That's Me! That's Me! Episode # 25 with Diana S.

**Julia Jay** (0:23)
Hey, everybody, welcome to That's Me, That's Me. I'm Julia Jay.

**Monica Kay** (0:26)
And I'm Monica Kay.

**Julia Jay** (0:28)
And we are broadcasting from the beautiful Cincinnati Public Radio studios. Here on That's Me, That's Me, we talk about what brought people back after their first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. So often we hear what got us to our first meeting, but we always love hearing about what brought someone back to their second meeting. What did they see? What did they hear? And what did they feel that encouraged them to turn to the rooms after that first time? Each week, we invite a guest to come on the show to share their story of what brought them back to their second meeting in the moment they began to relate and say to themselves, that's me, that's me.
Good morning.

**Monica Kay** (1:05)
Beautiful rendition there, Julia. Just lovely. How are you?

**Julia Jay** (1:11)
I'm good.

**Monica Kay** (1:15)
Can you expound on that? Just a tad?

**Julia Jay** (1:18)
Well, I'm a little giddy this morning because I'm excited that Monica's back.

**Monica Kay** (1:22)
Yay.

**Julia Jay** (1:23)
And I don't know. I'm, things are good. I don't know. I'm like, I don't know how to answer this question. I'll just talk about my kids. That's like the default setting for when someone asks me how I'm doing. My one kid, as people have heard, is in Texas and has been for a month and was supposed to come back this coming Monday and called us and is having such a glorious time that he's going to stay two more weeks. And I feel like it's a god thing because I don't want him to stay, but it's not about me. And he's so happy. And I am grateful that I have this program to know that like I have to work through my own emotion and let him fly. And that is not where I thought I would be.
Even just a couple of years ago, you know, having like I realize this is sort of the long transition to college, which has felt painful at times. But I just feel really grateful and also have all of these women around me that have that have done it. And so I can call them and tell them how I feel. And they're like, yeah, they have their own, that's me moments about mothering. So, but I don't know, I like the summer pace. I feel like I'm finally in a summer pace. It takes me a while to transition. And now I'm like, oh, I kinda like this, it's good. And also my other kid went away this week. And so my husband and I had two days in the house by ourselves and it was glorious. And the best part was we didn't have to worry about dinner. Everybody just, he just ate whatever and I ate whatever. And that's good.
So what about you?

**Monica Kay** (3:04)
Cool.
Yeah, you know, I may spontaneously burst into tears over the next hour. So just bear with me. You know, most of you know my mom passed away last week. And so it's been a lot and a lot of changes going on. And the most, you know, a lot of beautiful things, of course, go along with that. And I have to just say, you know, it's been an opportunity to really, not step back, but just like pause and just like feel how important AA is in my life. You know what I mean? Just, it's been lovely having friends and family surround me and lift me through that. And I kind of have a big, fat love hangover today. We had two big things. It was a friend's anniversary yesterday, and, you know, there was a lot of us gathering, and it was a lot of people I've seen for the first time since my mom passed. And then last night, it was the first time I went back to the home group since that happened. And then I spoke with a good friend on the phone for, you know, an hour or two, as I was snoozing, you know, drifting away. So it was just, you know, you just wake up and embraced that just lovely feeling. And I'm super grateful for, you know, AA in my life. And I'll just share one story out of thousands.
But I guess it was maybe the next day after my mom passed, and somebody said, my sister said, Are you going to go to a meeting where everybody, where your friends are? And I know what she meant. She meant, like, you know, where your besties, where your people are. But when the way that, you know, when she asked that, I just said, yes, because I can say that about any meeting I go to. You know what I mean? That I know that I'm going to walk in the rooms and instantly, like, get what I need and be able to relate to everybody around me. And, you know, it's been, I've had decades of watching other people walk this path in front of me. And, you know, I remember, I think I've talked about Emily before, when, after her husband died, and I was really new and surprised. And I remember, you know, this has just left such a searing image in my head of seeing her sitting in the bench at our home group. And it was just like, I remember I said, leaned over to my sponsor and I said, we come to AA even if our family dies, you know? She's here today. So anyway, all that just to say, I'm so grateful for AA during this, you know, most days, but especially during when you go through something like this. So really, really, really, really, really happy to be back in the podcast booth with you guys. I missed you.