Today’s Disaster Diary comes to you from the floor of my childhood bedroom–turned–home office, because I needed to feel grounded in the one room that has always felt peaceful and safe.
I talk about feeling physically run down, emotionally raw, and deeply reflective as I sit in that space and reach for my Brené Brown books, especially Braving the Wilderness. Her words about not belonging in your own family crack something open for me, because that’s exactly what this season feels like.
I unpack the tangled mess of:
- Caring for my mom when she will not care for herself.
- Feeling like the only “available” adult, and still somehow not enough.
- My aunt going quiet instead of having a hard conversation, and how that echoes the way my dad’s sister cut me off years ago.
I read and reflect on Brené’s idea that not belonging in our family is one of the deepest hurts we can experience, and how the “third way” — owning our pain and turning it into empathy — is the one I keep choosing, even when it hurts like hell.
There’s talk of job hunting in a saturated market, trying to figure out how to work while managing constant appointments, skipping movement because I feel like garbage, and still tracking protein like the strong bariatric girlie I am.
It’s vulnerable, unpolished, and tender — a real-time snapshot of what it feels like to navigate caregiving, grief, and being the black sheep who keeps choosing compassion anyway.
See you tomorrow for the next installment of the Disaster Diaries. đź’›
Key Takeaways
- Sitting on the floor of her childhood bedroom/office, Sacha reflects on feeling physically unwell, emotionally vulnerable, and deeply alone in this season.
- She shares how her aunt’s silence and exclusion mirror painful treatment from her dad’s sister, reopening old wounds around not belonging in her own family.
- Brené Brown’s Braving the Wilderness offers a framework: own the pain, transform it into empathy, and choose compassion instead of numbing or denial.
- Caregiving responsibilities, a saturated job market, and constant appointments make work feel impossible, adding another layer of stress and stuckness.
- Even on low-capacity days, Sacha leans into honesty, nearly hits her protein goal, and chooses to keep going — imperfectly, but still moving.
⚠️ Content Note:
This episode includes discussion of family estrangement, painful comments from relatives, caregiving stress, job loss anxiety, and feeling like you do not belong in your own family.
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🏷️ Keywords / Tags
family estrangement, not belonging, Brené Brown, Braving the Wilderness, caregiving stress, aging parent care, job search anxiety, Great Recession echoes, empathy and compassion, bariatric life, protein goals, mental health, vulnerability, Disaster Diaries podcast
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đź“Ś Standard Disclaimer
This podcast reflects personal experiences and opinions and is for informational and peer-support purposes only. It is not medical, mental health, legal, or financial advice. Please consult qualified professionals for guidance specific to you.
