I hope you see people for more than face value. I hope you see them as someone who could be going through X, Y, and Z, as someone who could be having the best year of their life, while also somebody else having the worst year of their life. This holiday is meant to remind us to give grace to each other and have patience and be kind. And hearing all of those messages reminds me that I do not know a single thing that's happening in any one person's life on any given day. And it's my job and my responsibility to show up and be kind and smile and because I can. Because I'm in the season of my life where even though it's been hard and there's been hard moments, while also good moments, it is my responsibility as a person in this world to show up and share love where and when I can. So I hope we can all own that and all show up in different ways. And if this is not your season to show up, that's perfectly fine. I hope you have people like me that you'll run into where you get to experience the love and the kindness of someone. And thank you a million times over for sharing. I hope everybody's holiday is everything that they need it to be, and I hope that this next year brings a lot of joy for a lot of you and hopefully new memories, new seasons, new chapters, and maybe for some of you the beginning of a story and maybe some of you the ending of a story. Whatever it may be, I'm really happy that you're here and you share things with me and I am eternally grateful for all of you guys. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and happy almost 2026.
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Podcast Callers/Listeners
All.
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Morgan
Guaranteed Human.
The Bobby Bones Show: TAKE THIS PERSONALLY - The Other Side of The Holidays: Real Voices, Real Struggles
Host: Morgan Huelsman (Premiere Networks)
Air Date: December 21, 2025
This special episode of The Bobby Bones Show’s “Take This Personally” series, hosted by Morgan Huelsman, explores the often unspoken struggles and emotions that accompany the holiday season. Rather than focusing solely on joy and celebration, Morgan dedicates the episode to sharing real, heartfelt listener stories of grief, loss, anxiety, major life changes, loneliness, and perseverance. The aim: To create a space of community, vulnerability, and comfort for anyone who finds the holidays difficult.
“...this holiday also means grief and sorrow and sadness and anger and comes with many more emotions than just joy.” —Morgan, (03:32)
Morgan weaves her personal journey through the year with dozens of voice messages from listeners, emphasizing the message that even if social media is full of “highlight reels,” few lives are untouched by hardship—especially during the holidays.
Sherry: Moved to a new state while battling stage 4 cancer and struggling with treatment-related weight gain and self-confidence. (25:43)
Another caller: Waiting in limbo as mother-in-law remains hospitalized over the holidays. (29:42)
“Grief is love with nowhere to go… just because somebody’s gone doesn’t mean you stop loving them.” (35:31)
Morgan closes by expressing gratitude for the vulnerable stories, reiterating the hope that these shared struggles help listeners feel less alone. She encourages everyone to approach the holidays—and each other—with extra kindness and grace, never knowing what burdens others may carry.
“This holiday is meant to remind us to give grace to each other and have patience and be kind… I hope you see people for more than face value.” —Morgan, (58:41)
The episode ends with well wishes for the holidays and the coming year, wishing all listeners a season of whatever they need most—whether that’s comfort, healing, new beginnings, or simply the ability to keep going.
This episode is a moving mosaic of real, raw voices sharing the “other side” of the holidays: loss, struggle, survival, reinvention, and honest reflection. Through listener stories and Morgan’s heartfelt responses, it’s a reminder that everyone carries invisible burdens—and that community, vulnerability, and kindness can make even the hardest seasons a little lighter.