69: My Best Friends Girls Chat: Staying Friends After College, Long-Distance Friendships, Faith Challenges & More

Speaker: 00:00:06

Hey, I am your host, Mari Wagner,

and you're listening to The Ever Be

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: 00:00:11

Podcast where Faith Meets Lifestyle.

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: 00:00:14

I'm so excited you're here.

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: 00:00:16

Whether you're a new listener

or a longtime follower, I know

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: 00:00:19

there's something here for you.

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: 00:00:20

Pull up a chair and listen in for

insightful, real life conversations and

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: 00:00:24

actionable steps on how to claim the.

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: 00:00:26

Full life God created you for.

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: 00:00:28

If you're a woman desiring to live

a Christ-centered life in today's

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modern world, then this is for you.

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Welcome to ever be.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Welcome back to Ever Be Everybody.

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Today I think is going to be my

favorite episode I have ever recorded.

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It has been a long time coming to

get these two ladies on my podcast,

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even though I talk to them on my

phone, like on text, like every day.

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Welcome to my two very,

very, very best friends.

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Brie and Lauren say hello.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045: Hey.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

These two gal have been sisters in

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Christ my go-to, my best friends for

literal life since: 2016

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Right?

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Yeah,

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Is that true?

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That's literally nine years.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

yeah.

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We're coming up on our

10 year anniversary.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

We need to do something for

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our 10 year anniversary.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045: do.

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

do that Mexico trick we've been

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talking about for 10 years.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: down.

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Okay.

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put that on the calendar.

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But, um, anyways, we are

gonna be talking about how to

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maintain these Christ-centered

friendships throughout your life.

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How to cultivate a deeper friendship

with the women in your life.

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Uh, maybe how to bring your faith

into it, how to support each other

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through different scenes, seasons

of life through your vocations as

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you enter into different vocations.

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Um, how to be like real and honest

and just like what is true friendship.

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Really, really look like true,

authentic, virtuous friendship in Christ.

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What does that look like?

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We're gonna dive into all that today,

but fir, but, but first, but before

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we do that, uh, why don't you guys

give a little, like, quick little

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intro about who you are so people

kind of get to know who's Bree, who's

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Lauren, and then we'll talk about

like how we know each other and stuff.

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low.

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Why don't you go first?

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Okay, perfect.

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Um, hi everyone.

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I'm Lauren.

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Um, I'll probably be referred to as low

a lot, so just there's the correlation.

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Um, I currently live in Missoula,

Montana, and I am a physical therapist.

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I met Brie first, um, in this

old trio of a friendship.

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Um, Bri and I were in the same orientation

group our freshman year at Gonzaga.

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So day one in August of 2016,

there we were with our matching

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red t-shirts on and lanyards, and

we played, uh, what's that one?

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Uh, I love my zags.

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Who, and you're like in a circle and,

you know, the most awkward icebreakers.

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But, um, yeah.

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Ever since then that was, uh,

that was a starting point.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: What

are some things that you're into low?

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

What are some things that I'm into?

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Um, I like sports a lot.

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Um, I'm kind of the

sports fan of the group.

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Um, I always remind these girlies

when the zags are playing.

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Um, and let's see, I, um, I love

being with my friends and my family.

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Those are big, big things for me.

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I just recently, like yesterday went on

this beautiful six mile hike in Montana.

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Um, it's.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Which is

a new occurrence for Lauren, I will say.

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Okay.

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When we

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Well, come on.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: she

didn't like hiking, she didn't like

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dogs and she didn't like country music.

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Now don't let that stop you from

falling in love with her because

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you just gotta give her a little

time and she'll come around.

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Now

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

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In the last week,

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: boots

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

in the last week I've gone on a six mile

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hike and bought a pair of cow girl boots.

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Um,

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: you

like when I send pictures of Bodie,

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

yeah.

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And like Bodhi and Annie are like

basically my, my niece and nephew.

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Uh, so,

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Basically.

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

so yeah.

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And um, I do attribute all of

that to Bri and Marie and let it

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be known on this podcast, um, for

the world to hear that they get,

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they.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: were

like, we're not taking no for answer.

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You will like dogs and you like country

music if you wanna be friends with us,

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Um, Brie, who would you say, I have a

thought too, but who would you say, like

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Lauren is in the group, or like what role

do you feel like she plays in the group?

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Oh my gosh.

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I think I would say she plays the mom.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

That's what I was gonna say.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045: Like

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

to take care of you.

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Always checking in on you.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Mm-hmm.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Um, yeah, for sure.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

checking in.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

first thought.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

You're like the cool mom.

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You know what I mean?

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You're death is the cool mom, but you

are the mom, you're, you are like,

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yeah, very like good about checking in

when you know people aren't doing well.

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And also on a very practical sense, like

I can just see us like all leaving for

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something, you know, in college and you're

like, do you have this, do you have this?

