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November 23, 2025 • 13 mins
Mindy and Mikaela speak with Anne Hurst from Open Arms Counseling about preparing to handle family this Thanksgiving!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And being thankful, and on Thursday, it is the time
of the year that we all take a step back
from our stressful lives and concentrate on what we have
instead of what we don't have, and be thankful for
every single day and the people who we have in it.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
It's a wonderful day, a favorite day of the year, definitely,
I think for Mindy and I, but we also know
it could be challenging. I mean, Mindy, I don't know
about you, but I've definitely heard from a couple of
friends their stories in the last week about what they're
facing when it comes to the holidays, and I've asked them,
with all seriousness, have you talked to your therapists, because
I think sometimes we have to have someone like that

(00:37):
to talk through these things.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
And it's not just the idea of maybe it's the
first Thanksgiving without a loved one, maybe they passed away recently,
but there's such a political divide and such hatefulness across
lines party lines that some people don't want to even
go to Thanksgiving because they feel a certain way politically speaking,
and politics should never ever come between family. It shouldn't.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
And that was one of the stories that I heard
it's a continuation from last Thanksgiving. And another story I
heard had to do with parents going through great divorce.
So I'm really curious to talk to Anne about some
of this right now.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
Anne Hurst with Open Arms Counseling. And and did you
see that little tagline I had for you in your
commercial Open Arms Counseling, let them embrace you with their
open arms. I love it.

Speaker 3 (01:26):
I love it too. That's awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
We need a little embracing before Thanksgiving. And I mean,
this is a stressful moment, even though it is a
very grateful moment for many of us, there's anxiety that
comes with this holiday.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
Oh definitely a lot of anxiety that comes of the holiday,
planning the holiday, going to the holiday, and you know,
sometimes getting along with your relatives.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
We are going to open up the phone lines if
you're kind of on that bubble, if you're feeling a
little stressed out and you want a little bit of help,
here's your opportunity get free help from Open Arms Counseling
right now by calling up at six one four eight
two one nine eight eighty six six one four eight
one nine eight eighty six. And what's the number one
reason people feel stressed around this time of the year,

(02:16):
specifically speaking Thanksgiving for right now.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
I think one of the biggest reasons people feel stressed
around this time of the year is being able to
get along with the relatives, and especially if you have
different views, different political views, which is one of the
biggest things I hear of these days.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
There political discourse is hard for some people. I'm really
really hard, and it's too bad because I think there's
some opportunities to have conversations. What do you suggest for
folks going into that kind of situation. One of my friends,
this is the second Thanksgiving. She hasn't seen her brother

(02:56):
over politics. I think that's really really sad and hard. Well,
what do you tell people to try to get over
that hump, whether they're going to go again for the
first time or just try to bridge what maybe went
wrong last time.

Speaker 3 (03:10):
This is your family and family is there forever. Politics
are not there forever. Family is there forever, and there's
nothing that should get away get in between you and
your family, with the exception of you know, if there's
abuse and such a thing like that, but politics should
not get in the way of you being with your family.

(03:32):
These are people that have been with you since the
beginning of time, and they will be there for you
until the end of time. And they are your family,
and just don't let something like differences of viewpoints get
in between you and the love for your family.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
Is this a good time of the year. Maybe you've
had differences, Maybe you haven't talked to a friend or
a cousin or other family members because of politics, or
maybe there was an argument down the road, not even
having to deal with politics, but something else. Is this
a good time to mend that since and to offer
an olive branch.

Speaker 3 (04:09):
I truly think it is. I think it's a great
idea to come together as a family and talk about
your differences and say, hey, you know, I believe this way.
You believe that way. Let's listen to why you believe that,
and then let's listen to it with an open mind,
and we may not change each other's minds, at least

(04:29):
we can start understanding how the other person think.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
I feel like it's on us as individuals if we're
listening to this advice to do some of these things
and tactically when we're in the room. I've been seeing
some things online and I'm curious, you know, what you
would agree.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
With and what you would maybe add.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
One of the things I saw earlier this week was
pay attention when you're diminishing in these conversations.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
And.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
You know, seeing clearly and being seen changes how people
show up. So tactically, are there a few things you
would suggest as we're about to give that olive branch,
or maybe we're not ready, but we need to show up.

