Finding Balance (feat. Julie Chrisley)

Summary

Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley – “Finding Balance” (feat. Julie Chrisley)

Podcast: Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley
Host: Savannah Chrisley
Guest: Julie Chrisley
Date: September 2, 2025
Episode Theme: Navigating Parenting, Alcohol, and Family Dynamics

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Episode Overview

In this compelling and candid episode, Savannah is joined by her mother, Julie Chrisley, for an authentic conversation about generational parenting decisions, family values, their complicated relationship with alcohol, and the evolving dynamic as their family navigates adulthood and shifting responsibilities. The episode delves deep into the Chrisleys’ personal approaches to raising children, including mistakes, self-reflection, and the heartfelt lessons learned through both privilege and hardship.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Family’s Relationship with Alcohol

[00:01–07:57]

• Background: Savannah introduces the topic, referencing last week's conversation and expressing interest in discussing their family’s views on alcohol.
  • Julie recounts how Savannah’s dad threw away her seltzers, emphasizing that neither parent drinks nor did they keep alcohol at home.
  • Discusses "picking your battles" regarding what enters your body (e.g., certain foods or substances).

Notable Insights:

• The Chrisley parents have historically abstained from alcohol, with Julie clarifying, “You guys didn't grow up with alcohol in the house. No, we did not drink alcohol. None of that.” (Julie, 01:14)
• Julie frames her and Todd’s (Savannah’s dad) decision as both a recognition of family history and a need for control: “I know for your dad, he has always just been like, I'm going to stay away from it because I know that I have an addictive personality towards certain things.” (Julie, 03:19)
• They discuss how this approach contributed to the household dynamic and each child's individual relationship with alcohol.

2. Parenting Children with Different Needs

[09:00–10:26]

• Savannah asks Julie how she parents children with diverse personalities and issues, especially regarding alcohol and responsibility.
• Julie stresses the necessity to “parent your kids differently,” tailoring discipline and guidance to the child’s unique needs.
  • “You have to meet your kids where they are at certain times, and you absolutely parent children differently.” (Julie, 09:27)
  • She points out there’s no “one size fits all” in parenting, explaining discipline and support must be individualized.

3. Adapting to Family Changes & Empty Nesting

[10:26–12:22]

• Julie reflects on the new family dynamic as her children grow up and move out, noting she’ll soon experience having only one child left at home for the first time.
• She shares her personal milestones as a mother and the emotional transition of her children leaving home: “I have never had one child in the house, ever.” (Julie, 10:55)

4. The Importance of Self-Sufficiency and Parenting Mistakes

[15:37–23:28]

• Savannah probes into what patterns from Julie’s childhood she tried to avoid repeating.
• Julie candidly shares that giving her children too much may have stunted their “fire in your gut” to seek things independently.
  • She cites Dr. Daniel Amen’s advice on letting children struggle and build self-esteem: “If you do too much for your kids, you build your self-esteem by stealing theirs.” (Dr. Amen, played quote, 17:11)
• Julie recounts her own struggles as a child and desiring to give her children more than she had, but recognizes sometimes “it was to your detriment.” (Julie, 16:25)
• Both women agree that hardships in the past two years have taught Savannah and her siblings to become more self-sufficient, with Savannah stating:
  • “There would be months to where I would lay there at night and say, I don't know how I'm going to buy food tomorrow.” (Savannah, 22:02)

5. Unconditional Support & Family Bonds

[23:55–26:30]

