Thank You, Mama

192. How's Your Daughtering? Dr. Allison Alford on Daughtering vs. Mothering, Not Giving Up Too Quickly, Education, and Faith Associate professor and author of Good Daughtering: The Work You've Always Done, the Credit You've Never Gotten, and How to Finally Feel Like Enough , Dr. Allison Alford talks about her American mother, Pamela , who became a family therapist after her daughters reached adol...

This is the long, unedited version of the episode 191 with Dr. Elinor Cleghorn, a feminist cultural historian, writer, and researcher, and the author of the critically acclaimed Unwell Women and A Woman's Work: Reclaiming the Radical History of Mothering . In this episode, Elinor talks about her British mother, Sarah, who raised her as a single mother, later had two more children, and fostered 50...

Dr. Elinor Cleghorn is a feminist cultural historian, writer, and researcher, and the author of the critically acclaimed Unwell Women and A Woman's Work: Reclaiming the Radical History of Mothering . In this episode, Elinor talks about her British mother, Sarah, who raised her as a single mother, later had two more children, and fostered 50 children. From Sarah, we learn about what makes a great m...

American award-winning writer Zinzi Clemmons , author of What We Lose and Freedom , talks about her South African mother, Dorothy — an activist and teacher who devoted her life to serving underprivileged Black children. Dorothy teaches us to raise independent daughters by modelling feminism, not just talking about it; to demand respect in every relationship; to show our children what healthy love...

American artist, illustrator, writer, and designer Maira Kalman , author of Women Holding Things , Sara Berman's Closet , and many other illustrated books, talks about her Belarus-born Jewish mother, Sara. After leaving her husband in Tel Aviv, Sara began a new life in New York — and, at 60, finally found her true identity, and her happiest self. From Sara, we learn about making order out of chaos...

Thank You, Mama is back with new episodes, as Ana Tajder speaks with women from around the world about the most important lessons they learned from their mothers. This season explores women, mothers, and their wisdom — through books. Listen to the trailer for a short preview of the fascinating guests and conversations waiting for you from May 12 . New episodes will be published weekly on Tuesdays.

Since launching Thank You, Mama on International Women's Day 2020, I've had the privilege of speaking with extraordinary women from around the world—artists and scientists, CEOs and stay-at-home moms, bestselling authors, pop stars, retirees, and entrepreneurs—about their mothers, their legacies, and the lessons that shape who we become. Across 183 episodes, these conversations have shared deeply...

Originally published in 2021, I'm replaying this remarkable interview in solidarity with the courageous women of Iran and to offer you historical context for the protests unfolding today. Retired preschool teacher Mitra Jordan reflects on the life and legacy of her mother, Sattareh Farman Farmaian - widely regarded as the mother of social work in Iran and author of  Daughter of Persia (highly reco...

Elodie Ferchaud   is a c o-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Boundless Life, where she helps families slow-travel the world while ensuring their children receive a high-quality education. A mother of four raising her children across borders, Elodie is building a global company while juggling school runs, bedtime negotiations, and night feeds. She speaks about her mother, Françoise, a music teac...

It's Christmas, and we're celebrating the birth of Jesus, so it's the perfect time to think about his mother, Mary. While she is omnipresent in Christianity - especially in Christian art - we know very little about her. This is why I was very excited to learn more about, and from, her through my guest, Dr. Christine Valters Paintner. Christine is the author of Birthing the Holy: Wisdom from Mary t...

Former software engineer Ana Hebra Flaster has written extensively about Cuba and the Cuban-American experience for major U.S. publications including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Boston Globe, as well as on her acclaimed Substack, @CubaCurious. Her memoir, "Property of the Revolution: From a Cuban Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town," traces her family'...

Sports journalist and author of Dear Dana: That Time I Went Crazy and Wrote All 580 of My Facebook Friends a Handwritten Letter and You Cannot Mess This Up: A True Story That Never Happened , Amy Weinland Daughters, shares the life lessons she learned from her American mom, Sue : the danger of hiding behind a "perfect" façade, the trap of letting others define who you are, and the inspiring fact t...

Dacia Moor e, licensed counselor and founder of Second Wind Counseling & Consulting ,   has dedicated her career to helping African Americans understand the benefits of therapy, take a proactive approach to mental wellness, and become their best selves. She's the author of Why Are So Many Students So Angry? and the forthcoming From Stuck to Unstoppable . In this episode, Dacia traces her mission b...

