Todd Parr, THE FAMILY BOOK
[0:02]Hi, I'm Zivi Owens, the creator and host of the award-winning podcast that you're listening to right now.
[0:07]Thank you so much. Called moms don't have time to read books.
[0:10]It is a daily podcast, 365 days a year, and each day we talk to an author about all of the things related to their career,
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[0:22]I am now an author myself, although I wasn't when I started this podcast, and you can get my new memoir,
[0:28]bookends, a memoir of love, loss, and literature, wherever books are sold starting July 1st, and my children's book prints is charming.
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[0:58]Hi, podcast listeners. I just wanted to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving, a happy Thanksgiving week.
[1:05]I hope you're catching up on all the back episodes that you may have missed now that you're driving all over or flying or doing whatever.
[1:12]And I just wanted to say how truly, truly, truly thankful I am for all of you, for all of you tuning in regularly, listening to these episodes.
[1:22]I'm thankful for all the authors who have come on as guests and who continue to listen.
[1:27]And just everybody who has made this podcast really take off and enabled me to do things like starting publishing company and open a bookstore and do all the things I'm doing.
[1:37]I don't know. I, without all of you listening and supporting the show, none of this would be possible.
[1:43]So from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Have a great Thanksgiving.
[1:48]Todd Power is the author and illustrator of the family book. Todd has inspired and empowered children around the world with his bold images and positive messages.
[1:58]He is the best-selling author of more than 40 books, including the goodbye book, the family book, the I love you book, and it's okay to be different.
[2:06]He lives in Berkeley, California.
[2:08]Welcome, Todd. Thank you so much for coming on mom's. Don't have time to read books to discuss. Oh, my gosh. You're what 40 plus amazing books and just all the things you're doing and just everything. I'm so excited.
[2:20]Thank you very much. And I think the number has been creeping up like over 60 now. So over 60. Oh, I can't keep track. But anyway, it's great. It's great to be here. Thank you.
[2:31]Oh, my goodness. Yeah. Sorry. Okay. Well, it says 50 on the website. So I don't know.
[2:36]I don't think anybody knows the accurate account because when I talked with my publisher recently they said, well, including the different formats, you actually have 71 books.
[2:46]But that doesn't count the format. So you know, and then there's a box set of 10 that help you kids learn how to read that just came out in July.
[2:55]And there's 10 different books in it. So just that count. Or since it's one box set is just one book. So I think that's why it's confusing.
[3:05]Okay.
[3:08]Sorry about that. We tell me more about the learn to read set. I haven't seen it yet, but I have four kids myself and we've read so many of your books over the years. They were so excited. I was talking to you.
[3:18]Thank you.
[3:19]You know, when we've been reading the read, everybody recommends the Bob books. Right. All these other books started. Then there's the Disney themed books where you learn to read.
[3:30]Tell me about your books and how you're doing it differently. And I'm sure it's just amazing.
[3:35]You know, this is coming from somebody that had trouble reading and in fact, I had to repeat second grade because I couldn't read to the level that I was supposed to be at.
[3:44]But nobody knew why they just thought I was a slow learner and I couldn't read and later in years finding out I'm dyslexic and ADD and things that just really didn't identify or labeled, you know, when I was in elementary school.
[3:59]So it's sort of ironic that, you know, I'm even an author to begin with because I never have loved to read. I love cookbooks. I love pitch books. I love things that are simple and easy, but the reading thing was like, I am the least qualified to be an author when it was first discussed.
[4:18]So to have a box that a fun textbooks that helps kids learn how to read with sight words. This was all new to me because I certainly didn't have something like that.
[4:28]So it was coming up with 10 different concepts, just, you know, colors, animals and it was really fun. And so they're just like mini Todd part books, but they're very simple.
[4:40]And so I even learned a lot more about reading by and I worked with Liza transport was sort of the overseer that made sure we were really doing what we said these books were.
[4:54]And they turned out really cool. I was looking to see if I had a box around to show you, but I don't.
[5:00]Yeah, so that just came out and they're doing great and it feels good. Like all my books, I think when people say, oh, you're so lucky to be an author, which is true, but I don't just write books and collect money and go on visits.
