Breathin’ Season

In this episode, Jelani and Spencer move from Mercury retrograde and astrology to aliens and the Atlas Comet, from Lego obsessions to their kids' endless art projects, and from millennial parenting to the weight of vulnerability. What starts as banter about tech glitches and barbecue chicken left on car roofs becomes a reflection on raising kids they've never seen before—living room kids instead of bedroom kids, children who feel safe enough to stay present. They talk about teaching sons chivalry while figuring out the language to empower daughters, asking for hugs when you need them, and why it's deep breathing season. Then they shift to Deion Sanders facing scrutiny for team chaplains, the role of faith in football, and the tragic deaths of Marshawn Neelan, Doug Martin, and Nick Mangold—a reminder that behind every helmet is a human being. This is a conversation about astrology, Legos, legacy, and learning to breathe through the chaos.

Topics Covered

• Mercury retrograde as deep breathing season and navigating cosmic chaos
• Astrology, birth timing, and the power of women in shaping our identity
• The Atlas Comet conspiracy and what it means if aliens are real (and Black)
• Managing kids' art and creativity without drowning in drawings
• Legos as meditation, control, and family bonding (plus the Pharrell documentary)
• Bedroom kids vs. living room kids: the millennial parenting shift
• Spencer's vulnerable moment with Cairo—asking for a hug and teaching emotional intelligence
• Gender roles: chivalry for sons, empowerment language for daughters
• Curating your life and cutting out generational trauma
• Deion Sanders, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and faith embedded in football
• Honoring Marshawn Neelan, Nick Mangold, and Doug Martin—mental health in athletics

Highlight Quotes

• "It's deep breathing season. You can't keep a good man down. You can't keep a good podcast down."
• "We are raising kids we have never seen before. We are raising something we have never seen before and attempting to address all of our past shit in the process."
• "Can you imagine scoring your first touchdown in the NFL and still feeling like this is not a world you want to be in anymore? That's the kind of thing everyone needs to recognize when they see us playing in front of all these people with all this pressure."
• "Daddy needs a hug right now. Can you put your arms around me and can you squeeze me and I'll squeeze you too, like an equal hug."
• "Let them aliens step off that ship and be black. That would start the next World War."
• "When you put something out into the world, it's not yours anymore. It's now up for consumption."

Where to Find Us

Instagram: @highervalleyspodcast

TikTok: @highervalleys

Send us a text