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Did you bring this?

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Like, did you make sure you pack this?

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And like, that's what my mom did

for me, that she did checklists

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on the way out the door and like,

yeah, Lauren's really good at those.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Mm-hmm.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Okay.

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Brie, what about you?

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Who are you?

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Brie.

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I am also a physical therapist.

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Um, me and Lauren are

twinning on that one.

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I live in kind of central eastern

Oregon in a small town called Pineville.

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Um, I'm married to my husband

Timmy, and we're expecting

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our first child in November.

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Um, so these girlies are gonna be aunts.

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Um, so that's kind of

the phase of life I'm in.

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Um, things I'm interested in is

everything Lauren used to not like.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah, basically.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

so like, just outdoors, which is like

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perfect for where I live now, but, and

anything on a lake or hiking or, um,

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country music, rodeos, whatever it be.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yep.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045: but

yes, I never took Lauren's, uh, an answer.

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No.

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I always was like, Nope,

we're gonna go do it.

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coming with,

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Have fun one.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

gonna

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Pretend like you're having fun.

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That's what I told myself.

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Just smile.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Um, so I'm very proud of

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all the progress she's made.

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She was amazing beforehand too, but it's

just fun to like share in those things.

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So

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yes.

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love that.

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Lo, who would you say

Brie is in the group?

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Like what was she, what

role does she play?

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

I'm trying to think really hard.

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What's, you know, it's like those

Instagram reels that I always

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send, like there's like the

three people, she's the driver,

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Mm-hmm.

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True.

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I, I feel like,

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

she gets us from point A to point B.

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Like

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I can't put a name to it.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: I feel

like the two words that come to mind

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for Brie are like the glue and the joy.

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Like I feel like Brie's, and we've

seen this like throughout different

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friendships that we had in college

and stuff like Brie was like really

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good at like bringing people together.

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And kind of like, kind of like

creating like the group, I feel like,

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you know, kind of like that glue.

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And then I think the joy is because like

she's just like always like bringing this

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like uplifting, like funny, joyful energy

into a conversation and into the like

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hangout and like laughing her butt off

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah, always laughing.

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Always laughing.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

always laughing and it's so refreshing

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'cause as an adult I just feel

like you just don't get laughing,

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get into laughing fits enough.

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And that's just is never

scarce when we are around Brie,

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which is like so necessary.

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

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Yeah.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

I love that.

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Thank

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

The glue's a good one.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Wait,

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Uh,

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Mari?

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We gotta talk about what

Mari is in the group.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: yeah.

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Who would you say I am in the group?

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

I mean, obviously like everybody's

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gonna know this about you, but

you're like the creative, you know,

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yes.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

you were always good at coming

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up with like creative ideas.

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Like, not even just like making

art or something, but like

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Mm-hmm.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

to do, or creative

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

But I think when people don't know

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maybe as much or don't see as much

as like, you are the goofy one,

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you are, I don't know, I just feel

like you always make people laugh

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and you like do silly stuff and

I feel like, I feel like you're,

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you're part of the goofy club.

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Oh, we.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

funny because I think Trey would

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say something very similar and I

think it's hard to portray that on

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social media sometimes, because I'm

like, what do you want me to do?

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Like, make a silly face

and post that like,

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Wait, so like, is this an appropriate

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time to talk about the Pope video?

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

You can talk about the Pope video.

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I mean, I don't feel like that's

like necessarily my goofiest moment.

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It be an embarrassing moment.

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Oh, wait, no, I have a better one.

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: 00:09:10

The one this, I have this one video of

Mari, she, um, before they had all these

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like people producing their rosaries

for them, like we we're like OG rosary

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makers on this podcast right now.

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And they used to, they used to have

these wooden beads that they had to,

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: they

were, they were like shell shell beads

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

The gold ones.

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Yeah.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: gold.

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: 00:09:31

Shell beads.

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Yeah.

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

you had to manually like put,

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like drill a hole through them.

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

through every single bead.

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

And so Bri and Mari and I lived on the

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second floor of our house in college.

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And so you'd walk up the stairs and

you'd immediately see Mari's room, and

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we never really had our doors closed.

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And so like one night I'm

walking upstairs, it was late.

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It was like at least 9:00 PM

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Oh, way later,

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: 00:10:00

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

like,

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: 00:10:01

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: 10 or 11.

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

like it's okay, we're just setting the

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scene because it was pitch dark outside.

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: 00:10:06

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

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: 00:10:06

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Mari is sitting at her desk

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: 00:10:08

in the corner of her room,

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Still wearing my parka

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: 00:10:14

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

sunglasses on

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: 00:10:16

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

for eye protection in caseid

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: 00:10:19

tidbits gets in my eye.

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: 00:10:21

Okay.

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

these holes.

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So just like if you have an

og, west Coast Catholic, like

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mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

No, that black sweat and tears.

