How Do We Deal?! Coping With the Confounding

What if most of the crap we worry about doesn't matter at all? What if our energy is directed in the wrong places? In this intro to season 4, Dara and Amber kick off a new theme: No one cares! (Or do they?) We're going to look at what matters, and what doesn't, and see if we can find some peace.  This season will cover a lot, with huge perspective coming from the national crises unfolding under un...

A new elf arrived in town (Dara caved), belief is on the line (is Santa real?), and there's a lot of decor that may not be necessary (why is Amber doing all this?). Join Dara and Amber as they reflect on holiday magic, madness, wonder, and consumerism, and look back at how we survived and even thrived in the insanity of 2025. Side notes: Amber apologizes for talking too much in this episode and wi...

Dara and Amber stumbled on a new theory: Everyone is going insane because there's no room for error in today's world. Get sick? You could go bankrupt. Kid won't go to bed? Experts say they're doomed to fail in life. Not on top of work emails? You're on thin ice with your boss. Amber points out that with neurodivergent kids, getting to a pricy therapy appointment on time can be almost impossible be...

Dara and Amber talk about their POVs and experiences related to protecting kids from social media, at least until they turn 18. Dara has started a local movement by forming an alliance of parents who are supporting each other in delaying social media. Amber talks about her own battle to secure her teen's phone and what she learned at a recent school seminar about how phones shape kids' and teens'...

Our world is more confounding than ever, but Dara and Amber are still finding ways to cope, and still laughing whenever possible. In this episode they discuss a recent revelation: that by heeding and not reflexively dismissing a sudden calling to pursue creative inspiration, they found solace, purpose, and a feeling of control in uncertain times. Hear how they listened to gut intuition, without a...

As our country spirals deeper into chaos, Dara and Amber continue to cope with the confounding by finding new perspective. This time, they confront the certain yet mysterious fate we all face: death. Dara and Amber reflect on the tragic loss of their dear friend Monica (interviewed last season in her 9th year living with metastatic breast cancer), another friend's need for a life-saving kidney don...

This is Part 2 of Dara and Amber's sitdown with Amber's father, Greg. Born in 1949, he's an optimistic yet empathetic guy who reps the best qualities of the Baby Boomer generation. His story prompts us to examine how we choose to respond to change, opportunity, and loss. While Part 1 focused on Greg's early years (growing up, going to Vietnam with the Air Force, and using the GI bill to go to coll...

How do you deal with change, and respond to difficulties and opportunities that emerge along the way? Dara and Amber sat down with Amber's Dad, Greg, to talk about it! In Part 1, we get his take on growing up poor in our Massachusetts hometown in the 50s, including his parents' unique union (urban astral-projecting atheist meets bible-thumping farm boy) and his time in the Air Force, with a tour i...

As parents who often feel like they worry too much, or not enough, or have no idea what they're doing, Dara and Amber were thrillled to connect with the woman dubbed “America’s Worst Mom” only to flip it into a positive movement. Lenore Skenazy sure had a lot of deal with after unleashing a media firestorm with her 2008 column, “Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone." But she didn't apolog...

Dara and Amber often chat about the crime and violence in the news, but it's hard to grasp. Are we too worried due to 24/7 media alarmism? Not worried enough? Is violence crime rising or falling? What causes all the violence in our society, anyway? They were lucky enough to get some answers from a special guest: criminologist and professor Dr. Mark A. Winton, who gave fascinating insights on viole...

We're back! And our podcast title is more relevant than ever. Dara and Amber talk about how they're dealing with and resisting the dismantling of democracy, and how history and the universe are providing much needed perspective in the midst of confounding events.  Episode links: - https://www.discoveryplus.com/... series - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/... /28 Economic Blackout - https://thepeople...

Dara and Amber call Ebony their icon of positivity, guru of self-care, and Vitamin E, because of the boost her presence provides! So they brought her on the podcast to find out just how she keeps her light so uhnbelievably bright. As always, Ebony delivered, with insights on how positivity is a choice (not always easy, even for her), tips on improving self-talk, and so much more.  Dara met her at...

Get ready to treat your ears and heart. Dara and Amber are huge fans of the alternative, dreamy pop songs of Amanda Zorzi, the Philly-based songwriter/independent artist who generously created the theme song for this podcast! But they're even bigger fans of her as a human. Amanda is a certified music therapist, foster mom to dogs in need of homes, and a professional advocate for neuro-inclusive wo...

