#64 - Lori Odhner - Peel Back the Foil

Many know Lori Odhner as the voice behind the songs that shaped their childhood, filling generations of church services and bedtime routines. Underneath that is a discipline she's practiced even longer: paying attention to the person in front of her.In this conversation, Lori traces that listening thread from her father's example, through raising nine children, her marriage to John, a daily marriage column written for over a decade, and a lifetime of quilting, songwriting, and quiet caregiving.She talks candidly about growing up with a mother who struggled with bipolar disorder, and how watching that struggle, echoed years later in raising her autistic son, Ben, taught her that suffering isn't a mistake. It's often the very thing that grows compassion in us.That same conviction reshaped her marriage counseling work. She once believed it meant teaching people the formula for a good relationship: learn this, and you'll know how to do it. Instead, she found it was something else entirely: vulnerability, not judging your partner, and not trying to change them.Ultimately, Lori makes a case for a different kind of giving: we don't always need to fix someone's problem. What's always important is simply being present. It's about seeking out the sweetness hiding in almost everyone you pass, if you're willing to peel back the foil.Check Out:Marriage Moats: 101 Thoughts to Inspire and Protect Your Marriage by Lori Odhnerhttps://caringformarriage.org/blog/Elevate the ExperienceHelp bring better audio, video, and filmed episodes to life: Venmo. I tithe 10% of all contributions—half to the All Secure Foundation (supporting soldiers’ transition home) and half to the Academy of the New Church High School.