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Yeah, it was really put into that.

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Anyways,

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: 00:10:37

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: a

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

the song that, um, the song that

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I played on the video is, uh,

I Wear My Sunglasses that night

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: 00:10:46

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: It was.

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squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

and it's just, she turns around and

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she's got her head like bobbing.

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: 00:10:52

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

We'll have a picture of that.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

to unleash that video.

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: 00:10:55

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah, I'll put a picture of

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: 00:10:56

it in like the weekly recap.

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: 00:10:59

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yes.

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squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

I love it.

268

: 00:11:00

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Okay.

269

: 00:11:01

Awesome.

270

: 00:11:01

But the reason we're here is because

we've been friends through it all

271

: 00:11:06

and those early college years.

272

: 00:11:08

Really?

273

: 00:11:09

Oh wait, did we talk about how all of you?

274

: 00:11:11

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Oh, sorry.

275

: 00:11:12

That was, I was supposed to say that.

276

: 00:11:14

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

That's fine.

277

: 00:11:14

You can go.

278

: 00:11:14

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

We all met, or me and Lauren met

279

: 00:11:16

Mari at the Cog, which at Gonzaga,

I don't actually know what it

280

: 00:11:20

stands for, but we always thought it

sounded for the center of Gonzaga.

281

: 00:11:23

It's like the cafeteria.

282

: 00:11:25

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

It's actually, actually, I

283

: 00:11:27

think like words, I believe.

284

: 00:11:30

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

I know,

285

: 00:11:30

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

286

: 00:11:30

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

not fancy enough for that.

287

: 00:11:31

So, center of Gonzaga, it was,

288

: 00:11:35

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Is the first time I've ever

289

: 00:11:36

heard that and I love it.

290

: 00:11:38

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

uh, the cafeteria.

291

: 00:11:40

And we, me and Lauren went with

one of our dorm mates who was

292

: 00:11:43

meeting some random girl Mari.

293

: 00:11:46

Um, and they were gonna like

drive back to Seattle, which is

294

: 00:11:50

like a four or five hour drive or

295

: 00:11:52

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

296

: 00:11:52

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Uh, and we, we went with the,

297

: 00:11:54

our friend because she was

like, I don't know this girl.

298

: 00:11:56

Like, I don't know if

she's gonna be weird.

299

: 00:11:58

And so

300

: 00:11:58

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

301

: 00:11:59

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

went to this lunch and we're like,

302

: 00:12:00

we don't know this person at all.

303

: 00:12:02

Mari doesn't know any of us.

304

: 00:12:04

Uh, and we met her and then

we loved her from there.

305

: 00:12:06

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: They

basically went to the cafeteria to

306

: 00:12:09

like vet if I was like a safe person

307

: 00:12:12

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah,

308

: 00:12:12

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

to drive home with.

309

: 00:12:15

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

that is exactly what it was.

310

: 00:12:17

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045: We

311

: 00:12:17

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Uh,

312

: 00:12:17

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

same approval.

313

: 00:12:19

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: really

314

: 00:12:19

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

We did.

315

: 00:12:20

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

I passed the test.

316

: 00:12:21

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Yeah.

317

: 00:12:21

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

318

: 00:12:23

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

319

: 00:12:23

But I remember meeting all you guys and

being like, Ooh, wait, that was so fun.

320

: 00:12:26

Like, that was just like such a fun, like

girly lunch, like hope I see them again.

321

: 00:12:30

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah,

322

: 00:12:32

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

What's actually hilarious is that

323

: 00:12:33

I met my best friends at the cog

and I met my husband at the cog.

324

: 00:12:36

So the cog

325

: 00:12:38

The place to be.

326

: 00:12:39

If you are a Gonzaga student, make sure

you are at the cog as much as possible.

327

: 00:12:43

Okay.

328

: 00:12:44

And like we said, we've been friends

for like nine years at this point.

329

: 00:12:47

And I would say, and we all would probably

agree that the biggest thing that has

330

: 00:12:52

grounded our friendship is our faith.

331

: 00:12:54

And the fact that like we all share the

same faith and it's something that is

332

: 00:12:57

important to all of us in our individual

lives and that we try and encourage

333

: 00:13:01

each other in a collective as well.

334

: 00:13:05

how do you feel like Faith has

influenced our friendship over the years?

335

: 00:13:10

Um, whether that's, like any memories

you have from the beginning or even

336

: 00:13:13

now, we can kind of just talk about it.

337

: 00:13:14

Like it doesn't have to

be in chronological order.

338

: 00:13:17

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

I just feel like the, the aspect

339

: 00:13:19

of faith, and, and this is true

for any relationship, but it just

340

: 00:13:23

automatically gives you like a deeper

sense of vulnerability with the person.

341

: 00:13:27

Especially like in a small group that we

had, you know, just being able to talk.

