PFO Newsletter - 10.25.24

October 25, 2024

“Did I make a big mistake?”

That’s a question my internal monologue throws at me a LOT. Especially when it comes to our decision to leave NYC for a small town in South Carolina, back in 2020. And my personal decision to leave TV News at the same time.

The short answer to that question is NO. I didn’t make a mistake. 

But the long answer is, well…longer. So, I’ll explain… 

I had a chance to return to NYC this week for an event and decided to bring my youngest, Landon, because NYC is his birthplace. He wanted to visit all his favorite spots, see our old home and hang with friends. 

However, as we were there and the nostalgia was thick as a New York accent, I started to tear up. Visiting our old home, our favorite hangouts and seeing our dear friends was extremely emotional. And, I’ll be honest, I really missed it. 

We had made so many great memories in our 9 years in NYC. We had great jobs and wonderful friends. We had a wonderful life.

But, that doesn’t mean I want to go back. 

This is that gray area where it’s sometimes tough to process, tough to explain.

You can be exactly where you’re supposed to be (for us, that is in South Carolina), but you can still miss and mourn for what once was. 

And just because you still mourn doesn’t mean you made the wrong choice. 

It means you’re human. 

So, yes, I absolutely loved everything about my quick trip back to NYC this week. Landon and I were both sentimental when we left, saying goodbye to some of our dearest friends. 

But I am fully embracing our new chapter and our new life, while incredibly grateful for the last one. 

If you’re going through a change, or contemplating if you made a mistake, know this: it’s normal to wonder if you made the right choice. It’s normal to mourn what once was. But, it doesn’t mean you made the wrong choice. It means you’re a human being and you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. 

Thanks for letting me pour this out to you….it was as much for me as it was for you. 

As I type this, I’m getting ready to attend two homecoming parades and hang with our new friends in our new community. 

Cheers to change, cheers to new chapters. And, cheers to the old chapters, as well. 

Hugs,
Paula

FARIS FAVORITES 🤎

1. MAKE IT EASY

My friend Danielle Walker wrote another New York Times bestselling cookbook. She makes it look so easy! And, that’s actually the title of her latest cookbook: MAKE IT EASY is yours! The first 5 people to DM me your mailing address will get a copy. 

2. THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER

Add this movie to your family movie night! I had a chance to screen The Best Christmas Pageant Ever MOVIE early and it’s become one of my fave holiday movies. Tickets are on sale NOW for the Nov 8th opening and kids get in free. Get yours HERE

3. Pro-Parenting Tip!

If you want to be the house where your kids and all their friends hang out, be the house with the FOOD. I love this pro-parenting tip from @AlyssaWilliamsonCounseling. It’s especially great if you’re a hardass about NO TEEN DRINKING like we are. 

In our last poll, 64% of you weren’t affected by the recent hurricanes (Helene and Milton). But read some of these comments, especially the one about Clyde, NC. Also, Convoy of Hope and Samaritan’s Purse continue to be the two organizations I support.

➡️ “Our family vacation home in Keaton Beach, FL was completely leveled. The small community is devastated. It's so hard to even process how bad it is. “

➡️ “Our town, Clyde, NC is in bad shape. Others around us are completely destroyed. It’s the most horrific thing I’ve ever seen. We had flooding in 2004 that old timers called a 100 year flood. In 2021, a flood wrecked our county, again. So for the third time in 20 years we are facing rebuilding our town. The worst part now is it’s not just our county, it’s everyone around us. I need to say though, I never thought the sound of a chopper would make me cry, but the amount of choppers going over my house Sunday afternoon, I told my girls, this is help. Help is coming!!! We have seen power trucks for DAYS! College students have been coming to help at distribution centers. Anyone with a chainsaw and a trackhoe are out helping any and everyone. In the midst of the worst disaster I have ever seen, we are seeing the absolute best in people. ”

➡️ “We live in Illinois so weren’t directly impacted but our daughter lives in St Pete beach and the home she rents was destroyed. She rode out the storm and watched water pour in her outlets and windows-over 3 feet. She sat on her bed with her dog and cried and prayed. As a mom I have never felt so helpless but God is good. She is safe. She lost her car and many possessions but is safe.”

➡️ ”I live in southern New Jersey. I am grateful you are putting the spotlight on Convoy of Hope and Samaritan’s Purse so we who are so fortunate can send critically needed help”

THE PAULA FARIS SHOW 🎙️

LETS TALK PARENTING: Why Parenting in America is So Tough, with Stephanie May Wilson

John and I have a wide-ranging conversation about Why Parenting in America is So Tough.  We talk about our big struggles as parents, how parenting is “hazardous to your health” per the Surgeon General, plus we check in with our friend Stephanie May Wilson (Mom and Podcaster), who recently moved from Tennessee to SPAIN, mainly because parenting in America is such a struggle.  You’ll love to hear her experience of what it’s like parenting in another country, how their cultures view and support family, plus our new favorite Spanish word and how it could be a game changer for your crew.

America’s Record Low Birth Rates: Should We Care? Featuring Sociologist Dr. Jennifer Glass

We’re having fewer and fewer kids in the U.S. In fact, we’ve reached record-low numbers. But here’s the question: should we care? I am talking to sociologist Dr Jennifer Glass to explain the trend and reveal the most puzzling piece about it all.  Dr Glass is a Sociology Professor at the, University of Texas and the Executive Director at the Council on Contemporary Families. This is her life work. She’s done the research, commissioned the studies, looked at the trends and will break it all down.  As she tells me, we have a system where “mom just picks up the slack”. But, moms are fed up and starting to say NO.  We can’t call ourselves a family-friendly country if our policies don’t support the family and if money and power continue to go to those who ignore their families.  So, what’s our path forward?

Join the Conversation!

If you’ve made it this far, I invite you to join (or start) the conversation in our comments section. What would you like to share? -Paula

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