• Julie shares a touching quote about always being a safe place for her children:
  • “No matter where you are or how old you are, you can always come home. I will always be your home.” (Julie, 24:27)
• The segment highlights the enduring nature of motherly support and the heartbreak Julie feels over her time away from the family due to her prison sentence:
  • “That was the hardest part for me when I was in prison, because I feel like for Grayson and Chloe, they didn't have that for that 28 months. And that's still something that I struggle with, because none of you ever knew of a time when I wasn't at carpool.” (Julie, 25:24)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Addiction and Family Decisions:
  • “I think where dad is coming from is he comes from a long line of family members with addiction issues... So I think he was just able to recognize it at an early age that I'm not going to do that. And so he never has.” (Julie, 03:19)
• On Respecting Different Choices:
  • “I don't believe that whether it's drinking alcohol, whether it's your politics, political views, whether it's your social views, whatever it is, that's not who I am. I will never exile someone.” (Julie, 08:27)
• On Building Independence:
  • “Character is built through struggle. Character and self-esteem are built by feeling competent. You can solve problems.” (Dr. Amen, 17:42; played by Savannah)
• On Parenting Regrets:
  • “We gave you everything. We gave it to you before you could even think about wanting it… sometimes to your detriment.” (Julie, 16:24)
• The Unconditional Home:
  • “If a relationship breaks your heart, come home...No matter where you are or how old you are, you can always come home. I will always be your home.” (Julie, 24:27)
• Reflecting on Absence:
  • “That was the hardest part for me when I was in prison...because none of you ever knew of a time when I wasn't at carpool.” (Julie, 25:24)
• On learning the value of struggle:
  • “For me, it would have been a disservice if we wouldn't have lost everything. Because then I wouldn't have known what life was with and what life was without.” (Savannah, 21:31)

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Notable Segment Timestamps

• Alcohol in the Family & Personal Views: 00:01–07:57
• Parenting Children Differently: 09:00–10:26
• Transitioning to Fewer Kids at Home: 10:26–12:22
• Parenting Patterns & Regrets: 15:37–17:04
• Soundbite from Dr. Amen: 17:11–17:53
• Candid Family Finance and Independence: 19:09–22:14
• Julie’s “Come Home” Message: 23:55–24:27
• Reflection on Parental Absence (Prison): 25:24–25:58

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Episode Tone & Style

The conversation maintains a heartfelt, humorous, and honest tone. Savannah and Julie’s rapport is lively and open, often mixing gentle teasing with moments of sincere vulnerability. The episode is peppered with endearing mother-daughter banter and stories, keeping the atmosphere conversational and relatable even as they tackle serious topics.

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For Listeners

This episode is especially resonant for parents reflecting on their own upbringing, adults navigating their relationships with family and independence, or anyone interested in the Chrisleys’ unfiltered perspective on navigating change, resilience, and love.

Note: The summary skips advertisements and non-content chatter for clarity and focus on substance.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome back to this week's episode of Unlocked. If you listened to last week's episode, then you heard a lot from mom and I. A lot of agreements, a lot of disagreements. But, hey, welcome. That's what life is about. So mom is back on for this week's episode. And when we ended last week's episode, we said I really wanted to talk about just alcohol as a whole. Obviously, I know not the best for you. So, like mom said, we all just pick. She was right on that. You kind of pick and choose what you want to be, like, iffy about when it comes to putting stuff in your body.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Because Dr. Amen is, like, full blown.

[B]

No.

[A]

When it comes to alcohol, which I understand, but when y' all got home, please tell everyone what dad did with my refrigerator outside.

[B]

Oh, he threw all of your. I don't even know what those things are.

[A]

Seltzers.

[B]

Yes, your seltzers away.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Like, Yeah, a lot of them.

[B]

Yes, he threw them all away.

[A]

And dad. You and dad have never drank.

[B]

No.

[A]

Like, I've.

[B]

I mean, don't get me wrong. Like, have I had a drink? Yes, I've had drinks. I've drank in my life, but never. Like, we. You guys didn't grow up with alcohol in the house. No, we did not drink alcohol. None of that.

[A]

Like, you would have, like, go to the Cayman Islands. You would have, like, a frozen drink.

[B]

Yes, but that's it.

[A]

Y' all would. I would not say we're drinkers.

[B]

No, never, Never, never.

[A]

Like, especially, like. Yeah, no. Like, you've always been more fun. Like, if something's, like, not. It's not even fun, but just, like, if there's alcohol somewhere, you're not going to make it a big deal of.

[B]

No, no, listen, we have.