342

: 00:13:34

About questions we had about

the faith or, um, difficulties

343

: 00:13:38

or things that we were trying.

344

: 00:13:39

Um, I think it just, it just automatically

takes you to that next level that maybe

345

: 00:13:44

with other friendships you're not getting

to until like a year in or two years in.

346

: 00:13:48

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Mm-hmm.

347

: 00:13:50

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

and it also, I mean, in a general sense,

348

: 00:13:53

it's just kind of places you in the

same moral compass as your friends.

349

: 00:13:58

and I think that's really helpful, um,

just because you kind of know where

350

: 00:14:03

you stand and you can help that person

become a better version of themselves

351

: 00:14:07

without being like, oh, I don't know

what they think about this, or where

352

: 00:14:11

they stand on this aspect of decision.

353

: 00:14:14

Um, yeah, I think it just, those

are some things that came to mind.

354

: 00:14:20

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

I think another thing that, we talked

355

: 00:14:23

about a lot, especially our junior

and senior years was when we really

356

: 00:14:27

started to like dive into our faith.

357

: 00:14:30

Like, that was like after, like Mario

had gotten back from being abroad and

358

: 00:14:36

like, we'll talk about it, but like

that was after Brie's conversion.

359

: 00:14:39

Like that's when we really like

started really diving into it.

360

: 00:14:44

And I think what we found, and

we talked about this so much,

361

: 00:14:48

was that we realized that we were

a minority in our social group.

362

: 00:14:55

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah,

363

: 00:14:55

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Like we were 20, 21-year-old girls,

364

: 00:14:59

like at a Catholic college that didn't

always seem that like or feel that way,

365

: 00:15:05

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Mm-hmm.

366

: 00:15:06

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

which could probably

367

: 00:15:07

be a podcast in itself.

368

: 00:15:09

But, um, like we, like recognized the

fact that like we would go to daily mass,

369

: 00:15:16

like regular, like regularly together.

370

: 00:15:19

Like luckily at Gonzaga, like they

did offer that like at lunchtime,

371

: 00:15:22

and we would do that together.

372

: 00:15:24

But I like have this vivid memory of

like catching a ride back to campus

373

: 00:15:30

with like a couple of classmates,

um, from the airport one night.

374

: 00:15:35

And neither of them were,

were people of faith.

375

: 00:15:38

And I remember saying something like

along the lines of like, oh, like I,

376

: 00:15:44

I need to like get ready or I need to

make sure I like go to mass tomorrow.

377

: 00:15:47

And like the next day was like a Monday.

378

: 00:15:49

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

379

: 00:15:50

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

And I remember the guy being like,

380

: 00:15:52

wait, you're going to mass tomorrow?

381

: 00:15:54

Didn't you go to Mass today?

382

: 00:15:56

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Mm-hmm.

383

: 00:15:56

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

I was like, yeah, I did go to Mass

384

: 00:15:58

today and I'm gonna go to Mass tomorrow

and I'm probably gonna go to Mass on

385

: 00:16:01

Wednesday and Friday and and then I'm

definitely gonna go again on Sunday.

386

: 00:16:05

And so it was like we had a lot of

conversations about like how, so like

387

: 00:16:10

going back to Breeze's point about

like how like it automatically like

388

: 00:16:15

brought us so much closer together

and like we got farther quicker and we

389

: 00:16:19

were like all on the same like level

of Yeah, this like moral compass.

390

: 00:16:24

But it was because we realized

that we were like different

391

: 00:16:29

than everybody else around us.

392

: 00:16:32

And there were moments where I felt

like the three of us definitely

393

: 00:16:35

had to like, like explain ourselves

or like let Yeah, like, oh

394

: 00:16:43

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

defend ourselves a little bit,

395

: 00:16:44

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

no, that's a good word.

396

: 00:16:45

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: depending

how we were living out our faith in our

397

: 00:16:47

life, like why we did certain things

or why we didn't do certain things.

398

: 00:16:50

Like people always Yeah.

399

: 00:16:52

Wondered, like, just like stuff that

you, like encounter in college, you know?

400

: 00:16:55

And just in the, in the, in the.

401

: 00:16:57

Just a secular world in general.

402

: 00:16:58

Like people just like the world

lives differently than, um, somebody

403

: 00:17:02

who really follows Christ lives.

404

: 00:17:03

And so I I love that you

brought that point up, Lauren.

405

: 00:17:06

'cause I think that definitely

brought us to closer together as well.

406

: 00:17:10

And it was such a gift that we had each

other in college because even though

407

: 00:17:13

we had some of those kind of awkward

moments with people where they would

408

: 00:17:17

ask you like, why are you going to mass?

409

: 00:17:19

Or like, why don't you do this?

410

: 00:17:20

Or like, you know, what does the

Catholic Church think about this?

411

: 00:17:23

And we like had to answer it.