Speaker 1 (05:08):
Are there are there some tactics that you would give folks?

Speaker 3 (05:12):
I would completely agree with not diminishing each other and
being very aware of things like that, not to diminish
each other, the way we speak to each other, the
words we're using. Sometimes we're using words that we don't
think are negative to another person, but they come across
very negatively. And I would say treating each other with

(05:33):
respect and using truth in love.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
I like that truth and love. What about the overall
feeling of, oh, my gosh, I'm never going to have
my house ready, I'm never going to have the turkey
cooked in time. There's so many things to do, the shopping,
the cleaning, the cooking, the making everything look great for
whoever is coming over. What about that type of stress
for people?

Speaker 3 (05:57):
Oh, that's a huge one. Those are definitely huge one
and I would say gets very very valid. And to
remember to ask for help. If you need help, ask
for it. You don't have to do all of it
by yourself, even if you're trying for a perfect Thanksgiving,
and you know what, perfect sometimes just doesn't exist.

Speaker 1 (06:18):
And that's all. But that's what makes it fun when
you have the doctor Cohen shared a story about his
deep prior and how it was a long story, but
that's a Thanksgiving story and those are the memories that
you will hold on to forever. Right it is okay
if something goes wrong, It's okay if you burn the turkey,
and God bless you know.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
I'm on a texturing with my family right now, and
and I feel like I'm the person who's sitting there
saying this is not perfection. Like we are down to
the detail on what this menu looks like and what
when something's too expensive.

Speaker 1 (06:52):
There's a whole story there too. They're all Mikayla Hunts.
But I but I'm less Mikayla Hunt than I used
to be. Apparently with the rest of your family.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yeah, and so I'm just like.

Speaker 1 (07:03):
So organized and you dot your eyes but you can't
be perfect. You can't be.

Speaker 2 (07:08):
No, So I'm going to send this segment to my
family before I land in Georgia.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
But Mikayla had a good question about something else.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
Oh, you know, there is a rising number and Mindy
and I've been talking about this a little bit of
gray divorce. I'm sure you're familiar with that. Termannia.

Speaker 3 (07:27):
No, I'm not to tell you true.

Speaker 2 (07:29):
So these are boomers who are getting divorced after years
of being together. Their kids are out of the house,
all the way grown up and financially independent in and
of themselves, and so they're not happy. And so there's
like a this is something if you google around on it,
like search it up, you'll you'll find it. You know
what about those walking into a situation that's a gray
divorce situation where you know their parents for you know,

(07:52):
forty fifty years have been together and now they're not.
They're trying to cobble Thanksgiving together.

Speaker 3 (08:01):
So this is like boom people who have adult children
and then they get divorced with adult children.

Speaker 2 (08:07):
Correct, yes, Oh, she's pondering.

Speaker 1 (08:12):
It's an interesting yeah, or in general dealing with divorce,
you know what's coming up and you're a kid. Your
parents are just maybe the last Thanksgiving together. It's like
that gray area.

Speaker 3 (08:25):
Well, yeah, it's just definitely a gray area. You know.
Thinking outside the box is one of the biggest things
you can do Thanksgiving. You can have like multiple Thanksgivings,
or you can you know, think outside the box and
have Thanksgiving on different days with different people. Thanksgiving does
not have to be on the date of Thanksgiving.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
What what if you have to do the same Thanksgiving
in a really awkward situation, like the divorcing people are
together and you have to come into it.

Speaker 3 (08:58):
They're together at the well Thanksgiving, Yes.

Speaker 2 (09:01):
At the same Thanksgiving.

Speaker 1 (09:02):
I want to go to that Thanksgiving. This is going
to be juicy Thanksgiving.

Speaker 2 (09:09):
Yes, this is another friend that I spoke with.

Speaker 1 (09:11):
I hope she's listening.

