Pod Insights Office Ladies Bonus: Mother’s Day Tributes About this episode This week on Office Ladies 6.0 it’s a special (early) Mother’s Day bonus episode, and Jenna and Angela are celebrating moms in all their forms. The ladies share heartfelt stories about their own moms, including touching audio messages that give a glimpse into their childhoods and the women who shaped them. Plus, they read beautiful, funny, and emotional tributes from listeners about the moms, grandmas, and mother figures who mean so much to them. So call your mom, hug your people, maybe grab a tissue… and enjoy!
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Transcript 0:04 Speaker 00 I'm Jenna Fisher. And I'm Angela Kinsey. We were on The Office together. And we're best friends. And now we're doing the ultimate Office Lovers podcast just for you. Each week, we will dive deeper into the world of The Office with exclusive interviews, behind the scenes details, and lots of BFF stories. We're the Office Lady 6.0.
0:25 Speaker 00 Hi, lady. Hi there. Hi, everyone. Welcome to a little Friday Chit Chat. You guys, I'm really excited because we're talking about moms. Yeah, this is our special early Mother's Day bonus episode. We're going to share about our own moms. We're going to share about ourselves. And we're going to share about your moms because you wrote us all about your moms. And it was pretty awesome. And we thought a special way to kick things off would be to hear from our moms. I don't know what Jenna's mom sent in, and Jenna doesn't know what my mom sent in. But we did two different questions for them. Yeah, I asked my mom, what do you love about being a mom?
1:10 Speaker 00 Because lady, I love being a mom. I just love it. And I know you do too. It's one of the ways that we connect through our love of parenting. And I wanted to hear, what does my mom like about it? Or what did she like about it when we were little or anything? That was my prompt. So here's what she had to say.
1:28 Speaker 01 Happy Mother's Day, everyone. This is Jenna's mom. And I'd like to share with you some of my fond memories of being a mother when my two girls were at home and they were little ones. First of all, I was so excited to have a girl the first time. Oh, my gosh, I was just beyond happy. And the second time, I was even happier than that, if that could be so. But I really was. One of my favorite things to do was to watch them sleep at night, especially as babies,
2:10 Speaker 01 when they would curl their little feet under their little behind. I always thought that was so cute. And I just love seeing that.
2:22 Speaker 01 We used to like to roughhouse as a family in the family room with the dog. That was always so much fun and that was usually after dinner when we would do that type of family entertainment, if you can call that entertainment. And I was always so proud, even to this day, to watch them perform. As children, they danced, both Jenna and Emily. They were both pretty good dancers, by the way. And I always felt so proud, sitting in that audience, watching them up there on that stage.
3:03 Speaker 01 And of course, even today, watching Jenna on TV or Jenna in the movies, I still have those same feelings. And probably the thing that touched my heart the most was when they would bring me little gifts. And when they were young, they would bring me dandelions, you know, thinking that they were flowers. Of course, I always put them in a little vase, even though there wasn't any real odor to them. I'd put them by the sink and they would make me smile every time I would look at them. So anyway, those are a few of my Mother's Day fondest memories
3:44 Speaker 01 and I hope you think of your fondest memories too today. Happy Mother's Day again. Bye now.
3:53 Speaker 02 That is so sweet. That just warmed my heart, lady. And I got to see a little window into my best friend's childhood through the eyes of her mom. Oh, I loved that.
4:05 Speaker 00 It's funny that she mentioned the roughhousing in the family room because
4:09 Speaker 02 With the dog?
4:10 Speaker 00 With the dog, because I have such memories of that. And they were this really joyous time in the evenings. And we had one of those kind of sunken living rooms, you know, where you had to step down into it with the green shag carpet
4:26 Speaker 02 Oh, my gosh.
4:27 Speaker 00 The wood paneled walls.
4:29 Speaker 02 Mm-hmm.
4:30 Speaker 00 And yeah, my Mom would put on a record, usually like Barry Manilow was her favorite. And she would sing and then we would wrestle my dad, but we'd wrestle, the dog would get in there and we would just kind of sing and wrestle. And my little sister was like such a daredevil. She wanted to do the airplane game, you know, where
4:53 Speaker 02 Oh, yeah.
4:54 Speaker 00 My dad would lay on his back and he would put her up in the air like an airplane. And she'd be flipping around and we would joke, like when we would wrestle, she would throw her whole body into it. He'd be like, oh geez, Emily, come on.