412

: 00:17:23

Like, we knew that we had like kinda

like our sisters kind of right behind us

413

: 00:17:27

to be like, well, yeah actually, and me

414

: 00:17:29

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

415

: 00:17:30

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: And

you know, and we knew at the end of the

416

: 00:17:32

day, like if people didn't understand

who we were, like, it's okay because we

417

: 00:17:37

had two most important people back home.

418

: 00:17:40

Like who were our good friends and

actually like, loved us for who we were.

419

: 00:17:43

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

420

: 00:17:43

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Um, which is so important.

421

: 00:17:45

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

422

: 00:17:46

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Brie, I want you

423

: 00:17:48

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

sorry.

424

: 00:17:49

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

no, I was just gonna say.

425

: 00:17:50

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

was just saying is like, we, we met each

426

: 00:17:52

other at like a very unique time where

like we were young, you know, young

427

: 00:17:57

adults and so like we, this is our first

time being away from our families and I

428

: 00:18:01

think there's so many, you know, maybe

your younger listeners can relate to this

429

: 00:18:05

too, but there's so many different poles.

430

: 00:18:07

Like, you're away from your

family, you're away from like,

431

: 00:18:09

the authority, um, your parents.

432

: 00:18:12

And I think just realizing like we,

we, the three of us, like are family,

433

: 00:18:18

like we're sisters of Christ, you

know, and like we can bond over that.

434

: 00:18:22

And yeah, just like what Lauren was

saying with, um, you know, being,

435

: 00:18:27

being kind of set apart, but it, it,

it really did feel like we fell into

436

: 00:18:30

a family that like held us accountable

and, um, we could have those hard

437

: 00:18:34

conversations with and stuff like that.

438

: 00:18:35

So it was just a unique

time in our life, I think.

439

: 00:18:38

Um,

440

: 00:18:38

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Mm-hmm.

441

: 00:18:40

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045: do,

like consider you guys my sisters, so,

442

: 00:18:42

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

443

: 00:18:43

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Oh yeah.

444

: 00:18:44

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Totally.

445

: 00:18:45

you share braid just a little bit

about, obviously we can't go into

446

: 00:18:48

the whole story, that's gotta be its

own podcast episode, but a little bit

447

: 00:18:51

about how like our friendship played a

role in you converting to Catholicism.

448

: 00:18:56

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Yeah.

449

: 00:18:57

So when I came to Gonzaga, I

wasn't really Christian at all.

450

: 00:19:02

I mean, my parents had raised me

under, you know, like we believe

451

: 00:19:05

in God and stuff like that, but

nothing kind of deeper than that.

452

: 00:19:07

We didn't really go to, you know,

church on Sundays and stuff like that.

453

: 00:19:11

Um, but when I met Lauren and

Mari and one other girl that was

454

: 00:19:16

kind of in our group, they started

talking about their relationship

455

: 00:19:21

with Jesus and things like that.

456

: 00:19:23

And they would, um, bring, I so

vividly remember, like everybody had

457

: 00:19:26

their own little Jesus calling book.

458

: 00:19:28

And like, we'd

459

: 00:19:29

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yes.

460

: 00:19:29

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

and we would talk about it and stuff.

461

: 00:19:31

And, I just really remember

feeling like, wow, I think I'm

462

: 00:19:34

missing something, you know?

463

: 00:19:37

Um.

464

: 00:19:38

And it was you guys who kinda started

to invite me to mass or different, um,

465

: 00:19:41

Christian non-denominational services

and kind of through that sparked

466

: 00:19:47

an interest in the faith and stuff.

467

: 00:19:49

And, and you know, it was many

years kind of going to Christian,

468

: 00:19:53

non-denominational churches, also

going to mass sometimes with you too.

469

: 00:19:57

Um, that I kinda realized this is

actually something, that I'm missing.

470

: 00:20:02

And, and there's such a light about Mari

and Lauren that I don't have in my life.

471

: 00:20:08

Um, even though I was generally

very happy person, it was just like

472

: 00:20:11

that deeper kind of light, you know,

the Holy Spirit coming out of you.

473

: 00:20:16

Um, that was missing for me.

474

: 00:20:18

So yeah, I, these, these two

girls are, are my sponsors.

475

: 00:20:21

But yeah, junior year converted

to the Catholic faith.

476

: 00:20:25

Um, I finally kind of trickled away

from the non-denominational church just

477

: 00:20:30

'cause I felt like that tradition and

obviously the Eucharist was missing.

478

: 00:20:34

And, and these girls really helped

me and, um, never really pushed me

479

: 00:20:39

hard at all, but just kind of held

my hand and, and, and let me ask

480

: 00:20:42

hard questions and answer them.

481

: 00:20:45

And if they didn't know the

answer, then they went and they

482

: 00:20:47

figured it out, which was awesome.