[5:17]Like write books to help make a difference in the world to other kids. And so it's like a double reward that I know I'm helping others, especially since I struggled so much all through school.
[5:30]It's rewarding to be able to know I couldn't read and now I'm giving back something that will maybe help someone at my age or sooner.
[5:39]But I want to read before they get to second grade and just get labeled as slow from there on out.
[5:46]That's amazing. That's really wonderful. I like how the instinct to sort of help people through the hardest times of our own lives is great. Right. And I mean, so many of your books help in so many ways, but it's just a wonderful through full circle universe type thing which
[6:03]Can you tell me a little bit about how you got started being an author illustrator. I read that you were a flight attendant before and how you didn't use to use punctuation and why that was a mistake.
[6:15]Tell me about just like your early days and how you really grew into making yourself a brand, not just and not.
[6:22]The only thing in school that I was interested in was art and looking back, I was a visual learner. So I think if somebody had maybe tried a different angle of more pictures to help, but nobody caught onto that.
[6:37]But visually, for me second grade was sort of the year I had to repeat it. And I also think I learned to draw them because while I was not paying attention, I was always tracing Snoopy the dog.
[6:50]To a point where I was so good that I could draw a Snoopy on it, my own and I entered an art contest and I won.
[6:57]And that was the coolest thing ever, but I still couldn't read. And I knew that I loved art and that's what I spent most of my time doing and all through school.
[7:08]But I never really progressed and even in our class in middle school. I wasn't interested in the history of art. I wasn't interested in pen and ink and pastels and painting the fruit bowl in the middle of the classroom.
[7:22]I just wanted to do my own thing and I did those things, but I just wanted to follow my own path. And so when I got to high school, I was more determined to be follow my own path and also more more troubled and angry.
[7:37]I had a lot of things in my home life that were extremely difficult and you know that I don't think anybody really knew to the extent.
[7:47]And so I was just labeled this just difficult kid and my art teacher in all fairness to him.
[7:54]You know, it said you probably never be an artist and I it was out of anger on my part because I was difficult and but I had no confidence either.
[8:04]And so when a teacher tells you something good or bad that's golden, you know, you tend to believe it.
[8:11]And so after school, I did not pursue art and found my way into being a flight attendant at United Airlines.
[8:20]And suddenly I had all this confidence that I didn't have before. I was traveling around the world. There's meeting new people.
[8:27]I was experiencing so many different things and I found this confidence that I never knew that I had and I think that's why for young kids to be able to travel or at least experience different places, even in this country and try different food and meet new people.
[8:43]I think it just makes you a better human being the earlier you're exposed to differences.
[8:48]With that confidence for me, I said, well, I really want to be an artist and I'm not going to listen to anybody if they say they don't like my work.
[8:57]So I just started painting anything I could get my hands on old furniture pieces of wood and I just wasn't stopping and I think everybody was sort of looking like what's he doing because looks like a
[9:12]a picture of did this and I didn't care and I just kept pursuing and I tried galleries and they all rejected me in San Francisco where I was living.
[9:23]And then I saw some art at restaurants and I thought maybe that's an angle for me.
[9:28]I made an appointment with post trio and the general manager there his mom was a curator at SF MoMA and I showed him my work and he said, great, you can hang two pieces in the stairway there and you need to price them at over $1,500.
[9:49]I was like, there's nobody that's going to buy my art for $1,500 trust me and it goes, no, that's I know my clientele here.
[9:56]And they sold and I was like, whoa, I'm like.
[10:00]like cool now and, you know, adding for their confidence.
[10:03]And then I just kept pursuing it and then it went into clothing
[10:06]and two shirts and mugs and I was still flying
[10:09]and I was broke and I was borrowing money.
[10:11]And then one of the last shows I was doing in Vegas
[10:15]for Magic Kids, I met a couple that were looking
[10:19]to take on properties for licensing.
[10:21]And so we really connected and from there,
[10:24]I just like dumped it in their laps
[10:26]and said, let me create and let you do the licensing.