5:11 Speaker 00 So I, all those memories came flooding back in. I loved having my mom answer that question. It's something that I'd never asked her really before, you know?
5:22 Speaker 02 Yeah, it's just so special. I mean, our moms, of course, they're just like whole, fully realized people. And you think as a kid, you know, everything about your mom, but there's so many treasures still to learn, right?
5:36 Speaker 00 Well, Lady, what did you ask your mom?
5:39 Speaker 02 Okay, so I asked my mom, what was something your mom did that inspired you that you then carried on when you became a mom? And, you know, my grandmother's name was Viola May, and I was really curious to hear what my mom would say, because I know my mom misses her so much. So shout out to my sister Janet, who helped record this with my mom. And here's what she had to say.
6:05 Speaker 03 I think one of the most amazing things my mom did to inspire me and teach me is every school year, she would get the catalog down, probably Sears and Rosebuck, Rosebuck or whatever that is. And she would tell me, pick out what you want, skirts, shirts.
6:30 Speaker 03 We didn't wear pants to school. And I would pick out the prettiest patterns. I mean, I'd just go there and, and I'd see a picture and I'd pick it out and then I'd, and she would make me the exact copy of what I picked out. And she, every year, and if I needed anything else during the year.
6:54 Speaker 03 She would tell my sister Beth, Beth would get the fabric and mom would make it. Like in home ec, you know, we had to make things back then. But my mom, every year, she would cut, uh, she would sew for me my whole school wardrobe. And I was the, one of the best dressed kids in school. That's the amazing thing. And it probably sparked the same thing in me because I made everything for you girls. Until blue jeans come in, then I quit sewing for you mostly. But Billy and Janet, you know, they'd come in from school when they were in high school.
7:38 Speaker 03 Or even going to church camp. They'd have to have like two outfits a day. And I'd make those.
7:47 Speaker 03 Sometimes staying up at one to two o'clock in the morning. And then Billy'd come home like they were gonna have something in high school. And she said, Mom, I really need this like tomorrow night. So I don't know, I'd figure out a way to make it and, um.
8:04 Speaker 03 That's my mom. That's what she has. She inspired me. That's just one of the ways though. I love her to pieces.
8:11 Speaker 00 Oh, I love it. Is that what you expected her to say?
8:17 Speaker 02 No, I had no idea, you know, I really didn't. My mom comes from a really big family and they would all pitch in and help, but I had no idea what she was gonna say specifically about her mom.
8:30 Speaker 00 Mm-hmm.
8:32 Speaker 02 But I loved it. I did not know the catalog story, that they would get the Sears catalog and flip through it. I'd never heard that before. So that was just like, I got to spend a little moment with my mom and my grandmother. Oh, it was so special. I loved hearing it.
8:50 Speaker 00 Well, lady, I want to share one other audio clip if it's okay.
8:54 Speaker 02 Yeah.
8:55 Speaker 00 So I knew that my mom wasn't gonna be able to figure out how to record herself. So I got my dad on board. And, you know, he is a former engineer, so he took this assignment very seriously.
9:11 Speaker 00 And he sent me a test audio before he recorded my mom.
9:16 Speaker 02 Oh, my goodness, lady, that is so sweet.
9:19 Speaker 00 And I have to share it. I asked him if I could because it's just kind of amazing.
9:26 Speaker 04 Okay, so this is a test to see how this works and to see if it can be sent when I finish.
9:35 Speaker 04 Actually, I'm reading a text from Jenna.
9:41 Speaker 04 It's about flights.
9:44 Speaker 04 I'll take a look at that when I get done doing this, but this is 24 seconds at this point. We'll see what it's like for about 90 seconds and then I'll send it.
9:57 Speaker 04 So I got my grass cut today. I'll do Emily's lawn tomorrow. I've got her, I have her sending the kids out to pick up all the branches and twigs out of the yard because that just ruins the lawnmower blades. When I took the lawnmower in for service at the end of the summer last year, they did a complete overhaul and they said, we were replaced both of your blades because they were in such bad shape, we couldn't even sharpen them. So I'm hoping that they'll last for a while.
10:29 Speaker 00 That's it. He made it to the time limit and he just stopped talking.
10:36 Speaker 00 I just, I love it that like somewhere in the middle of that, he took a screen grab photo, probably of the text message I had sent him about flights because I'm going home soon to see my nephew and his school musical. And then my mom and I are going to go do a Mother's Day trip to New York, actually. And the whole thing was just sort of amazing to me and I loved it.
