The Light at the Other Side
We are celebrating the light at the end of the tunnel of trauma and abuse and exploring the challenges along the way. My name is Melissa Corrigan, or simpIy ~m. I'm an adoptee, trauma survivor, Navy veteran, mom to LGBT teens, ally, advocate, wife, friend, and person. I have amassed a wealth of life experiences (with or without my consent), and I'm here to share valuable life lessons, wisdom, stories, and random pieces of information like great recipes and interesting works of art. If you're looking for partisan positioning, I lean to the left. The above paragraph should have let you know that. I believe every human being has the inherent right to dignity, safety, and freedom. Aside from that, I'm open to discussion and contemplation of all viewpoints. My writing can be found at Medium and includes essays on adoption, trans issues, parenting, parenting specifically LGBT kids, and more.
Episodes
What new titles should I use? "Updates from the US"? "Missives from America"? I don't know if this will be a series... I'm just writing and speaking on what we're living with right now in the United States and what I'm doing to cope. Thank you for listening in!
[I am recovering from the flu- forgive my voice.]
To subscribe to receive my weekly (and sometimes daily!) newsletters: counterstorymedia.substack.com
The American people are under assault by the incoming regime. People here are being targeted, having rights stripped, and facing further persecution.
I am a mother. I want you to know how this is impacting my family.
Join me in resisting this aggression.
By the time your kids are seventeen, you're feeling like a pretty seasoned parent, right? Kind of got most things down pat.
And then you're thrown into new territory as your child becomes an adult and suddenly we are navigating new situations, scenarios, boundaries, expectations, and realities.
It can be disarming and quickly become a negative situation for everyone involved. It takes a ton of patience, self-exploration, and work to ...
We're looking today at the differences in how we collectively parent our children, from strict authoritarianism to free-range "permissive" parenting, and the whole spectrum in between.
Gentle parenting, when applied correctly, can provide the fertile soil for healthy and long-lasting relationships between parents and children that carry them well into adulthood.
Authoritarian parenting, requiring complete and total obedience and imme...
Our family is very close, and I’ve been providing my kids’ civic education their entire lives. They have stood where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent his last moments before his assassination in the Lorraine Motel. They’ve traced the steps of slaves on plantations in South Carolina. They’ve explored almost every single Smithsonian Museum and civil rights monument and landmark.
I wanted to put their feet there. Immerse them in hist...
My family shouldn't threaten anyone, and we should not be threatened.
This week, we're going to explore family from the kitchen to the dinner table... all things FOOD. Family dinners are a cornerstone of our family connection, so I'm sharing with you some of my thoughts about how food builds a family.
Just a reminder that you can financially support this project in a couple of ways:
You can support the project on Patreon here: patreon.com/counterstorymedia
You can support the project on Substack here: c...
This week, we're going to explore family through the lens of adoption.
Just a reminder that you can financially support this project in a couple of ways:
You can support the project on Patreon here: patreon.com/counterstorymedia
You can support the project on Substack here: counterstorymedia.substack.com
Under the umbrella of CounterStory Media, we have several existing projects:
The Light at the Other Side- podcast and written word tha...
As parents, we are expected to be the ones 'in charge,' and that is obvious most of the time. However, we are merely human, and we still have much to learn. When we open our minds and ears to listening, truly listening, to our children, or watching them, we can learn so much from them.
Our children are unique and singular human beings. They contain seeds of wisdom that they will share with us, if we are open to receiving.
Just a re...
I'm so glad to be back behind the mic! I'm glad you're joining us again, and I hope you'll enjoy this newest season. With the theme "Family", we're going to explore many aspects of family from various viewpoints and about several different types of family. Adopted, step, chosen- there are many kinds of family, and we all must learn to navigate our way in them.
I've also launched my overarching project, CounterStory Media, which exis...
My apologies for our break last week! I got a wicked cold and was unable to record. I'm glad to be back, and discussing family trees.
This particular episode discusses genealogy from the perspective of an adoptee. Melissa shares her personal experience diving into her genealogical history, highlighting the challenges and importance of understanding one's roots. The episode underscores the impact of family stories and the profound se...
I am so unbelievably honored this week that I am able to share two pieces from one of the contributing writers of Served, Brett Ferek. Brett is an Iraqi war veteran who served in the Marine Corps. His writing is raw and poignant, relaying a range of emotions as he reflects on his experiences in the combat zone and life as a Marine and a veteran.
Brett's work can be found here: https://medium.com/@brettthomasferek
As we publish the wo...
Discussion of military stories and experiences in the U.S. Navy, reflecting on the impact of 9/11 and the challenges faced by female sailors in the military.
Impact of 9/11:
"The day I decided to enlist, a pizza shop, a blue September sky, and the end of the world as we knew it. 9 11...."
Challenges for Female Sailors:
"I should have stuffed it already. And the angrier he got, the more I became acutely aware that this guy was about to ...
This week's episode features the work of Kali Fox-Jirgl, one of the contributing writers of Adoptere, my publication about, by, and for adoptees.
Parenting... it's the hardest thing you'll ever do, but it can also be the most rewarding.
We've all heard it before, but let's dig deeper and examine the role of Ego and how it plays into guiding a young life to adulthood.
This is related to the following piece:
If you're following along, make sure to join the Fac...
Join me for a sentimental journey, reflecting on the 19 years of parenting that leads up to a child flying the nest.
The pieces I read in this episode can be found below.
https://medium.com/age-of-empathy/just-slipping-through-my-fingers-7e6799fb5cae
https://medium.com/age-of-empathy/adrift-the-spaces-in-between-3eb6c3854a6b
Join our Facebook group and join the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/268440279538198
Thank you for...
Welcome to Season 2!! I'm so grateful for the listeners who have come back week after week. This week, we're talking about life; learning to embrace joy, and prioritizing ourselves as we set boundaries and define a new 'normal' for a life without chaos and drama.
There IS light, and life, beyond the darkness.
Join the Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/268440279538198
Thanks friends, and as always, be well!
~m
This wraps up Season 1! If you've made it here with me, thank you!!
This week we're exploring my journey of healing, going back to the core mission of The Light at the Other Side, and I'm extending an open invitation for you to join me!
I've created a Facebook group for listeners of the podcast to discuss, meet, socialize, and help one another.
The link to the group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/268440279538198/
I look forward to me...
This episode is rather long, but I wanted to cover some ground I neglected.
One of the core voices of The Light at the Other Side is veterans. I'm sharing my stories from my time in the military and inviting you to share yours!
While I was serving in the US Navy, from 2003-2007, I met some extraordinary people. The women of the military were especially impressive to me. I've included my salute to my sisters-in-arms, so it's a bit of ...
In a contemplative mood last week, I pondered some of life's questions that have been swirling lately. America is in a weird place; our politics are a mess, our economy looks great on paper but many families are struggling to make ends meet, social groups are at each others' throats, and a wild and unpredictable election season is swirling.
There is no easy answer. Many people who live urban lives fantasize about moving out to the c...
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