79 - Mother’s Day, Mother Wounds

As The Cult I Left Behind listeners know, Mother’s Day isn’t a sappy Hallmark holiday for Amanda. In this episode, Amanda and Kyle talk about what the day brings up—not just for Amanda, but for anyone who experienced harm from their mothers. Amanda shares a letter she wrote to the mother figures in her life and reflects on how watching motherhood play out in the cult shaped her earliest beliefs—and deepest fears—about what it means to be a mom. She also reads a personal list of fears she’s had about becoming a mother herself, and the steps she’s taken to work through them. The episode closes with a short selection of poetry honoring the pain of mother wounds, plus date and time details for an upcoming livestream. Jessica Jocelyn (poet) Instagram: @letters.to.annaSupport the show