[A]

But, like, all our friends.

[B]

All of our friends drink. I would say 95% of our friends drink. And we don't have an issue. What you do is you. That has no effect on me.

[A]

But you know what I mean, though? Like, people be like, dad is not.

[B]

As. Dad doesn't give on it at all.

[A]

No, dad doesn't give on it at all. You do. You give on it.

[B]

Well, I think you just learned, especially when your children become adults. They're adults.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

I can't control what you do at this point.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So it's.

[A]

And so. But when it comes to the drinking. Because you've seen a lot of different things.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Just amongst all of us.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And so do you believe. Because I know dad gets on to me all the time. All the time about the drinking and, you know, this, that, whatever. And I'm like, okay, you've got your opinion. Do I go out and have some drinks? Yes. But you're never gonna see me as the girl that's like falling down the street or blackout drunk or like, I don't. When I start feeling it, I'm like, all right, I'm good. But they're obviously Chase is very different.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Very different.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And so do you believe. So like dad likes to say, oh, addiction this, addiction that. Do you believe that you can drink alcohol and not be?

[B]

Absolutely. Absolutely. I think you can. I think where dad is coming from is he comes from a long line of family members with addiction issues. I had a grandfather that was an alcoholic. So it is prevalent on both sides of our family. So I think. I know for your dad, he has always just been like, I'm going to stay away from it because I know that I have an addictive personality towards certain things. And what if I were to go down that vein and okay, really love it, then there I am. So I think he was just able to recognize it at an early age that I'm not going to do that. And so he never has. He's also a control freak. So he likes to be in control. And you know, when you are drinking alcohol, most people, you know, you kind of. You don't have control as much control. Well, you would.

[A]

I think it's like what your frontal lobe cortex, like your decision making skills are lessened by the effects of alcohol.

[B]

Right, right, absolutely. And so I think it's just a decision that he's made and that I. I don't know, for me, I think early. Early on. And I've never really been a big drinker. Like before I was married and had kids or whatever. Even then I wasn't. I always had that. Did drink. And so I was always the designated driver. And it just became this thing for me. So I never just really. And again, I like being in control. And then, you know, when you have kids, it's like, there's no way. I mean, you never know when something's gonna happen to your kids, when one's gonna fall and they're gonna have to have stitches or they're gonna get sick in the middle of the night and have to go to the emergency room. And that just freaks me out to think, oh, my God, what if I had had a bottle of wine and then something happened to my baby and I wouldn't be able to get them where I. It's Just crazy. I know it's weird to think about it. I mean, it's not weird.

[A]

I could see something like that happening.

[B]

Right. But it's just a decision we made. We made a decision that we would not have alcohol in our home growing up. You know, with our kids growing up. So you guys didn't see that?

[A]

No.

[B]

None of you. None of you saw that? Lindsay, Kyle, Chase, Savannah, Grace, and Chloe. Nobody has had alcohol in our home growing up.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that's just a decision that we made. I didn't grow up with alcohol in a home. I have never seen my parents take a drink of alcohol ever, in my entire life, ever. So I didn't grow up with that. You know, I didn't grow up where it was a thing to, you know, have wine at dinner or see my parents. I never. I did not grow up with that. So it's not. It's not something that I'm used to.

[A]

Yeah, no, I get that. But. So how do you, like, what are the conversations that you have with dad? Because obviously, Chase and his mess. And then, like, I. And I have always said this. Like, I have never. I remember drinking with Chase one time. I think we were like, I don't know, 19, 20. And I was like, never again. I will never drink with him again. So from that point forward, like, I've always known how Chase acts when he drinks.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So from that point forward, I said, I will never drink with him again. And I have not.

[B]

Right. And so that. And that's the decision that you've made. And I'm not gonna go down that vein of Chase's story. Cause hopefully Chase will tell that his own story.

[A]

Well, I mean, mom, it's public.

[B]

Well, I do know that, but I'm.

[A]

Saying Chase can tell his story. Yes, but I'm just saying, like. Because I do think.