Dara and Amber have wanted Michael Henry on the pod since day one. Partly because a legal mind is needed to make sense of, and deal with, confounding gun and abortion laws. But also because his perspective is uniquely insightful. Before Michael was a health sciences lawyer (and for a few years, Dara's colleague), he was an NCIS Special Agent serving in the Middle East and East Africa. With his mil...

Struggling to deal with the loss of their husbands, one to the trap of addiction and one to a shockingly sudden death, Nicole and Suzanne connected and soon bonded over wine and karaoke. In this refreshingly candid "How Do We Deal?!" chat, they share how their friendship, forged out of grief and sustained by humor, helps them manage and embrace their lives as solo parents. Suzanne and Nicole give...

In this special episode recorded in Mexico during a trip to see Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Dara interviews fellow DMB super fan and podcast host Renae Lipsmeyer. On "The Space Between Podcast," with close to 100 episodes released, Renae tells the story of DMB fans and how the band has been transforming and enriching lives for over 30 years. In her conversation with Dara, Renae shares her own...

Our friend Bernard Grant, Ph. D. is many things, all of them remarkable. Multiply neurodivergent, they are an Autistic advocate, life coach to Autistics and parents seeking insight from an Autistic person on how better to support their Autistic children, neurodiversity trainer, award-winning writer of fiction and essays, and talented editor. To say that our conversation opened our eyes and minds w...

This is the second and final part of Dara and Amber's powerful discussion Monica Jones, our childhood friend and an incredibly strong and kind human. She shares what it's like to deal with a terminal diagnosis, metastatic (Stage IV) breast cancer, and reflects on defying the odds for almost a decade. In this episode, you'll also hear about her hopes and boundless love for her daughter, how this di...

F*CK CANCER. In part 1 of 2 in the ultimate "How Do We Deal?!" discussion, we welcome childhood friend (from our Massachusetts hometown) and certified badass Monica Jones, who has been living with metastatic (Stage IV) breast cancer for over nine years. During that time, she became a parent, defied odds and expectations, and jumped into fierce, much-needed advocacy to help address the most deadly...

Dara and Amber are back, bae-bae! In the season 2 intro episode, they get hyped and give a preview of the issues and guestperts coming up on the podcast. This season brings a new format by welcoming friends with unique experiences and expertise that can give us all insight on how to deal. Join our hosts as they look forward to the discussions ahead, sharing thoughts, questions and a few laughs on...

In the season 1 finale, Dara and Amber look back, and forward, talking about the experience of podcasting, how they've dealt with the vulnerability, what they've learned, and the feedback they've received. As your hosts look to season 2, they prepare to welcome guestperts to tackle important topics, including everything from gun violence to self care. Hear about how it's gone, what the podcast and...

What is normal? It depends. But as podcasters, our new normal is getting positive, fun, and relevant input from our Dealers! In the course of day-to-day life, "normal" means something different to Dara and Amber. As the neurodivergent parent of an autistic child, Amber assumed the idea of "normal" was oppressive and bad. Dara realizes how important "normal" was to her, while growing up, as a survi...

Dara and Amber realize that while stereotypes divide us, they're also how our brains make sense of a fast-moving, diverse world. So how do we deal? By pausing to reflect on the assumptions we make, and the limits we place on the fullness of others' being. Dara and Amber explore input from our listeners (whom we lovingly refer to as "Dealers") on the stereotypes they face in their own lives. Your h...

Social media can connect us across miles and years. But it’s also implicated in harming mental health–and the Senate is currently considering a ban for kids under 13. It's part of our lives, for better or worse, so how do we deal? Dara chooses to share and see the sunny side–emphasizing that obviously no one’s life is perfect–while keeping tabs on people she loves and is inspired by. Amber has fin...

Anxiety is on the rise–and with all that’s going on, it’s no wonder. But we can’t let anxiety own us, so how do we deal? Dara slyly tries to skirt-skirt the issue, then dives in to realize how she gets angry to avoid feeling out of control. Amber’s life was absolutely ruled by anxiety–until motherhood led to an epiphany, medication, and change. A catchphrase from Dara’s mentor (“live lightly”) hel...