1. where to begin

[Transcript Begins]

Hey there.
You found your way here.
Welcome to Reintegrate Ourselves.

You know…
For close to a year now, I’ve been searching for a kind of community,
Craving an audience beyond myself—
Someone who I could write to… or write for.

If I were to describe what I’ve been looking for,
I think it really is just a friendly witness.
Someone who’d cheer me on as I run breathlessly,
Whose presence motivates me to be just a little kinder to myself.
Who roots for me as I take each terrifying leap.
Curious. Patient. Kind.

The truth is,
Well… knowing what I now know about myself,
Upon years and years of self-growth,
I think I know what I’ve been searching for….
Is really a parent figure I never quite had growing up.

And I know, deep down,
That the only person destined in this life to fulfill that role is…
well, me
If only I were magically all healed up. 

But I’m not there yet.

So I’m doing what I can.
Carving out a space for that hopeful healing.
Starting a little prayer ritual,
To invite whatever inner wisdom or divinity there is to rise from within.
So that maybe, just maybe,
In moments or glimpses,
I can at last be united with myself,
No longer at war
Or lost at sea.

The optimist in me believes that I’m not alone in this yearning.
And maybe you’re here because you’ve felt it too:
The need for a kinder presence to go through life with,
Someone to whisper small thoughts to.
To share a quiet giggle—or a tear—
At how hilarious and heartbreaking life can be.

This podcast has no grander ambitions other than to simply exist.
It’s dedicated to slowing down on purpose,
And listening inward.
To time-travel, emotionally and spiritually—
Back to childhood bedrooms,
Loud family gatherings,
Silent car rides between lessons.

We’ll re-enter those dusty, old rooms,
Where our younger selves needed
More than what was available.

Not to change the past,
Or to point fingers.
Not even to ask, what if—

But to sit beside the child selves.
To hold what we couldn’t carry.
And breathe life into what never had space.

You could say that this is a podcast about healing—
But really,
It’s about remembering
The parts of us we thought we had to leave behind
Just to survive.

Each episode is a soft attempt to bring those pieces home.

Reintegrating ourselves is, I think, a kind of spiritual excavation:
Digging through layers of our stories—
Uncovering fragments of who we once were.

A mourning and an inquiry, all at once.

The pieces that were silenced by shame,
Buried by fear,
Or simply forgotten.

By shining a light on the shadowed places,
We remember who we were
Before we started trading fragments of ourselves with the world:
Bargaining for love.
For safety,
For belonging.

Because growing up often meant moving on too fast.
Abandoning what we thought were weaknesses.
When really—I hope—
They were also our power.

Reintegration is a radical, defiant kind of love.
The kind that says:
I remember you.

Even when the world told me to forget.

Thank you for being here, at this beginning, with me.
If there’s anything that you feel inspired to share,
I’d love to hear from you at www.reintegrateourselves.com,
(and yes, the transcript for this episode is there too).

Until next time. Take care! 

[Transcript Ends]