[B]

And I have said, like, dad comes in there, just because somebody has a drink. Just because somebody has wine with dinner doesn't make them an alcoholic.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

No, I don't believe that. Not for everyone. But then there are some people who can't have that glass of wine at dinner because it leads to a whole nother situation.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You know, so it's. It's this fine line, and I don't think your dad's ever going to change his mind. That's. He's never going to see it any differently than the way he sees it. So at that, I think you just have to agree to disagree. I think you have to respect his decision as your father that, you know, you don't drink in front of him. You don't whatever. And that's it. That's. That's how you have to leave it, because he's not going to. He's not going to ever see it any differently than what he sees it. Yeah, and that's okay because that's. That's what he believes in his core, you know.

[A]

Well, yeah, I mean, everyone's entitled to their own. My thing is everyone's entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, but you don't get to. And I'm not saying about him. I'm just saying in the atmosphere that we're in right now, it's like everyone has their own opinions and beliefs. And then you feel like if someone doesn't believe, like someone doesn't agree or believe, you exile them or, you know.

[B]

And I don't believe that whether it's. It's drinking alcohol, whether it's your politics, political views, whether it's your social views, whether whatever it is, does, you know, that's not who I am. I will never.

[A]

Oh, I must miss that table.

[B]

You know, I. That's not who I am. That I don't, I don't. I don't live my life that way. That's not who I am at my core. So everyone, you know, as long as you're responsible and as long as you're, you know, if. If at any point I feel like you're not being responsible as your mother, it does not matter how old you are, I will make sure and let you know.

[A]

Oh, without a doubt, yes. Without a doubt, yes. Like, that's just how it is. How has it been parenting children who are totally different on so many different aspects? Like people with five kids, six kids, all their kids are going to be different.

[B]

People that have two kids, your kids are different.

[A]

Yeah, but, like, how do you parent. Do you parent differently?

[B]

Absolutely. You parent differently. I think you have to parent. You have to meet your kids where they are at certain times, and you absolutely parent children differently. You know, and you will learn this when you become a mother one day, that you have to parent your kids differently. You know, you can't. It's not a one size fits all. It's not a. Okay, this is the answer, and this is the answer for all of them. I don't believe that. Because you discipline children differently based off of where they are, based off of their personality, based off of just so many different things, and then you parent them differently because you, you, you have to do what is in the best interest of your child. And if you truly take the time to know your kids, then you understand that. That you have to hand. It's. It's a. It's an as needed. It's a. As it comes. And you still learn. I don't care what anybody says. You know, we've been parenting kids for a long time, and I still learn.

[A]

Y' all will die, and you will have raised kids.

[B]

Grayson just went back to school. I was so happy to get to move him into school. So he's at school. You're getting ready to leave, Leave us with your place, which I'm so grateful. So it's gonna be Chloe. Like, do you understand? I have never had one child in the house, ever.

[A]

That's crazy.

[B]

Ever, ever, ever. Because when I had Chase, I came home from the hospital with Chase and Lindsay and Kyle. We had Lindsay and Kyle there. So I've never had one child in the house, like, by themselves. One child ever. So this is something brand new for me. Like, I've never. I've never had it.

[A]

That is.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because. What. How old were you when you met dad?

[B]

21.

[A]

So at 21 years old, you were already. You were raising two kids?

[B]

Yeah. So at 22, you know, he had Lindsay and Kyle already. So that's. You know, I was with him and stepped into that role. That was at 22. I had Chase at 23. I had you at 24. I had Grayson at 33.

[A]

That is crazy.

[B]

And then Chloe comes along. What? We started getting Chloe before she was ever a year old. So she was 13 in November. Thirteen. So that's 12 years.

[A]

Is she 13 now?

[B]

No, she'll be 13.

[A]

She'll be 13 in November.

[B]

So Gray was, what, like, six when Chloe. So you guys were still in the house at this point? Like, when Chloe started coming to us, you were still in the house. Yeah. So I've never had just one child in the house, so that's crazy.