10:59 Speaker 02 Just so adorable. My mom and sister couldn't figure out the voice memo. So what my sister did was she just filmed my mom answering.
11:10 Speaker 00 Yeah, like a video.
11:11 Speaker 02 Except she just filmed the tablecloth. So you don't even see my mom. That was really special and I'm so thankful to have both of those stories from your mom and my mom.
11:24 Speaker 00 Well, listen, the next thing we decided to do was we wanted to share three things that we love about our moms that we have carried into our own lives. So lady, do you want to start and then we can go back and forth?
11:39 Speaker 02 Yeah, yeah, that's perfect. Well, my first thought when I thought of my mom was how she has always just spoken positive words and prayers over me and my sisters. She always builds us up. She really taught me that our words are so powerful and that when we speak over ourselves and the people we love, it can really take root in a person. And to this day, you will not hear my mom say anything negative about anything in her life or our lives. And when I was a kid, it was sometimes annoying me because, you know, I'd be frustrated and I just would want to be annoyed about something and vent.
12:23 Speaker 02 And sometimes I would get down on myself or I'd want to give up and she just flat out would not let me. You know?
12:30 Speaker 00 Mm-hmm.
12:31 Speaker 02 She would let me kind of have the moment to blow off the steam, but then she'd be like, alright, now that's done and you're going to tackle this and it's going to be okay. But she really just always kept building us up and there is a scripture that she would say to me that I carry with me always. I'm gonna probably paraphrase it and not get it exactly right for those listening, but you'll know it. It's, um, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." And when I think about that, when I get down sometimes and I'm griping or I'm just kind of like being negative, I pause and I say, wait, what is my heart full of? Because I don't want my heart to be full of negative things.
13:14 Speaker 00 Hmm.
13:15 Speaker 02 So, yeah, I think about that a lot. My mom just has always...
13:22 Speaker 02 Built me and my sisters up. She is someone that just speaks positive over the people in her life. That's powerful. It's really powerful.
13:32 Speaker 00 Will you say the quote again, Angela, the scripture?
13:36 Speaker 02 "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."
13:40 Speaker 00 I love that.
13:41 Speaker 02 Isn't that great? And it's such a thing that I hold even when I meet people. And some people, you know, you'll see them kind of just spew out some stuff. And I think, I'm gonna pray for their heart.
14:00 Speaker 02 Because they're holding on to a lot of negativity. And it's coming out.
14:05 Speaker 00 Well, you definitely bring that into your life, lady. You do.
14:08 Speaker 02 I try to. I really do.
14:10 Speaker 00 You do. I did not know we had your mom to thank for that. But I get a lot. I'm the receiver of a lot of that. So I'm very grateful to your mom.
14:19 Speaker 02 Well, thanks, lady. And thank you, Bertie. What about you? What was the first thing you thought of?
14:25 Speaker 00 Well, the first thing that came to my mind was my mom's love of travel. That my mom loves travel. She loves learning. She loves seeing new places, experiencing new cultures and people. And when we were growing up, she would always find ways for us to travel and explore. She would research things that were happening in neighboring states around Missouri. And we would just load up in the station wagon. And like one year, we went to Graceland. And we just immersed in Elvis and his music. And we went to Graceland. And then I also
15:06 Speaker 00 remember driving one time to Memphis to see this traveling King Tut exhibit at a museum. And she was always planning this stuff. Dreaming it up. What are things we could see? What are experiences she could give us? And along with my dad, she's been to so many places in the world. They're still traveling. My mom's in her late 70s. My dad is almost 80 and they're gonna go to Iceland later this year.
15:36 Speaker 02 That is amazing.
15:38 Speaker 00 Yeah, and I just know that her list is never ending. She will always want to explore and see things, but I definitely carry that with me. And I 100% credit her with that.
15:52 Speaker 02 You really do. And you're also someone like you want to learn, you know? And that's a big part of your mom wanting to see all these places. She wants to learn, like, how do people live here? What's important to them? You know, what are the adventures? How do they get out into nature? Like the food, like she's a very curious person in that way. And I think that is wonderful.