Engineer and Midlife Business Strategist Sairan Aqrawi shares her inspiring journey from Iraq to a new life in the United States—and the extraordinary story of her mother, Sidika, who was married at 14, became a mother at 15, and went on to raise seven children. From Sidika, we learn the power of patience and trust in divine timing; the wisdom of letting go of small grievances; the importance of c...

Julie Cobalt is an attorney with over 25 years of experience as a Conflict Resolution Expert with 1,200 successful mediations accomplished. After many years of working with large companies, Julie is now supporting families in resolving their conflicts, and offering workshops on navigating challenging times such as divorce. Julie shared a story of her mom who was always seeking validation through h...

Sometimes, on occasions that are getting rarer and rarer, Instagram can be a place of great discoveries, and Becky Barnicoat was one of those for me. A cartoonist published by  The New Yorke r, Grazia, The New Statesman, The Guardian, BuzzFeed, New York Magazine, Private Eye and Netflix, she had recently published her deeply funny and touching graphic memoir "Cry When the Baby Cries". For years, h...

Wanjiku Kiarie, an accountant and podcaster from Kenya, talks about her mama Frasia, a teacher who raised and supported her four daughters during her husband's battle with drinking. The episode is bursting with lessons on finding God; forgiving and giving; working hard, saving and investing; raising amazing women; and honesty. Subscribe to Ana's new "Mama Loves…" newsletter  here .  To contact Ana...

This episode is a bit different, because in this episode you host Ana Tajder will tell you her guest's mother's story. To Ana's big shock, because of technical difficulties with recording between US and China, the recording of this beautiful interview turned out blank. But Ana believed mama Chen's inspiring story had to be shared, so she shared it herself, using notes she took during the interview...

Author and podcast host Ronit Plank, author of "Home is a Made-Up Place" and "When She Comes Back", talks about her mom who left six year old Ronit and her four year old sister to move to India and follow guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh , the center of Netflix documentary "Wild Wild Country". In this incredible story of personal development, Ronit shares how she forgave her mother and created a strong...

L awyer from Tanzania specialized in human rights, Ashura Kayupayupa, talks about her mother Rose, who, after her husband was killed in a car accident, was disowned by his family. Ashura tells us about widow abuse and witch-hunt, a problem that's still widespread in Africa. But mama Rose stayed strong, re-built her life and started her small agricultural business. Rose teaches us about hope, endur...

Emmy-winning ESPN broadcaster Jenn Hildreth and FOX Sports Senior Vice President Talent Relations Aimee Leone, talk about "Tough as a Mother: Women in Sports, Working Moms, and the Shared Traits That Empower Us All", their anthology offering an intimate look at the lives of iconic women in sports and their journeys of balancing family and career. Jenn also talks about her mom Sandra, from whom she...

A published poet, author of "Novice", and mom, Nida Sophrasarun talks about how her poetry is influenced by her family on two ends: on one end, it was her family's inability to communicate emotions that lead her to finding her voice in poetry. On the other end, the birth of her son lead her to finding herself again through writing. Nida talks about her Thai mom Kobkua, "a tiger", as Nida describes...

Widely k nown as the "Mother of Mindfulness" , Dr. Ellen Langer is a foundational figure in the study of mindfulness outside of meditation traditions. Dr. Langer is the first woman to ever receive tenure in psychology at Harvard, where she has researched, in her own l ab, mindfulness for over 40 years. Dr. Langer has published well over 200 research articles and 13 best-selling books, ( " Mindfuln...

A mother, a US Marine Corps combat veteran and a Navy psychologist, Dr. Julienne Shin, talks about lessons she learned through her difficult relationship with her Filipino mom Corazon . We learn about the impact of a mother's relationships with her child at a young age, about not holding on to your parents' pain ; and about the importance of emotional intelligence. Julienne also shares some amazin...

Authors of "What To Do When I'm Gone" and "What to Do When You Get Dumped", a mother-daughter team, share their mothers' lessons. Suzy Hopkins is a former newspaper reporter and magazine publisher. Her daughter Hallie Bateman is a freelance writer and illustrator based in Los Angeles whose work has been published by The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Awl and others. Suzy talks about...