alcoholism

motherland book

Motherland: A Memoir

by Barb Higgins ・ Proceeds go to The Molly B Foundation

Episode 132: Discovering Treasure Troves In My Old Journals

I recently discovered my old running logs and it was a treasure trove of information on how my life used to be between exercise, old boyfriends, and what my life was like before Molly died. So much of life has changed, and yet, it’s like nothing has...

Episode 131: Fasting for my Religion

In this episode, I explore how and why different religions fast and what it says about society. It was fascinating to learn and all of the religions hold common themes. I also debate if fasting is healthy or not. It leaves me with one question: what...

Episode 130: Taking on the Minimalist Lifestyle

My morning routine will never be full of meditation and yoga. Instead it is currently filled with decluttering my household one bin at a time. This is in an effort to be more of a minimalist and carefully consider why I own the things I do. In this...

Episode 129: The Aftereffects of Sexual Abuse

I listened to the story of Debbie, a woman who was sexually abused in childhood and I truly resonate with. From the way we were both told to be quiet about our abuse, our journeys of healing, and our coping mechanisms. In this episode, I look at...

Episode 128: Living with POTS after COVID with Rosie & Lauren

Rosie came on with her partner Lauren to tell her story of getting POTS after having COVID and how it’s affecting her life now. She’s currently in the process of trying to get a service dog which will hopefully help give her more independence. In...

Episode 127: Can I Make My Life Count?

When I talk to my friends about aging we’re all in this spot where we feel somewhat unfulfilled by life, like somethings missing. It makes me wonder what’s wrong and where in my life I need to improve. In this episode, I look at where I am in...

Episode 126: I’m Working on Slowing Down

As January ends, I realize I need to reevaluate when I make goals and what a routine looks like for me. I also take time off coaching, slow down, and try to enjoy the moment which is difficult for me. But through it all I am working on creating the...

Episode 124: Chronic Anger is Just Resentment

I feel a lot of anger in my life and I’m diving deep to see what I’m holding on to. Along the way I discover my healing crisis and how anger fits into the 5 stages of grief. In this episode, I’ll find strategies to deal with my anger and what I...

Episode 123: Peeling Back the Layers of Myself

As we do the kitchen renovation, we’ve found layers upon layers of wallpaper and flooring. This is much like the multitude of layers of my person. I keep saying I’m going to change things and instead I rush around. So now I’m finding new ways to...

Episode 122: What Does Being Humane Mean?

While doing our home renovation we discovered a whole treasure trove of things in the walls. One of those things was a book on humane education by an amazing woman, Irene Hart who changed the history of education for New Hampshire and helped to...

Episode 121: The Secrets to Living to 100

I recently watched a documentary on living to 100 and what special things people did in certain communities to allow them to live that long. Some of it was not surprising and other parts were. There was so much information that I took from this...

Episode 120: The Holiday Woes

The holidays are upon us again and as always it’s a rollercoaster. The MollyB basket went differently this year than it had previously and that was an adjustment for us all. On top of that, I’ve had to navigate how to spend Christmas with Jack...

Episode 119: Creating Double Binds

My business coach introduced me to double binds and it makes so much sense. I’ve created them, but a lot of other people in my life have too and it has wreaked havoc. I can now look back on past relationships and why it wasn't working. In this...

Episode 117: Stop Telling Women To Be Quiet

I’m tired of people telling women to be quiet. In today’s age, so many minority groups pit themselves against another minority group and I sometimes don’t understand whose benefit that is. This is part of why I wrote Motherland. I was tired of...

Episode 116: Being Open About Death

In the 70s when my best friend died, I didn’t know because it wasn’t talked about. This had a lifelong impact on me full of grief and reflection. This is why when Molly died I decided to let all her friends know what was happening and allow anyone...

Episode 115: Processing the Messy Middle

It seems like everyone around me is dying as I grow older. It’s a lot to process and has led me on a journey of looking into the 5 stages of grief and finding a 6th stage too. I think about the stage that I’m in versus others around me and how...

Episode 107: How Music Has Moved My Soul

Seeing Bruce Springsteen in concert was life changing, but it has differed since I was in my early twenties. When I was at the concert all the memories of my life came rushing back and it’s crazy to think that I am in a very different stage of life...

Episode 106: My Emotions as the Seasons Change

August has always held significance to me as a time to return to school. As the seasons change though it makes me relive unpleasant memories and deal with the fact that I’m not teaching anymore. As I go through these times, I dive into Native...

Episode 105: Not Getting Stuck in the Mundane

As I took Gracie to another Disney audition and listened to her contemplate her goals, I began to contemplate my own. I don’t want to settle in my life and I’m trying to find ways to make the non-profit, my book, and my business work. In this...

Episode 103: Expanding the Arts in my Community

I gave a speech for RB Productions 20th anniversary and it made me reflect on what the arts can do to transform children’s lives. It makes me think about how the arts have changed my life as well and the changes I’m making from writing a book to...