16:15 Speaker 00 Well, my mom always said to us that she thinks it's important to see how other people live. Whatever that means, you know, she's said before, San Francisco is so different from New Orleans. You know, it's like Texas is so different from Montana. She's like, you should try to see places that are different from what you're used to. Because it opens you up. It opens you up to people. And that was always really important to her. And so she, she definitely instilled that in me. And she's such a talker and people person that she is gonna wanna meet the locals.
16:54 Speaker 02 She's never met a stranger.
16:55 Speaker 00 Correct, correct. Yeah.
16:58 Speaker 02 Well, I just love that. All right. Are you ready for my second one?
17:02 Speaker 00 Yes.
17:03 Speaker 02 Okay. So my mom, who will be 88 this year, lady.
17:10 Speaker 02 And she is still just out there, just doing her thing. And so when I think of her, the other thing I really think of is she is a do it yourselfer kind of person. And I had written this, you know, what I was going to share before I listened to her audio clip, right? Before I got the video that they sent. So guess what she was doing when she made that video? Was she quilting? She was sewing me a cushion cover for my little fireplace bench.
17:41 Speaker 00 Oh, amazing.
17:43 Speaker 02 So it is so much a part of her and clearly so much a part of her mom because she talked about that so lovingly. And, you know, my mom grew up in a very big farming family and they often had a tough time making ends meet. But my mom said she never felt like they lacked for anything because they always figured out a way to, you know, make the things they needed. And I just can't tell you how many times I have seen my mom tackle a big project by herself. I mean, she sews, she quilts. You know, you'll be like, oh, I wish I had a tote bag. And she's made you one. Oh, a crossover purse? She made you one. I saw these when Isabel was little. It looked like a little purse, but it was a dollhouse.
18:27 Speaker 02 And then the roof opened and the little dolls were inside, but it looked like a little handbag. My mom made that for Isabel. I mean, what? Table runners, Christmas trees, you know, Jenna, it goes on and on. And I just love that about her and I really feel like I've carried that into my life too. I think that I never approach a project with, well, we can't do that. I'm always like, all right, all right, let's see, let's see if we can figure it out. And one of my favorite examples is that my mom came to visit me years ago and like before I was a mom, I was just sort of setting up my first little house and the backyard
19:08 Speaker 02 did not have a walkway from the back door to the grass.
19:13 Speaker 00 I knew exactly what you were about to say because I have this memory of you because this was early in our friendship.
19:21 Speaker 02 Yes, this was like season two of The Office.
19:24 Speaker 00 Yes, I remember thinking, this is my person.
19:29 Speaker 02 So anyway, this little house had a back door and then it was just dirt. And it was dirt for a little bit until you got to the grass. And I was like, gosh, I wish I had a path from the back door to the yard, you know? And my mom was like, all right, let's do it. And I was like, what do you mean? We went to the hardware store. We bought a pallet of grass. We bought bricks and cement. And that day we laid a pallet of grass and we mixed the cement in a bucket. And we made a brick path from the back door to the yard.
20:04 Speaker 00 I remember this so vividly. You and your mom laying down this path in your backyard. I was like, I love these ladies.
20:15 Speaker 02 But yeah, I love that about her. All right, what's your number two?
20:20 Speaker 00 My number two goes a little bit with my number one, but my mom is a get your hair wet in the ocean kind of mom.
20:29 Speaker 02 Oh, yes.
20:30 Speaker 00 So.
20:31 Speaker 02 I love that. She's not afraid to get herself messed up.
20:35 Speaker 00 No, and that would be true when she's cooking. She makes a big old mess all over the kitchen. You know, she'll get muddy while she's gardening. And if she's at an ocean, she's gonna just get in, you know? And I just, I love that about her. She's not fussy or vain. And it was inspiring to me. You know, I loved that my mom will just get her hair wet in the ocean with me. When I was little and to this day, she's still that kind of mom. She's just gonna jump right off the back of the boat into the water.
21:10 Speaker 02 I love it.
21:11 Speaker 00 Yeah.
21:12 Speaker 02 And that is so real. Like when you said that, I just knew immediately, like, I know those women and they're so inspiring. I love that your mom is like, I'm gonna jump in the ocean. My hair is gonna be matted, stick into my forehead kind of gal.