[10:29]And they really pursued from there on greeting cards
[10:33]and just all kinds of everything.
[10:36]And then FAO Schwartz, we had the books.
[10:39]So I had four books that came out
[10:41]and then we did product in FAO
[10:43]and then Toys R Us Japan saw it.
[10:46]So then we ended up in Toys R Us Japan
[10:48]and all 110 stores with my art all over,
[10:52]everything, chopsticks.
[10:55]And I can't say there was a ton of money in any of this
[10:59]that the experience was just unbelievable
[11:02]like that this could be happening to somebody
[11:04]that got an F and art and then you see these giant windows
[11:08]at FAO Schwartz when it was the original
[11:11]in New York and San Francisco.
[11:13]And that adds to your confidence too
[11:15]and then we just kept doing more books
[11:17]and then the TV came along.
[11:18]And someday I just need like you with your book.
[11:22]I think it's like 18 years in the making.
[11:25]Mine could definitely that many years
[11:28]in the making are longer.
[11:29]And really go back and like look at what I've done
[11:34]because I don't think I'm any different than anybody else's.
[11:38]It's like we all have our thing.
[11:39]We all do our thing.
[11:40]I feel like I'm fortunate.
[11:42]A lot of determination, talent, you know,
[11:45]someone argue it's like he's still drawing like a 6-year-old.
[11:49]But that is the strength of my books
[11:52]because that's my audience.
[11:53]And it's my artwork doesn't intimidate kids
[11:57]and it draws them in because the message is somewhat complicated.
[12:01]And so it would be fun someday to reflect back.
[12:03]But I'm a pretty modest person like I'm like,
[12:07]well, why it was just like we all have lives.
[12:09]So but it would be good to sort of document
[12:12]every step of the way like I'm talking now
[12:14]and trying to think, well, yeah, there's a lot more
[12:16]even going on now, but we don't have two hours
[12:19]and no one wants to care or listen to that.
[12:22]So we know I do.
[12:24]I want to hear what's going on now.
[12:25]What's going on now?
[12:26]What's next?
[12:27]What's on your plate?
[12:28]You know, new books.
[12:30]I just finished up the Monster Mac and Cheese book party.
[12:36]And it's sort of different for me,
[12:38]but it turned out very fun.
[12:39]And then I'll have you always have me after that.
[12:42]And then I think I have one more.
[12:44]And then there's a mermaid theater in Nova Scotia.
[12:48]They've developed a stage show of,
[12:51]it's okay to be different.
[12:52]And it's humans that look like characters
[12:56]and it's black light.
[12:58]It was supposed to start before COVID and obviously,
[13:02]and now it's back on.
[13:03]So it'll do an entire East Coast to West Coast tour
[13:07]and theaters and then and also Canada
[13:09]and then Singapore and Shanghai.
[13:13]So that's like, it's been so long in the making.
[13:16]I haven't even seen it.
[13:17]And you know, and people when they don't know a lot about me
[13:20]and they go, what do you, what are you working on now?
[13:24]And they go, why haven't you ever said anything?
[13:27]Like about that.
[13:28]Like that's a pretty big deal.
[13:29]And I go, I don't, it's been a long time.
[13:31]I don't think it's that big a deal.
[13:33]It's, I'm so happy that it's happening.
[13:36]But it's like, it's just really cool.
[13:38]And I think that's what I need to stop
[13:41]and think about more is like, wait, take this moment in.
[13:44]This is really cool and be proud of it.
[13:46]I know, and not just say like, that's not a big deal.
[13:49]But that's going on.
[13:51]There's new TV in the works, kids TV.
[13:55]But again, that world is everything takes 10 years
[13:59]and then doesn't happen and it's over.
[14:01]And then and then it's back on again.
[14:03]So, you know, it's a very painful experience
[14:06]to go through, especially now.
[14:08]And just enjoying everything.
[14:11]Like I said, I moved to Palm Springs,
[14:13]which I've wanted to do.
[14:16]I've been down here a lot for years.
[14:18]Even if it's called a cocktail pool, it's small,
[14:21]but it's my own.
[14:23]So, so I just needed a change also in my life.