483

: 00:20:48

I just loved that, like they always

484

: 00:20:50

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

485

: 00:20:51

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045: Um,

486

: 00:20:52

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

487

: 00:20:52

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

yeah.

488

: 00:20:53

And they stood by me my junior

year and when I came to the church.

489

: 00:20:56

So, it was really cool listening.

490

: 00:20:59

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: It was so

cool to see that all unfold in your life.

491

: 00:21:03

And I know that you said like, you

know, many years you went to church

492

: 00:21:06

and then you kind of converted.

493

: 00:21:07

But I'm like, actually if you look at

it, it was literally like two years.

494

: 00:21:10

It was like two.

495

: 00:21:11

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

true.

496

: 00:21:12

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Of kind

of like on this journey, which in college

497

: 00:21:16

that's half your college experience.

498

: 00:21:17

So it's like a, a majority of it.

499

: 00:21:19

But I feel like now being in the adult

world and kind of just getting to

500

: 00:21:22

know people's conversions and how that

can take so much time, like years and

501

: 00:21:28

years and years to get there, it's

actually incredible how the Holy Spirit

502

: 00:21:32

worked in your heart so quickly to

get you to a place to be like, yeah,

503

: 00:21:37

like this is true, and I'm all in.

504

: 00:21:39

And, um, I think part of that

was just like your openness

505

: 00:21:43

as you were seeking for truth.

506

: 00:21:45

Like a lot of people come in with

preconceived notions or judgments about

507

: 00:21:49

different denominations or different

religions, and that I think sways a lot

508

: 00:21:54

of their opinions as their seeking truth.

509

: 00:21:57

But I just remember you were very open.

510

: 00:21:58

You're like, my friend invited

me to this Naam church.

511

: 00:22:00

Great.

512

: 00:22:00

Like, I'm gonna go, like, there's

this worship night on campus.

513

: 00:22:04

I'm gonna go, I invited you to adoration

once, or like, we set up an adoration

514

: 00:22:08

for like our little Bible study

and you were like, what am I doing?

515

: 00:22:11

And I'm like, you just, just come on

and just sit there and like, I'll just,

516

: 00:22:14

you know, don't you worry about it.

517

: 00:22:15

You just pray and

518

: 00:22:17

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Mm-hmm.

519

: 00:22:18

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: that

was like a really big moment for you.

520

: 00:22:20

Like, you like walked in the

chapel and like, I don't know,

521

: 00:22:23

do you wanna share that moment?

522

: 00:22:25

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Yeah, I remember.

523

: 00:22:26

Um, so Mari and one of our other

friends at the time, like invited

524

: 00:22:30

me to lead this Bible study, which

I thought was so funny at the time.

525

: 00:22:34

'cause I was like, I don't know anything.

526

: 00:22:37

Um, and it ended up being such a awesome

thing for me and it really pushed me.

527

: 00:22:41

But in the beginning I was

very confused by the invited

528

: 00:22:44

me, but very glad I said yes.

529

: 00:22:46

Um, yeah, Mari Mari and I ended

up being like the sole leaders

530

: 00:22:51

of the group towards, um, the

end of our sophomore year.

531

: 00:22:55

Uh, but Mari wanted to set up

an adoration night for, um, our

532

: 00:23:01

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Bible said,

533

: 00:23:02

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

group.

534

: 00:23:02

Yeah.

535

: 00:23:02

And.

536

: 00:23:04

I didn't know anything about it.

537

: 00:23:05

I was like, what are we doing?

538

: 00:23:07

And I remember her saying like, this

is like, this is Jesus in front of us.

539

: 00:23:11

And like, this is crazy, but

I thought you were crazy.

540

: 00:23:15

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: right?

541

: 00:23:16

Yeah.

542

: 00:23:16

No, I mean, I, I would

figure anybody would think

543

: 00:23:19

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Yeah.

544

: 00:23:20

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yes.

545

: 00:23:20

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

was crazy if they didn't.

546

: 00:23:21

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

believe that.

547

: 00:23:22

She like thinks this little host is Jesus.

548

: 00:23:24

Like that's crazy, but okay, I'm gonna go.

549

: 00:23:26

I was always wanting to like learn more.

550

: 00:23:29

That's why I went to so many different

churches and stuff like that.

551

: 00:23:32

And I just remember walking

in there and sitting down and

552

: 00:23:34

looking and just like having this

overwhelming sense of that is Jesus.

553

: 00:23:40

And I think I cried the entire

hour that we were in there.

554

: 00:23:44

I was

555

: 00:23:44

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

556

: 00:23:45

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

I think that was pretty much when I

557

: 00:23:47

started to move away from uh, like the

Christian non-denominational churches

558

: 00:23:51

and solely started going to mass.

559

: 00:23:52

Um.

560

: 00:23:54

I remember looking over the pew

that we were sitting in and there

561

: 00:23:57

was just a box of tissues sitting

right in front of me and I was like,

562

: 00:24:01

I feel like these are here for me.