21:28 Speaker 02 All right. Here's my last number three. And of course, I mean, you guys, when Jenna and I were talking about this, we're like, three things, that's it. We could go on and on, but we tried to limit it to three because we really also want to hear from you guys. And you wrote in the most lovely tributes. So here's my number three. My mom is the person who inspired me to never stop being curious. You know, I've always sort of shared here that I don't think you age out of wanting to learn new things. And that is so true. My mom was in her late 30s when she decided she was going to learn tennis. And there she was, a brand new tennis player, and she ended up winning the singles tournament, like, a year later in our neighborhood. Our neighborhood had,
22:13 Speaker 02 like, tennis courts where you could, like, enter tournaments. And mom won it. And all those other women have been playing for a long time. She also decided that she was gonna learn how to paint. And she's an amazing artist. I have her paintings hanging in my house.
22:28 Speaker 00 Yeah.
22:29 Speaker 02 So those are just very small ways to show you guys that she is a curious person, and she loves to learn. And there is no age limit to that. And she's still learning new things. I mean, I can't tell you how deep on Pinterest my mom has gone. She loves, like, YouTube tutorials on how to make things. So I just love that. She's almost 88 and still wanting to learn new things.
22:58 Speaker 00 That's awesome. And you're like that, too, lady. I love that.
23:02 Speaker 02 Oh, this is just making me so happy.
23:05 Speaker 00 I know.
23:06 Speaker 02 What is your number three?
23:08 Speaker 00 So my number three is that my mom is the person who gave me the courage to pursue a career in acting.
23:18 Speaker 02 Yeah.
23:19 Speaker 00 And I'm gonna get a little emotional, but, you know, even though we lived in the middle of the country, very far away from Hollywood, and even though we didn't know anyone in the entertainment industry, from a very early age, when I expressed interest in wanting to have a career as an actor, she took me seriously. And she never treated it like a dream, or like a fantasy. She treated it like something I could achieve. She never said, oh, that's silly. Instead, she said that she felt a calling in life to be a teacher and she loved her job. And she said, if you feel called to be an actor, then that is what you should try to do.
24:05 Speaker 00 And I know that kind of belief in me from such a young age was a big boost to my ability to succeed in this business because I never had to justify my choice. I never had to push back against an unsupportive family. One of my friends that I moved to Los Angeles with, her family were constantly fighting with her, telling her she should come home, telling her she should lead a more traditional life. She was so conflicted. She was depressed. It was so much work for her to be self-expressed. Like if she didn't book a job, her family
24:47 Speaker 00 would say, well, I guess you should come home. But if I didn't book a job, my mom would say, you'll get the next one. Just hang in there. Just hang in there.
24:56 Speaker 02 Yeah.
24:57 Speaker 00 You can do it. And it created a strength in me that I'm so grateful for. And I realize how lucky I am to have a mom, a parent who listened and accepted me for who I was and didn't try to change me.
25:16 Speaker 02 Wow, that is just, I think, one of the most important gifts you can give your kid is just seeing them.
25:24 Speaker 00 Mm hmm.
25:26 Speaker 02 And you do that with your kids, lady. I've watched you many times. When they tell you something, you take them at their word. You don't blow them off. Do you know what I mean? It's like, if it's important to them, it's important to you. And you don't scoff at them and be like, oh, well, no, you're like, okay, this is what you're interested in right now? We're going to learn everything we can about it.
25:44 Speaker 00 Yeah. Now, listen, that's not to say that my mom saw every part of me or understood every part of me. But this was a way where she did just have an open heart and an encouragement that meant so much to me because this was a really big piece of me that if I had to suppress this my whole life, I think I would have been sad, like my friend was sad, you know?
26:11 Speaker 02 Yeah.
26:11 Speaker 00 So I appreciate that.
26:13 Speaker 02 I do too. I really do. I mean, my family was just kind of scratching their heads when I was like, you know, I want to go to California. And mom said, I told them when I was four, I wanted to be Carol Burnett. So she knew it was coming, but it was tough, but they were supportive. But I mean, I think about it now with our kids, lady, if, I'm like, Isabel's looking at colleges. I'm like, it has to be driving distance for me. You can't go that far.
26:43 Speaker 00 Yeah. I mean, she always, my mom has always said, like, the one part about it that, you know, broke my heart was how far away you are to do this thing. I think she loves that my sister lives close.
26:58 Speaker 02 Yeah, I know. And I'm thankful for that, too. I'm thankful that our sisters are close by. Yeah. Oh, moms, man. They're just like complex and layered and amazing. And
27:15 Speaker 02 I feel like my mom's an onion. Like, there's always some layer. And I'm like, what? You did what? When was that? I didn't know that.
