The Grannies

Still Keeping Score? For most of us, sibling rivalry never really ends. It just goes underground. It hardens into estrangement, softens into resigned love, or sits quietly in the room every time the family gathers. In this episode of The Grannies, Adesewa Josh and Jane Isay go there — the unspoken competitions, the wounds that never closed, the grief of watching a sibling die before something was...

What does it mean to truly belong at the end of life — and who gets to decide? In this episode of The Grannies, we sit down with Alexandra Martin, who made a decision most people spend years avoiding: she chose to move into a retirement community while she was still young enough to choose freely. The turning point came during COVID — a medical emergency that made one thing suddenly, undeniably cle...

Join us as we dive into the complex relationships of grannies and in-laws, sharing personal stories that reflect family heritage and women's voices. This episode highlights authentic storytelling and intimate interviews that connect generations.

Modern culture treats aging as a failure state instead of a human stage. We celebrate growth in every form except the one guaranteed to happen to everyone: getting old.

There’s a moment that quietly happens in many families whenchildren start having conversations about their parents that they never used to have. Conversations about health. Memory. Independence. Safety. Finances. Sometimes out of love, usually out of fear. This episode explores what it feels like when parents lose autonomy, when the role reverses and children starts making decisions on behalf of t...

Mother’s Day is meant to celebrate love, sacrifice, and the women who raised us. But as families grow and generations shift… the question quietly becomes— Who is this day really for now?

As technology reshapes how families communicate, this episode explores the widening gap between generations—particularly for grandmothers whose communication styles have been disrupted or replaced.

As families gather during holidays like Eid, Passover, andEaster, this episode explores the emotional complexity of family time—where love, expectations, generational differences, and personal truth often collide. The conversation centers on how older generations navigatefamily gatherings, maintain authenticity, and keep communication open withtheir children.

In this episode, Granny Jane reflects on life during WWII, as well as living through earlier global conflicts. We discuss the anxiety many grandparents feel today as tensions escalate in the Middle East. The conversation explores fears about the future, including the possibility that younger generations could be drawn into war, and how love, family, and intergenerational connection help people cop...

Somewhere in the world, a grandmother expects her children to care for her. Somewhere else, she insists on never depending on anyone. In this episode, Adesewa Josh and Jane Isay unpack money, dignity, and family obligation across cultures — from Western social safety nets to African traditions of reciprocity. Is independence true freedom… or quiet isolation? And when grannies can no longer make a...

Why does advice feel supportive when we’re young, but suffocating as we get older — especially for grannies? In this episode, Adesewa Josh and Granny Jane Isay explore why unsolicited advice often lands hardest in later life, when autonomy has been earned and dignity matters most. Through warmth, humor, and lived experience, they unpack when care quietly crosses the line, and why the same advice —...

Loneliness in old age is real — and it’s rarely talked about! What happens when the house gets quiet…and no one checks in? On this episode of The Grannies Podcast, we unpack who really holds responsibility when grannies are left without companionship: family, friends, community, or society at large. We challenge assumptions and start a conversation we’ve all avoided for too long. Who do you think...

Grandmothers don’t retire — they rise. In our debut episode, host Adesewa Josh and special guest Jane Isay uncover the truth every family knows but rarely says out loud: Grandma runs the world …from the holiday table dramas to the healing only she can deliver. This is a love letter to the matriarchs — imperfect, powerful, hilarious, and full of history. The ones who raised us, fought for us, and s...