563

: 00:24:03

I need them.

564

: 00:24:04

And I, I think I used

like most of the box.

565

: 00:24:06

But yeah, it was uh, definitely

such a humbling moment.

566

: 00:24:10

And we walked out and I remember just

you looking at me and we're walking

567

: 00:24:13

back to the apartment we lived in and

you're like, so what did you think?

568

: 00:24:18

And I'm like, you right.

569

: 00:24:21

That is Jesus.

570

: 00:24:23

I'm so overcome.

571

: 00:24:27

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

I remember that conversation

572

: 00:24:28

on the way back.

573

: 00:24:29

Well, I just remember being in like

in the chapel and just like hearing

574

: 00:24:32

you cry and I was like, oh my gosh.

575

: 00:24:33

Like this is either

really good or really bad.

576

: 00:24:36

And I like, and I'm like, I'm

praying for you the whole time.

577

: 00:24:39

Like, I hope it's good.

578

: 00:24:41

And as we left, yeah, as

you shared like, oh my gosh.

579

: 00:24:45

Like I just felt this

overwhelming presence of love.

580

: 00:24:47

And like the second I walked

in I knew that's Jesus.

581

: 00:24:51

And I don't know how to explain it.

582

: 00:24:52

And I remember you asking me about

like, okay, so like what does this mean?

583

: 00:24:56

Like the Eucharist and Jesus's presence

there and like they did communion

584

: 00:25:00

at the non-denominational service.

585

: 00:25:02

So like, is that Jesus?

586

: 00:25:04

And kind of I was breaking down like,

like look like in the actual like

587

: 00:25:08

sacrament of the mass, like the host

turns into the body and blood of Christ.

588

: 00:25:12

But like this same sacrament doesn't

happen in any other non or any other

589

: 00:25:17

denomination Christian nomination.

590

: 00:25:18

So like the Catholic church is the

only church that holds like the

591

: 00:25:22

true body, blood, soul, and amenity

of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

592

: 00:25:27

And I remember you just being like,

huh, so only the Catholic church.

593

: 00:25:32

And I was like,

594

: 00:25:34

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Yeah.

595

: 00:25:35

Yeah.

596

: 00:25:35

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: And I,

I just feel like that moment you were

597

: 00:25:37

like, oh, crap man, I gotta do this.

598

: 00:25:39

Then like I,

599

: 00:25:40

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Yeah.

600

: 00:25:40

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

I gotta be Catholic.

601

: 00:25:41

Like I can't avoid that.

602

: 00:25:43

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Yeah.

603

: 00:25:43

I really like, feel like

it was like that next week.

604

: 00:25:46

I was like, okay, I'm gonna go

meet with somebody to like get

605

: 00:25:49

registered for our CAA because, um,

it was just undeniable like that.

606

: 00:25:53

And,

607

: 00:25:53

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

608

: 00:25:54

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

adoration has been so special

609

: 00:25:56

for me ever since, like, always

remember that moment, like when,

610

: 00:26:01

when I go to adoration, just like,

611

: 00:26:03

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Mm-hmm.

612

: 00:26:04

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

me to the church.

613

: 00:26:05

And it's, I mean, it's Jesus.

614

: 00:26:07

So

615

: 00:26:08

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

And I think there's something so

616

: 00:26:09

special about us three getting

to experience that together.

617

: 00:26:13

Like you are going through your

conversion, but Lauren and I

618

: 00:26:15

got to walk alongside you seeing

619

: 00:26:17

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Mm-hmm.

620

: 00:26:18

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: this

being uncovered and as lo and I being

621

: 00:26:21

cradle Catholics, like a lot of these

things, like we know and we've grown

622

: 00:26:24

up knowing and so they're not as like

nuanced and like exciting to relearn.

623

: 00:26:29

And I just remember like answering all

your like, like I literally remember

624

: 00:26:32

opening a bible with you being like,

I'm like, okay, gospel of John.

625

: 00:26:35

You're like, what's a gospel?

626

: 00:26:37

I was like, oh, we are on, we

627

: 00:26:41

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Or it was like,

628

: 00:26:42

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: zero.

629

: 00:26:42

Yeah.

630

: 00:26:43

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

yeah.

631

: 00:26:43

Or it was like, okay, here's a, here's

a verse like John six 13, and you're

632

: 00:26:50

like, okay, six 13, like, and then

your, your science brain comes in.

633

: 00:26:53

You're like, is that a ratio?

634

: 00:26:55

Like, uh, and I'm like, no.

635

: 00:26:57

Like that's chapter six, verse 13.

636

: 00:27:00

Like, this is, this is

the level we were at.

637

: 00:27:03

But also I think that I learned so much,

like even though like I was a cradle

638

: 00:27:10

Catholic and went to Catholic school my

whole life, like there were things that

639

: 00:27:14

you would ask that I would be like, huh.