[A]

Is it gonna be weird?

[B]

It is gonna be weird.

[A]

Are you gonna miss me?

[B]

Of course I'm not gonna miss you too much because you'll be just around the corner.

[A]

Hey. I am so excited.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because also, you know what? I am happy to leave you with what everybody knows. I do. I love my daddy. I love him. We go through our shit like anybody else, but he will forever still be my best friend. That man has surely missed talking on the phone, y'.

[B]

All.

[A]

And he. Which people say also, too, y'.

[B]

All.

[A]

I don't know if we need to turn down my volume on the podcast. That people are like, she talks too loud. I'm like, this is literally just how I talk.

[B]

Well, I talk loud, too, so I'm sure this will be real loud.

[A]

Yeah. People were saying that. I was like, okay, sorry. But not only does he talk on the phone, from the time his feet hit the floor till the time he lays down at night, and even in the bed at night does he talk on the phone, but he talks so loud.

[B]

Well, and I think, too, in your house, you're in the master, which is on the first floor near the kitchen and kind of where you come out. And so when he's in there and he's talking and he's rambling around in the kitchen or whatever, you can't help but. Yeah, it's crazy.

[A]

You literally, like, he will be having a conversation, but I'm in it, too, because he is so loud. You know every single word he is saying. So I am happy to leave you with that.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

You're welcome.

[B]

Shape that.

[A]

You're welcome.

[B]

Yeah. Appreciate.

[A]

Grayson and Chloe have already told me to make sure I've got a room ready. Oh, okay.

[B]

Okay. All right. Yeah.

[A]

Hey, you're. You're welcome. You can. I'll. I'll have my guest bedroom. Okay.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Isn't it so cute, though?

[B]

She can come to you when she has homework.

[A]

Nope. I'm all set there. I did my time. I did my time. 10 toes down. I did it.

[B]

She can. She can come see you when she has home.

[A]

Nope, I'm all set.

[B]

Thank you. I've done my time with homework.

[A]

It's terrible. It is literally God awful terrible. All right. There were some questions that I wanted to ask you too. Hold on. Also, I'm so excited to go to this concert tonight. It is gonna be so fun. Sorry. I also think I have adhd.

[B]

Probably.

[A]

I think I do.

[B]

No, I actually said you had something. I read it to you yesterday.

[A]

Yeah, what was it?

[B]

Did I take a picture of it? I don't know.

[A]

But you did read it to me.

[B]

Yeah, I'm gonna read it to you. This is what I said she has. Oh, this was one of yours. That I said. This is you, Savannah. On my way to go get Botox after throwing away all my nonstick pans, buying organic groceries and switching to non toxic cleaning supplies. That's you.

[A]

That is me. 100%. I identify. I do.

[B]

Where is it?

[A]

You're not gonna be able to find it. It was basically something about, like, being a bitch or something.

[B]

No, that's not true.

[A]

It literally was that's not true.

[B]

But I don't know where it is, so I gotta find. Find it. Okay.

[A]

Okay. What patterns from your own childhood did you work hard not to repeat with us?

[B]

What patterns?

[A]

Or what was something that you felt as a child that you didn't want us to feel?

[B]

You know, we moved, we moved quite a few times in my child, like during my middle school time. And I didn't want that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I think I'm guilty of what so many especially I think it's our generation of parents. We wanted to give our kids everything we didn't have. And I've said I'm so grateful that I was able to do that. But also I think sometimes it was to your detriment.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah. And I don't think, because I think we took away that fire in your gut, sometimes you have it. But I think just as a whole, I think parents of my generation took the fire from their kids. Took that fire and that want in your gut. Because we gave you everything. We gave it to you before you could even think about wanting it.

[A]

Well, it was literally Dr. Amen put a video out and I had, let me see. I think I actually saved it because it was talking about kind of that stuff. Same thing of just constantly like stepping in for your child.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And how it really is to how you like kill your kids self esteem. All right, let me see.