[14:27]This year was 60 for me.
[14:29]And I was just like, things don't happen
[14:32]unless you make them happen.
[14:34]And I think as we get older and we get more settled,
[14:38]it's like things become more fearful.
[14:40]We're like, I can't do that or too old for that.
[14:42]You know, what if this isn't happening?
[14:44]And, you know, as like someone I spoke with,
[14:48]it said, you're like a potted plant.
[14:49]You need a bigger pot.
[14:51]And I thought, you know, you're right.
[14:53]I do.
[14:54]And hence, in part, it was, you know,
[14:57]to come to Palm Springs.
[14:58]So, I'm excited.
[15:00]I took some time just to like live life
[15:04]and not work, you know, on everything all the time.
[15:07]And so now I'm kind of, I think COVID really did that,
[15:11]especially for a lot of us where we paused.
[15:14]But I was doing so many school visits
[15:16]and so much traveling.
[15:18]And then I got a Singapore to the American school.
[15:20]There are every two years trying to Brazil,
[15:24]just all over the place in schools.
[15:27]And suddenly I wasn't doing it.
[15:29]And it turned into four and five zooms a day
[15:32]with all around the world.
[15:34]And it actually, I learned how to make that work
[15:37]and keep consistent with the brand and the fun
[15:40]and everything that I did and by live visits.
[15:44]And so now I don't know how I feel about traveling
[15:47]every month.
[15:48]It's kind of nice not doing it.
[15:51]And if you're still,
[15:53]I mean, it's not the same as being in person
[15:55]for, you know, for the kids and the teachers and that.
[15:58]But if you can do a cool zoom, you know,
[16:02]I think it's maybe what I'm gonna do more of that
[16:06]and maybe do less traveling
[16:08]and just kind of enjoy things.
[16:10]Sounds awesome.
[16:11]I love how you move your plans to be a bigger pot
[16:14]and like the most arid dry place imaginable.
[16:18]Yeah, I know.
[16:19]It isn't that like,
[16:20]that's gonna be like a cactus.
[16:21]Right?
[16:22]You're, yeah, you have to be a cactus.
[16:24]Yeah, that doesn't make sense.
[16:26]But anyway, that's what happened
[16:27]because it was just like, I did very simple things.
[16:31]I wanted a little bit bigger shower.
[16:33]I'm not aspiring to a big home or anything else.
[16:36]It was just, I just, I want a pantry.
[16:39]I want to walk in closet and a bigger shower and a pool.
[16:43]So I mean, you know,
[16:46]Palm Springs is awesome.
[16:48]I used to go every year for Indian Wells,
[16:50]tennis tournament to go watch.
[16:51]Do you go to the tennis?
[16:53]Uh-huh.
[16:54]I love it.
[16:55]It's really fun.
[16:55]All I remember is my husband behind me
[16:57]and having, getting knocked and having someone's glass
[17:00]of whatever festive drinks filled all the way down
[17:03]his shirt and us having to roam the stores
[17:05]to find him all the way out.
[17:06]So I think it's super cool today, but anyway.
[17:09]Yes.
[17:10]Do you have memories?
[17:11]We have memories.
[17:12]Yes.
[17:13]That's Palm Springs story for you.
[17:15]Yeah.
[17:16]Can you talk more?
[17:18]You referenced really quickly in passing
[17:20]your, your difficulty in your childhood.
[17:22]And I was just wondering if you were open
[17:24]to even discussing that at all more.
[17:27]Yeah, I grew up in a small town in Wyoming.
[17:30]It's called Rock Springs and the closest city
[17:33]to identify would be Salt Lake City.
[17:36]And it was like my mom developed a drug addiction
[17:41]from being in a car crash from a drug driver
[17:44]that hit her and broke her back.
[17:45]And so at that time, everything was just, you know,
[17:48]Darvan Percassette, everything just prescribed.
[17:51]And she developed, you know, they're so easy
[17:54]to get addicted to and she developed a drug problem.
[17:58]And so we lived with that for years
[18:01]and anybody that's been through anything without,
[18:04]you know, what that comes with in the life
[18:07]that, you know, an addiction brings
[18:10]and it affects the entire family,
[18:12]even if it's just one.