27:21 Speaker 00 Yeah.
27:22 Speaker 02 And, you know, as we're talking about moms and stuff, I did, you know, just want to shout out the other women in my life who were also so nurturing and supportive, you know, I had teachers and coaches and neighbors. And I'm sure, Jenna, you did too. The list goes on and on. And I feel like in honor of those people that helped shaped our lives and were such an important part of our lives, that maybe we're never biological mothers. I mean, we all mother someone in some way, you know?
27:52 Speaker 00 Yeah, Angela, you know, sometimes your mothering doesn't come from a biological mom. It can come from lots of places. And so thank you to all those people, too.
28:02 Speaker 02 That's right.
28:04 Speaker 00 Well, lady, why don't we take a break? And then when we come back, we are going to hear from you. We're going to share some of your tributes and letters that you wrote us about your moms.
28:27 Speaker 02 We are back and I'm going to kick us off with a beautiful letter from Zoe P. in Dallas, Texas. Zoe says, "My mom speaks for the trees, both literally and figuratively. She is a high school AP environmental science teacher, whose passion for the environment inspires generations of students as well as myself. She is the reason why I chose to study environmental science in college and why to this day, I continue to be an advocate for our planet. Not only is my mom a beekeeper, she also raises chickens, grows a variety of fruits and vegetables in her backyard, and bakes her own bread, including amazing flavors such as chocolate cherry and cinnamon swirl. Her dedication to living sustainably and compassion
29:12 Speaker 02 towards all living beings is one of my favorite things about her. Given she is a teacher, my mom does not often get the recognition that she deserves, especially when teaching such a niche subject. So I wanted to take this moment to let the world know what an amazing person she is and how much she means to me. I cannot imagine a world without her, and neither can Mother Nature."
29:34 Speaker 00 I love that!
29:36 Speaker 02 I know!
29:37 Speaker 00 Aww. Alright, well, I wanted to share from Lea S. in Germany, who said, "Hey guys, I know you want to talk about moms. I wanted to introduce you to my grandma. I hope that's okay." Lea, it's very much okay.
29:55 Speaker 02 Yes, it is.
29:55 Speaker 00 This is exactly what we were saying before the break, right? Sometimes mothers come in other forms, like teachers and like grandmas. "My grandmother is the coolest person I know. She's my idol in so many ways. She's taught me to view the world in a beautiful way. When I was little, she would be there in the morning because my mom would have to go to work very early. She would make me hot chocolate and I would lie in her arms. The headlights of the cars passing our streets reflected on the walls. Every reflection had a different story, a different person behind the wheel." She taught me to build tables and make fire. She showed me what plants I could eat and which ones would make me sick.
30:40 Speaker 00 She showed me how to cook marmalade. She didn't secretly give me money or chocolate like the other grandmas. She built a house and made sure I got into the right school. She was on the phone for hours when I wrongfully didn't pass an exam and couldn't get into 11th grade. She forced me to visit her every second day to teach me math so that I could pass tests and exams in school. She went mushroom picking with me even when I was 14 and wanted to be anywhere but the goddamn woods. She made me listen to singing birds I can now differentiate. She bought me a new MacBook so I could edit my movie on it so I could get into film school.
31:22 Speaker 00 She directed movies that both broke and healed hearts. She could have been anyone. She could have had any career or job. I sometimes cry when I can't comprehend how much I love this woman. In fact, I'm crying right now. Today, she taught me how to renew a seat cushion on a vintage chair she got me for my 22nd birthday. I also have the coolest and most wonderful mom ever, but today I wanted to tell you about my grandma. I love you guys so much and I'm so incredibly grateful for this podcast. I learned so much from you. Thanks.
31:59 Speaker 02 Oh, Leah, my mom would love to hang with your grandma. They would make so many things together.
32:05 Speaker 00 I would love to hang with Leah's grandma.
32:07 Speaker 02 I know.
32:08 Speaker 00 Gosh, the gifts. I love the specificity of the gifts that have been passed down from this woman to another.
32:15 Speaker 02 So, so special. Well, next up, we actually have an audio clip. Abby R. from Fort Wayne, Indiana, sent us in her tribute.