[C]

And then when they make a mistake, don't rescue them. Today parents do way too much for their children and they steal their self esteem. I often say if you do too much for your kids, you build your self esteem by stealing theirs. And you're going to be.

[B]

That's a powerful statement.

[C]

Because you're going to have such love for them. You don't want them to hurt. And that's a mistake.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Because character is built through struggle. Character and self esteem are built by feeling competent. You can solve problems.

[B]

That's so true.

[C]

So when a child says I'm bored rather than, well, we could do this or we could do that or we could do this, go. I wonder what you're gonna do about it.

[B]

Yeah, that's so true.

[A]

How insane is that?

[B]

That was very, very powerful. Because it is so true. We've taken that. You know, for me growing up, okay, I wanted a newer car than what my parents could afford to give me. So what I knew, I said I gotta have a job. I said I gotta have two jobs. So I was, I went, I became a lifeguard over here. I lifeguarded. And it had an indoor Pool. So I knew I could do that in the fall as well. Then I worked at Walmart in the pharmacy. I did that so. Because I wanted something more. But I didn't just wait for someone to give it to me. I knew they couldn't. I knew they were doing all they could do to support our family as a whole. And so, you know, I had to come up with a plan on my own. Whereas I feel like we, you know, our kids say one thing, and we're like, okay, well, you can do this and you can do that, and we can help you do this, and we can do. Absolutely.

[A]

Yes, Without a doubt. I know. For me, I would not take. Yes. The past two and a half years have been tough. They've been challenging. They've been awful. But I also wouldn't take it for the world, for what it has taught me and Grayson and Chloe.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Like, Grayson knows how to go into a bank and make a deposit and withdraw money. And he knows how to be self sufficient now.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Because he had no other option but to learn how to do real adult life things.

[B]

Cause for those of you that don't know, they didn't have to do much when I was home. Well, you say they.

[A]

Mom, you babied. Babied Chase. You still managed his bank accounts, everything, until you left.

[B]

No, no, he had taken it over before that, but not long before did. Yes, I. Ever since I babied.

[A]

Ever since I was 17, ever since I moved out. And y' all cut me off because I was dating someone y' all didn't like.

[B]

That was okay.

[A]

Y' all had never been in my bank accounts again. No, you. If you had done something for me, it was because you wanted to do it.

[B]

Absolutely. Absolutely. You're right.

[A]

So I.

[B]

Well, you know, and I think that you. Do you help the ones that you feel like needs the help at the moment, whether that's good or bad. Maybe it wasn't always the right thing, but I did it with the right heart, thinking I was helping. But you're not gonna attack my parenting.

[A]

I'm not attacking your parenting. I'm just saying it's like. But it goes back to how your children are different. You showed up in that way because you knew he needed it.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And I didn't.

[B]

Right? Absolutely.

[A]

It's all about, like, just the difference in parenting.

[B]

Right. But the difference in children or.

[A]

Yeah, the difference in children. But the past two and a half years, like, I. The things that it's taught me, like going without having a life because you say like giving y' all everything was a disservice. And for me, it would have been a disservice if we wouldn't have lost everything.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Because then I wouldn't have known what life was with and what life was without.

[B]

Yeah. And you still haven't compared to a lot of people.

[A]

Well, yes, it's all relative.

[B]

Relative. It's very relative because it is all relative. Yes. It's different. You know, you went from having this career in television to you having to pivot, because that was. That was cut off for a moment.

[A]

Well, yeah, but I don't think I literally, there would be months to where I would lay there at night and say, I don't know how I'm going to buy food tomorrow.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Like, there were days like that. So I knew what life was with how we grew up versus how I struggled for two years.

[B]

Because you grew up in a whole different world where you never had to struggle.

[A]

Yeah. No.

[B]

You know, so you didn't know that that world existed until it did.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And, you know, it's like I say. It's like I say about going to prison, you know, it was not something I ever even thought about. It was not some. Because it wasn't something that had ever affected me.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so now that it has, you know, it's our job to bring it. Bring things to light and to try to help make changes and help make sure that other people aren't having to go through what we went through. And yes, it's, you know, the whole thing.