[18:14]And so, but no one was really willing to deal with it,
[18:19]you know, or take it on.
[18:20]And it was just like that she wasn't willing.
[18:23]And the people around didn't know what to do
[18:28]as far as family.
[18:29]And, you know, my dad was gone a lot.
[18:32]And so I was there to take care of my sister
[18:36]who's younger than me under these conditions.
[18:39]And, you know, at a very young age, you know,
[18:41]those things that you deal with
[18:44]and you see and you go through are very traumatic,
[18:46]you know, and they cause a lot of dysfunction
[18:49]in your own life that never goes away.
[18:51]You just deal with it as most people know.
[18:54]You learn to live with it and you try and get better.
[18:59]But then at her funeral, when she did die,
[19:02]I was 15 when she died.
[19:05]My best friend shot himself in the head that day
[19:09]because he had like, he was gay and struggling with that.
[19:14]And it just, every breath you took,
[19:18]you thought you were okay and there was something more.
[19:21]And, you know, and again, like I said earlier,
[19:23]we all have stuff, we all have lives,
[19:25]we've all been through things.
[19:27]And so it's no different, you know,
[19:29]and some are even so much more tragic
[19:32]that what people deal with.
[19:33]So I feel like I'm okay to talk about mine,
[19:36]but I don't feel that it's a standout.
[19:39]I think it's just was my life.
[19:41]And, you know, I've struggled to overcome
[19:44]and be able to function because, you know,
[19:46]who wants to be codependent?
[19:48]Who wants to be insecure and jealous
[19:50]over losing somebody that people are always gonna leave you
[19:53]and hurt you?
[19:54]I mean, who wants to live like that?
[19:55]And, you know, so my motto has always been
[19:57]about life is for living.
[20:00]first surviving and somehow there was a like a calling to me about get out in the world
[20:07]and just live and drive and that's what I've tried to do and I've used denial as a good
[20:15]motivator for me especially with my art and everything because there was a lot of rejection
[20:20]and even in the beginning when my books came out there was like what are they? Are they
[20:24]picture books they born books there's no characters there's no pastel bunnies like
[20:29]did a baby write these I mean what are they and those were all you know even coming from book
[20:35]sellers and you know so it took a while for things to catch on and then you know things
[20:44]slowly changed and everybody's always said you're you've always been ahead of yourself
[20:49]and so writing the types of books that I did I remember when it's okay to be different come out
[20:55]22 years ago I think it was in the self-help section of borders if you remember borders books
[21:01]it was in the self-help and I was like how why it's a picture book for kids it's like
[21:06]and then it was like well people that you know a lot of parents say their kids don't have social
[21:11]emotional issues therefore that book is in that section I was like but no but I have no say over it
[21:18]and then suddenly you know not suddenly but slowly the world kind of caught up with me all of
[21:24]a sudden things started wait maybe we should talk to kids about these things at a younger age just
[21:29]about the differences around us maybe we should help them through troubled times maybe they do
[21:36]you know maybe there should be a book the goodbye book that deals with loss for very young kids
[21:42]you know to just help them with whoever their loss a pet a grandparent something just to simplify
[21:49]and suddenly you know then the world just gets harder and harder and harder and you know and then
[21:56]kids see and hear so much more sooner and you know people turn and say how do you talk to kids
[22:03]about this and I was like don't look at me because you know I barely made it through high school
[22:08]there is no degree in psychology or anything here you know it's just speaking from the hard
[22:13]and it's thinking about how do you want people and kids to feel and it's just you know just be who you
[22:19]are and be able to just be yourself you know be confident you know be kind and live your life you
[22:29]know so that's what I put out and suddenly everything you know is now it's like oh he's been around
[22:35]for a while you know people are looking for the books so it's a good feeling to know that
[22:41]I've been doing this for you know 20 some years and everything now just caught up with me
[22:49]so it'll be interesting to see where like I said I have monster macaroni and cheese party
[22:54]coming out you know there's just fun and macaroni and cheese and monsters but there's still a
[23:01]message at the end that I'm you know kind of known for is my end message but you know it really