32:26 Speaker 05 Hi, Office Ladies. My name is Abby and I just want to shout out my mom, Mary. First of all, she is your biggest fan. Angela, just a side note, she thinks if you two met in real life, you would be best friends, which honestly, I agree, because she loves her birds and she loves her wine. Um, I just want to shout out my mom because she's the one person I call for literally everything. Example, I called her because I was making a chuck roast for the first time and I called her and I said, "Mom, what kind of meat do I buy when I'm buying a chuck roast?" And she just waited and said, "A chuck roast?" And lo and behold, I looked
33:06 Speaker 05 down searching that a chuck roast exists. So, um, yeah, but my mom is who I turn to for everything. Um, I just want her to know how special she is this Mother's Day. Um, one of the biggest things she did for me was, um, unfortunately, before I had my son, I had a miscarriage. Um, that I couldn't tell her I was pregnant because it was so early on. Um, so I called her the next morning and she was at my house in about two hours, just to be with me all day. Um, as well as, uh, when I had my son, who I have now,
33:46 Speaker 05 Felix, uh, the first two weeks, first really whole year of his life, moms understand, was really hard for a new mom. And she stayed with us those first two whole weeks and I couldn't make it through without her. So, Mom, I love you. Just know the gift that you are and how selfless you are. And I hope you have the best Mother's Day ever. Bye. Thanks, Jenna and Angela.
34:10 Speaker 02 Aw, I know. So wonderful. All of them. It's just a, it's just a beautiful thing, really. And I know, like, her mom lives two hours away, but she was like in that car immediately on her way.
34:23 Speaker 00 Yeah, you know, it's the story she told about the chuck roast that really got me because, you know, I'm faced with the realization that I won't have my mom and dad forever. I mean, I'm 52 and they're getting older. And those are the moments, you know, those are the things when I want to be able to call my mom and say, "Mom, do I melt the butter or just soften it for the snowball recipe?" I can't remember.
34:52 Speaker 00 And she tells me the answer. You know, the things that just her brain has that they hold. And I just have this desire to know them all and access them all before they're lost to me.
35:06 Speaker 02 Yeah, one of the things that I miss the most about my dad is just being able to pick up the phone and call him.
35:12 Speaker 00 Mm hmm.
35:15 Speaker 00 Yeah.
35:16 Speaker 02 Yeah.
35:18 Speaker 00 Well, our next letter is from Lacy C. in Oklahoma. And Lacy says, hi, I would love to share this story about my mom because she, in my opinion, deserves so much recognition and appreciation. I am now 20, but when I was 15 and a freshman in high school, I suffered depression for the first time. I didn't understand it or how I was feeling and started to see no point in life. One of the hardest things that I did was tell my mom about the thoughts I was having and the things that I was feeling. She never once asked me why I felt that way. She never once judged me, and she immediately did everything she could to help me and to get myself to see life in a more positive way.
36:04 Speaker 00 She never allowed anyone else to judge me or tell my story. She's been my biggest advocate. She also has always told me that it is my story to share when I feel strong enough to. This is only a small part of that story, but I will always appreciate everything that my mom did for me during that time of my life. On top of everything else she has done for me and sacrificed for me. I would also like to use this time to give a message to anyone who may be struggling. It may not seem like it right now, but it can and will get better. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but one of strength and tremendous bravery. If you're looking for a sign, this is it.
36:49 Speaker 00 I am now studying clinical psychology, and Office Ladies podcast plays every morning on my drives to class. I love you guys.
36:58 Speaker 02 Aw, Lacey, thank you so much for sharing that.
37:03 Speaker 00 Yeah, thank you. With all my heart, I know for certain that your message reached someone today.
37:11 Speaker 02 That's right.
37:11 Speaker 00 It reached someone who needed to be reached.
37:14 Speaker 02 Who needed to hear it, yes. Well, our next letter is from Emma P. in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Emma says, "My mom is one of the smartest people I know. She has a master's degree in math, but what mattered most to me growing up wasn't her credentials. It was what she taught me. When I was in elementary school, she didn't rely on worksheets or rote memorization. Instead, she built her own math games and Microsoft Excel so I could learn my multiplication and division tables. She made learning feel empowering, creative, and possible. But her lessons didn't stop with numbers. She made sure my sister and I knew how to cook, how to manage money, how to budget, and how to do our taxes.
37:59 Speaker 02 She didn't just want us to succeed, she wanted us to be independent, capable, and confident adults who could stand on our own. There were three questions she asked us constantly. It was a routine we had every time we got in the car. From the moment we could talk, she would ask, "Are you smart? Are you strong? Are you capable?" And before we could even fully understand the questions, we would always say, "Yes, yes, and yes." She built our confidence the same way she built our skills, consistently, intentionally, and with love. Last year, my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. As her memory begins to fail, I find myself holding on to my memories of her even more tightly.
