Radio move

June 24th, 2012 by Regina Brett

For the past two years, all of you who listen to my radio show have welcomed me into your homes and cars every Wednesday night at 7 on WKSU 89.7 FM.

 

What an honor to be part of your lives.

 

The Regina Brett Show started with one simple concept: to inspire you to live a better life for yourself and others. As the title of my new book urges, Be the miracle.

 

There are so many public affairs shows on the radio, especially public radio, but few shows address the internal affairs, the issues of the heart and home, the problems that keep us awake at night, the solutions that come from the soul and extend into the greater world around us to make it even greater.

 

We’ve taken on topics that are fun and entertaining, shows that make you laugh or spit out your coffee or linger in the driveway to hear the last of a lovely line or story or song. We’ve taken on tough topics that make you grab a tissue, hug your children tighter, call your spouse to say those three words we all take for granted: I love you.

 

We’ve had shows that made me cry during the hour. One show, I was in the studio with a father whose son committed suicide after being bullied on the bus every day on the way to school. Sitting next to that dad in this studio was one of the bullies, a boy who confessed his role to the father. Together, they speak at schools and work together to stop bullying.

 

Another time we had two Vietnam vets who just returned home from visiting Vietnam 40 years later. They spoke of sitting down with the Vietnamese people they were once sent to kill. They shared the poems they wrote to heal the wounds they still bear.

 

Another time, we had a woman and her husband, who are in their 90’s, break into song about growing old together.

 

We had a show on dads that made you appreciate your father more or miss the one you lost, a show that made you want to become a better daughter or son.

 

We’ve had shows on how to change a bad habit, how to stop hoarding, how to simply…rest.

 

We started this show with producer Sarah Eisler Taylor and sound producer Kabir Batia. We have a new producer Danielle Wiggins and sound producer Jasen Sokol, who both love radio and work hard to add the right touch to every show.

 

I am so grateful to all of you for listening to the show, for supporting it at pledge time and for telling your friends and families to tune in and to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

I’d love to hear what you think of the show, and what topics you’d like us to address. If you have ideas for guests, email them to me at regina@ WKSU.org.

 

I look forward to spending Saturday afternoons with you. If you can’t join us then, I hope you’ll wake up early on Sunday to join us at the start of your day. And you can always, any time of the day or night, listen to us by podcast at WKSU.org.

 

As my friend Don always says, it’s been a slice of heaven…a la mode.

 

Let’s keep enjoying this great dessert together every Saturday afternoon starting June 30.

 

 

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The heat is on

June 19th, 2012 by Regina Brett

It was 90 degrees out today.

 

But it's a wet heat, so it feels like 190.

 

It's sooo hot.

How hot is it?

 

A sparrow just pulled a worm out of the ground...with a potholder.

Cows are giving evaporated milk.

I saw two trees fighting over a dog.

 

Okay, so you've heard them all before.

 

What do you do to cool off?

 

Eat Eskimo Pies for breakfast.

 

Take Popsicle breaks instead of coffee breaks.

 

Run through the sprinkler.

 

Park your bottom in a wading pool of ice.

 

Rummage in the garage and pull out the snow brush and shovel and remember this weather beats the ice, sleet and snow of December, January and February.

 

Drink a big glass of lemonade in the shade and read this poem by Shel Silverstein:

 

It’s Hot!

 

It’s hot!
I can’t get cool,
I’ve drunk a quart of lemonade,
I think I’ll take my shoes off
And sit around in the shade.

 

It’s hot!
My back is sticky,
The sweat rolls down my chin.
I think I’ll take my clothes off
And sit around in my skin.

 

It’s hot!
I’ve tried with ‘lectric fans,
And pools and ice cream cones.
I think I’ll take my skin off
And sit around in my bones.

 

It’s still hot!

 

 

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Family CEO

June 9th, 2012 by Regina Brett

My daughter just declared herself Family CEO.

 

What a bold and exciting move, to leave the work world and become a full-time, stay at home mom. Her husband is behind her 100 percent. So am I.

 

My guess is that Asher, who is 3, and Ainsley, who is 11 months old, support her, too.

 

Gabrielle worked in the cancer information services for 11 years, spreading information about the prevention and treatment of cancer and encouraging people to participate in clinical trials to help advance science and save lives. Now she gets to focus on the two little lives she created.

 

Ainsley and Asher gave her a workout this week in her new role.

 

Ainsley was sick for two days, throwing up all over the high chair.  "What is in throw up?" Asher asked. How do you answer that one?

 

Then he got sick and Gabrielle got to read him books and make him feel all better, as only a mom can do.

 

Nothing beats a mother's touch to make a fever go away, to heal a boo-boo, to make life feel so much sweeter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A hug from the universe

June 1st, 2012 by Regina Brett

Every so often I get an email that makes me so grateful to be a writer.

 

This came in today:

 

"Dear Regina, I found your book one day completely by chance when I found myself in the darkest of dark places not wanting to live another day.

 

"I ran into a bookstore and did a quick and desperate grab of something, anything, to help me out of my despair, the pain was so unbearable I was so overcome with it all. And I am so grateful that I picked up your book.

 

"Nothing happens by mistake. I have read your book every morning over the last 6 months and it has been with me while I have been struggling in recovery from an eating disorder and all of the painful feelings and withdrawal that this experience has brought.

 

"Your book has made me feel so much less alone. I have felt so incredibly comforted and hopeful from reading it. You feel close and real through everything you write about even though we are generations and countries apart with a totally different up bringing.

 

"It's amazing how the human experience is really so much the same. Some mornings over the last 6 months where I have cried my eyes out everyday I read your book and it's like getting a big hug both from you and the universe.

 

"I can't thank you enough for writing it and sharing your life and experiences with others and me. You reminded me that it's okay to be human in a world that otherwise seems to be expecting perfection.

 

"You reminded me that it's okay to cry and it's okay to be broken and not have any of the answers, and even okay to be angry with God. Thank you for reminding me that I am and always will be enough, especially to God.

 

"I wish so much love, happiness, joy and peace to you and your family. Thanks from the bottom of my heart."

 

And thank you, from the bottom of mine.

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