[A]

So I think it's just. I am grateful for the highs and the lows and the. Because it has instilled that fire in me. And Grayson's the same way.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Because Grayson, he's always like, Grayson said it, I think, in our solo podcast and said, like, I am so fearful of not having.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So that. And having to ask somebody for something.

[B]

Right. And I. And I. And I. I like that, that it's given him that. You know, he wants to do good in school. He wants to get through his school, you know, because he has these goals that he's put in place for himself.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And it's not goals that. That depend on mom and dad.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And I love that because ultimately, as. As your mother, as the mother to all of you guys, the greatest reward is you guys being successful, being self sufficient, not having to ask for anything or. But also know that I'm there.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Also to know that I'm there. Took a picture of something else.

[A]

Why didn't you Take a picture.

[B]

I hope I took it. I hope I didn't delete it. I'm bad about deleting, too. Okay, this is it. What I will tell my children until my last day. If a relationship breaks your heart, come home. If the bills become too much, come home. If your mental health isn't good, come home. If you feel lost or alone, come home. No matter where you are or how old you are, you can always come home. I will always be your home.

[A]

I love that.

[B]

I love that. That makes me cry.

[A]

That makes me cry, but I love it.

[B]

I love it. I love it, and that's how I feel.

[A]

Well, I hope you stick to that. Why?

[B]

You plan on coming home? You ain't even left yet.

[A]

No, I don't plan on coming home. I'm just saying because I do. You feel.

[B]

But, you know, I feel that way for sure. I always. Till my dying day, I will be a mother always. I have said there are many things in this life, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was meant to be a mother. That is the greatest gift and the greatest job and the greatest reward. Some of the greatest heartbreak, some of the biggest heartbreak. But it has been the greatest gift that God has ever given me, and.

[A]

It'S literally the greatest job you've ever done. Because there was never a time as a kid that I had to wonder, where's mom? Is she not gonna show up today? Is she? You were literally there for everything.

[B]

Yeah, literally everything. And that was the hardest part for me when I was in prison, because I feel like for Grayson and Chloe, they didn't have that for that 28 months. And that's still something that I struggle with, because none of you ever knew of a time when I wasn't at carpool. I wasn't there to take you to school, to pick you up from school, to get you to an appointment, to be at a ball game, to be at a horse show, to be at this, that the other.

[A]

I mean, I can't. I can't imagine how they felt, just because I knew at 27 years old, going through a just heartbreaking breakup that I thought was, like, where I was going to end up for the rest of my life. And that was going to be my happy forever and my place. And I just remember going through that, and I was like, all I want is my mom at 27 years old.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So I can't imagine at 12 and 19. You know what I mean?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But at the same time, we can't sit. Which it's your. You have to work through all of your own stuff. And I can't imagine, but it's like taking Grayson to school.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

You know, like, you got to go and do that.

[B]

I know. And I was so happy.

[A]

So it's like having those moments.

[B]

And he was so happy. I know. He said to your dad and I both, he said, you know, I had already, like, reconciled to the fact that you guys weren't gonna be here. And so he's like, I'm so grateful, and I'm so happy. And that made me so happy.

[A]

I love you.

[B]

So happy.

[A]

I love you. And he is loving his place. He is loving school, but. Well, Mom, I'm gonna get ready to go to my concert.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So I love you, and I love you coming on.

[B]

Thank you for having me on.

[A]

Have fun. Going to pick up Chloe from school.

[B]

I can't wait. I'm so excited.

[A]

I love you.

[D]

This September, CBS hits are streaming free on Pluto TV and coming in hot for this month, only stream full episodes of Matlock.

[B]

I'm a lawyer. Like the old TV show Fire Country.

[D]

Elsbeth.

[B]

I do love a mystery.

[D]

NCIS Origins, Watson and ghosts.

[A]

What the hell?

[B]

This is the most amazing site I've never seen.

[D]

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