38:42 Speaker 02 And when I look back, I realize that everything she taught me is still there. The confidence that I can do anything, the resilience to try again if I fail, and the belief that I can figure things out myself. Even during hard times, those lessons don't fade. Now, as a new mom myself, I think about those memories a lot. Whenever I talk with her, which we do regularly, we often go down memory lane as I remind her of the stories and everything she instilled in me. I hope I can live up to her example. I hope I can instill the same confidence in my own daughter. And even now, whenever I buckle her in her car seat, I ask her the same questions my mom asked me. Are you smart? Are you strong?
39:27 Speaker 02 Are you capable? And because she can't speak yet, I answer for her, yes, yes, and yes. Oh, my gosh, it's making me tear up.
39:36 Speaker 00 Yeah.
39:37 Speaker 02 Oh, my gosh.
39:38 Speaker 00 Yeah.
39:40 Speaker 02 Oh, Emma, thank you for sharing that. That is so powerful. What an amazing woman your mom is. And I love those three questions.
39:54 Speaker 00 Women are amazing.
39:56 Speaker 02 Yeah.
39:57 Speaker 00 And the traditions and the determination and the love that we pass through one another and to one another is just really freaking cool.
40:08 Speaker 02 It is.
40:10 Speaker 00 Well, I thought we could end with this letter from Winnie in San Jose, California, because this is another part of motherhood, and it made me laugh.
40:21 Speaker 00 Here's what Winnie said. Winnie said, "I love The Office. My mom, however, does not at all." Sorry, ladies. "But this means that when she sits down to watch it with me, usually after a tough day, it means the world to me." It's making me get choked up.
40:40 Speaker 02 No.
40:41 Speaker 00 Winnie says, "I'll always be grateful for that. She's the best. P.S. I shouldn't say she doesn't like it at all because I have frequently heard her singing the Hey Mr. Scott song from Scott's Tots over the past several years."
40:59 Speaker 00 But I loved this letter, lady, because, you know, that's the thing. That's the thing about parenting. You know, my son loves music. He loves Metallica. I can't tell you how many hours of Metallica I have listened to. It is not my cup of tea.
41:19 Speaker 02 I know it's not.
41:20 Speaker 00 And I know it so well.
41:23 Speaker 02 Yeah.
41:24 Speaker 00 He did get me into Rage Against the Machine. I love them. I'm sorry, Metallica, I don't understand you musically. But that's the thing, you know, when you have a kid and they love something, you're gonna love it with them, you know, whether you love it or not.
41:44 Speaker 02 It is. It's so true. It's the things we do. You know, we were just talking, Jenna, just the other day, that, you know, sometimes we get up extra early and help our daughters with their hair. They're older now, so of course they can brush their hair. But if they want a fancy hairdo or something.
42:00 Speaker 00 Yes.
42:01 Speaker 02 And sometimes we're like doing things like that. And we're like, we haven't even had our cup of coffee yet. And we're trying to do some intricate hair. But I'm, I just know that I will miss all of it. You know, I'm, I am looking at that empty nest. It is on the horizon for me for two of my kids. And then we'll have one at home. And Josh and I kind of joked that one is gonna get so much attention. He's gonna be like, back off. But what a joy it is to share these stories and to hear your stories. And so many people wrote in. And Jenna and I read all of them, just so you know. We read every single one and we would have loved to share every single one. They were all wonderful.
42:42 Speaker 02 So thank you so much for sharing your tributes about your moms and grandmas.
42:48 Speaker 00 Yes, and thank you, everyone. We hope you have a great Mother's Day in a couple of weeks. And thank you, Macy's, for sponsoring this bonus episode.
42:58 Speaker 02 I know. It was a real joy.
43:00 Speaker 00 All right, everyone. We'll see you next week.
43:03 Speaker 02 See you then.
43:07 Speaker 00 Thank you for listening to Office Ladies. Office Ladies is a presentation of Odyssey and is produced by Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey. Our senior producer is Matt Beagle and our audio engineer is Sam Kiefer. Odyssey's executive producer is Leah Reese Dennis. Office Ladies was mixed and mastered by Bill Schultz. Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.
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