[23:07]is just about trying new things meet new people you know eat new food learn about things somehow
[23:15]off and that's all that you know end but the message really is you know typical for one of my books
[23:20]but the whole book is I've never done a book about monsters and a party eating macaroni cheese
[23:25]or making it you know so I want to try and have fun with you know that as well as continue to do
[23:30]the messages why do you always sign your books love Todd and that's one of the number one questions
[23:38]they get sorry I'm sorry keep up no I'm happy to answer it because it was by mistake there
[23:44]were four books that I had that came out I think in 1998 they came out it was this is my hair
[23:50]do's and don'ts things that make you feel good and it's okay the okay book there it is
[23:57]and of those four books this is my hair was the only one that had a message in it because
[24:03]by put no matter how your hair looks always feel good about yourself love Todd and so that
[24:09]those books went out for more went out no message the mommy daddy book went out no messages in those
[24:17]and then people kept saying about the hair book like why don't you put a message in all your books
[24:21]and I realized how that resonated with people so it started you know just like that and now
[24:29]I wouldn't do a book without a message at the end because it's become a signature thing for me
[24:34]and it's also I think what I write about too and it very much is from within and the heart
[24:41]and and when you can you know just in the book with a summary of what that was and say
[24:47]the end love Todd that's very personable that's who I am that's what I do at my visits you know
[24:55]live visits the end love Todd and the book just kind of fits that so you know mistakes are good
[25:03]and I did do it's okay to make mistakes to that book but you know sometimes things is great things
[25:08]come from mistakes so true mistakes timing you know yes and then next thing you know you have
[25:17]maybe 71 books or not or 81 or six feet apart yeah I and just quickly I do you still have
[25:26]pit bulls do you serve I I do I have I have two now originally I had three Pete and Tater Todd
[25:35]they were rescued together and just last tater in the summer and then still have Pete and Jerry
[25:44]so Pete's about the same age as tater I don't know 12 maybe we you know when I got him from the
[25:50]shelter it was a guessing thing Jerger who is most like a kid of any dog I've seen is his still
[25:58]affectionate if he were a kid he would wear a propeller hat that's all I can say is he would just
[26:04]ride a bike all day and wear a propeller hat that's his personality he was in the shelter for an
[26:09]entire year before I got him and they tricked me at the same shelter they called me up and said
[26:15]Todd would you come do a book signing for a special Maddie's adoption day so we could advertise it
[26:21]maybe get more people into adopt the animals and I said sure and I had a book dog he kisses I think
[26:28]so that was the book I signed there and at the very end they brought over Jerry and they said
[26:35]this is Jerger he's one year old he's been in the shelter his entire life and he's reached his
[26:39]tolerance here he has to find a home and I said you tricked me I cannot have three pit bulls because
[26:47]they sleep in my bed where will I sleep and within an hour later we were driving home so that's how
[26:56]I got three amazing so your next you're at this huge turning point in your life turning 60
[27:06]rethinking everything heading off with you know a full tank of gas into the next stage of life
[27:13]what do you have to say to people who are just starting out what have you gotten to at this point
[27:18]that you want people to know when I look back I get I scare myself because I I think there's
[27:25]always this looking back the odds of things happening sometimes can really scare you so I
[27:32]I mentioned denial I think it's a really good tool to use when you're starting out because there's
[27:38]so much noise you don't know where to go and even now there's like self publishing and then there's
[27:44]you need an agent or should I just do it myself or what should I do or there's ebooks and there's all
[27:50]and there's so much out there and so much noise it's hard to like break through and I think if you
[27:56]can be in denial believe in yourself be ready to go out first know what you really want to do what
[28:01]you really believe in and and just be patient and try every angle possible and you know of course
[28:10]as you're being an author you get asked for advice all the time on that and I go I wish I had a
[28:15]a little short paragraph to give you but I don't it's a very long winded like don't give up try