Speaker 3 (09:14):
No, it depends on how well the people are getting
to get along that are getting a divorce. I've seen
people get divorces and keep the kids in the same
house and go in and out of the same house.
I've seen people get divorced that are still friends with
each other. But I've also seen really horrible divorces, And

(09:35):
it just depends on where they are with that.

Speaker 1 (09:38):
You know, what you talked about and brought up do
different Thanksgivings. That's what our family does. Randy's family always
celebrates Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving, so we'll go up to spend
the time with his family, and I'm sure it's going
to be a little hard because this is the first
big holiday without mister quarter Cracks. But then our family
vacation or vacation, our family Thanksgiving will be on Saturday

(10:00):
things after the game, after the game, you do you
kind of you make I don't know, you make arrangements
to please everybody, but you're never going to please everybody
one hundred percent. But this way, at least our family
gets to spend some time with Randy's family and then
our family on another day.

Speaker 2 (10:14):
That's smart, and that's what you're going for, and that's
what you typically would suggest.

Speaker 3 (10:18):
It sounds like absolutely. I know in our family, my
sister ended up with divorce and they would have like
three or four Thanksgiving them the same day. But they
all live close to each other. But you know what,
sometimes you want to have Thanksgiving with the immediate family,

(10:39):
and you want to have the family. You can do
an immediate family Thanksgiving on my Friday, whereas the big
Thanksgiving on Thursday, or vice versa. I know that with
my family this year, my sister is having a Thanksgiving
on Thanksgiving and then we're going to go to the

(11:00):
living facility to spend Thanksgiving with my parents on Friday
and have a whole big Thanksgiving dinner. Who can't help?
There are never, you know, too many Thanksgiving There's.

Speaker 2 (11:11):
Not one other question for you, and Scoop, we see you,
but we're going to take your call at five twenty.
We're going to do Thanksgiving comments then as well. Just
know that, and Chris, if you could let Scoop know
who's on the line. Mindy brought up one other really
important thing about Thanksgiving and for those who've lost someone,
when there's a seat at the table that is empty
this year, what's some good ways to honor their life

(11:32):
and to handle some of the grief that is still
going to hang around that table inevitably, to.

Speaker 3 (11:37):
Remember them, to remember them in some special significant way,
to possibly put something that they used to love into
the get together with each other, to possibly when you're saying,
you know, some people go around and say something they're
thankful for, you can also say some favorite memory. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (12:00):
I think that's a great idea. Yeah, that's a great idea.

Speaker 2 (12:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (12:04):
You know, according to national surveys, the three most common
things that people are most thankful for family, friends, and health.
I want to give you an opportunity, and you know,
you know you had your cancer scare a while back.
What are you most thankful for this year? As we
look on to Thursday being Thanksgiving?

Speaker 3 (12:24):
You know what, I am most thankful for my family
and the support group that I have and people who
are there around me to support me through this whole
cancer thing. Yeah. I don't think we think about you
can sometimes take it for granted. Are the people around
us and I am so thankful for them?

Speaker 1 (12:45):
Well, we're thankful for you. And you know what, You've
been a part of the show since the get go.
The number of people you help is incredible and I
know you're appreciated and you are part of why they
are thankful because life is hard.

Speaker 2 (12:59):
Life is hard, and you need somebody like Anne and
her team to help us. Absolute So and give out
your number, email address, website, whatever you'd like to so
if people need to talk to you, especially after Thanksgiving,
since this is the current topic, what is that so
they can reach.

Speaker 3 (13:15):
Out Just give us a call at six one four
six too fun. I'm sorry, I forgot my number, or
we've all been there to open arms. Counseling dot calm.

Speaker 2 (13:26):
That's the easiest ways, counseling dot com fantastic.

Speaker 1 (13:31):
Let them embrace you, open arms, and.

Speaker 2 (13:34):
We hope you have a great Thanksgiving.

Speaker 3 (13:37):
Thanks you too.

Speaker 1 (13:40):
This is what Matters on six ten wtv A
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