[28:21]everything do this you know go for self publish and go for an agent you know send it to
[28:27]our publishers that still accept unsolicited works find a way to market it create you know some one
[28:33]of a branding you know you've got social media now to use everything things that you know I didn't
[28:39]have when I started and you know but you have to find your own unique style and that too you can't
[28:44]just be like oh I have a book coming out I'm going to put put it on Instagram and go here's the
[28:50]ISBN number for my fans you know it's like you got to tell a story and bring people into what
[28:56]you're doing and make them feel like what's in it for them I think you know a lot of people you
[29:02]know I've written a really you know great book about my daughter Lucy and she's amazing and the
[29:08]book is about her and it's like that's really great it's it's cool that you did that but
[29:14]why would somebody be interested in a book about Lucy your daughter why would somebody be
[29:21]interested in that because she's not going to mean what she means to you so how can you make that
[29:27]book about your daughter that's very special something that would be more mass appeal if you will
[29:34]where everybody would love Lucy you know your daughter what does she do and unique to maybe her
[29:41]and and it's finding those things like mine's the signature you know the end page with the message
[29:47]it's you know the multicolored faces it's that you know very young art the bulb outline
[29:54]you know it's finding your identity I think and then going with that and that's a very
[30:00]answer, which I'm good for. So you just wonderful. It's, you gave me the half an hour off. I just
[30:05]could listen. I needed this. I hope I, I hope I didn't dominate it. It's like I had a lot to say.
[30:11]Perfect. It was perfect. I've been so curious. You know, I, I've been reading these books forever
[30:17]with the kids and you, you know, so I'm like, who is this? Who is this guy, Todd? You know,
[30:23]you don't know. And I've been thinking, you know, who wouldn't, you just don't know. You don't
[30:27]know about anybody. You don't know. You can't tell anything from the books. You can't make any
[30:32]yourself. I don't know. It's just so neat for me. It's all I'm trying to say. No, I'm honored. I'm,
[30:37]I'm very honored. And again, thank you for sending me your book. I know there's a lot of, a lot of
[30:42]view and emotion and everything I look forward to reading it. So thank you. Okay. Yeah. Well,
[30:49]like you, I've had loss and it's not like, I'm, people have had way worse, but these are my own
[30:55]losses. So it's my own story. There you go. That's just it. They, you know, there's, there's lots
[31:01]of worse things, but, you know, it's validating what's happened to you and owning it, not dismissing it,
[31:08]which it tend to do to use that like, well, things could be a lot worse. Well, that's true. But
[31:13]what happened to you, someone once said a therapist said to me, you know, and in some things that
[31:19]I had been through. So, you know, basically it's PTSD. And that label for me sort of made a lot
[31:25]more sense than a lot of things had in my life. And it was a moment to stop and pause and say,
[31:33]it, it was. And then you all of a sudden can label it, identify it and go, that happened. And it's
[31:40]valid. Everything that's wrong with me or that I feel because of that is valid and stop trying to
[31:48]minimize it or sweep it under the rug or just say, it happened. I understand it. It's a label
[31:55]now. It was very traumatic. And I'm still here. And I want to live. And I want to enjoy
[32:02]everything out there. I mean, I want to go to Trader Joe's and see what new things I have, you know,
[32:07]this week. I went, what's Lou Lou Lemon got that I need, you know, it's like the little things that
[32:13]I just want to, I want to do them all the time. I don't want to be sad and go away. I just,
[32:18]I want to look forward to things and excitement. The end, love time.
[32:25]Sponsored by Lou Lou. And Trader Joe's so pretty. And yeti, yeti, I love yeti too, shout out.
[32:35]All right. Well, thanks so much, Todd. Have a great day. Take care. All right.
[32:38]You're coming on. Okay. Bye.
[32:40]Thanks for listening to this episode of Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books. Don't forget
[32:45]to follow me on Instagram at zebi Owens and at Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books. Also sign up
[32:51]for my newsletter at zebiowens.com and sign up for my virtual book club and meet lots of authors
[32:56]on Zoom every other week. Thanks so much to Steve and Ryan in fact, texture sound for the sound editing.
[33:01]And thank you to Morning Moon Productions for providing this fantastic intro and outro music.