640

: 00:27:18

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Mm-hmm.

641

: 00:27:19

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Um, I think I probably read the

642

: 00:27:21

Catechism more in those like two years

than I ever did in my life before that.

643

: 00:27:26

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Yeah.

644

: 00:27:26

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

And it was just because you

645

: 00:27:27

were asking such good questions.

646

: 00:27:29

And I think that like your,

your RCIA class like it.

647

: 00:27:34

It like forced you to like

come up with those questions.

648

: 00:27:38

Like, I don't know that you were

like really getting that out of that

649

: 00:27:43

class, but like you knew like Ask

Mari and I like the, the next step.

650

: 00:27:48

Like, they were giving you exactly what

you like, exactly what you were there

651

: 00:27:52

for, but you like, you personally, you

Brianna bang, Regan wanted more like,

652

: 00:27:59

yeah, that was, that taught me a lot too.

653

: 00:28:03

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

654

: 00:28:03

Yeah.

655

: 00:28:03

And like if you've ever walked with

somebody like really finding their

656

: 00:28:06

faith, it's so like contagious.

657

: 00:28:09

I feel like, to be around people that

are like truly like in the Lord or

658

: 00:28:15

like seeking him actively or just like

re like, like having this like spark

659

: 00:28:19

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Mm-hmm.

660

: 00:28:20

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: their

soul for the first time or reigniting it.

661

: 00:28:22

So it's incredible that we all kind of got

to walk through that together and, and we

662

: 00:28:26

carried it throughout the rest of college

and even throughout our friendship now.

663

: 00:28:31

So if we wanna talk about a few of the

ways that, like what are some ways that

664

: 00:28:35

we continue to keep faith at the center

of our friendship throughout the past

665

: 00:28:38

couple years or like the past nine years?

666

: 00:28:42

You know, couple.

667

: 00:28:44

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

We have, since college, we were

668

: 00:28:46

talking about this before we, before

we started, we've since college done.

669

: 00:28:52

At least like three bible studies,

670

: 00:28:55

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045: Mm.

671

: 00:28:55

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

like virtually.

672

: 00:28:57

Like I think, you know, as we talked

about like at the beginning, since

673

: 00:29:00

college, the three of us have not lived

in the same city, the same place at all.

674

: 00:29:06

\ So everything that we've done from

like a really intentional, like faith

675

: 00:29:12

standpoint has been, has been virtual.

676

: 00:29:16

And so, yeah, like during

COVID we did that Bible study.

677

: 00:29:21

We did a bible study just like within

the last like year or year and a half.

678

: 00:29:27

So that's one thing, one thing that we

do that, you know, and even taking the

679

: 00:29:34

faith part out of it, like just for a

second, the intentionality that we have

680

: 00:29:39

to have like as three adult women who

each have jobs, who each have families

681

: 00:29:44

and friends in three different places

on three different time zones, like.

682

: 00:29:50

To find and like, we're so funny because,

we'll, we'll be at like the onset of

683

: 00:29:54

these things and we'll be like, okay,

on Wednesdays at seven, we're gonna

684

: 00:29:58

do this for the next eight weeks.

685

: 00:30:00

And then like, we'll get to the

first like week and then we'll

686

: 00:30:03

get to the next Wednesday and

someone will be like, doesn't work.

687

: 00:30:06

Uh, I've got like X, Y, or Z.

688

: 00:30:09

And so it's like, that's really

part of it too, is that we're,

689

: 00:30:13

but we get on each other about it.

690

: 00:30:15

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Mm-hmm.

691

: 00:30:16

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045: a

very like healthy like, friendship way

692

: 00:30:19

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

693

: 00:30:19

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

like, no, like you need

694

: 00:30:20

to prioritize this.

695

: 00:30:23

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Mm-hmm.

696

: 00:30:23

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Like figure, figure something else out.

697

: 00:30:25

Like

698

: 00:30:26

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: We're

a high committal friendship group.

699

: 00:30:28

We do not let non slide.

700

: 00:30:31

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

701

: 00:30:31

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: like

collectively as a group is our biggest

702

: 00:30:33

pet peeve is if you don't wanna be

here, this, we're gonna have a problem.

703

: 00:30:37

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

704

: 00:30:38

Like I'll show you the door.

705

: 00:30:41

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: And

I think, I think that practice was

706

: 00:30:43

just carried out from college because

since college we were in some sort of

707

: 00:30:46

small group or Bible study altogether,

and so we were cultivating kind of

708

: 00:30:50

that deeper knowledge and thirst

for like learning more about our

709

: 00:30:54

faith, learning more about scripture,

learning how to apply it in our lives.

710

: 00:30:58

even like we were in a Bible

study with other people as

711

: 00:31:00

well, like not just us three,

712

: 00:31:02

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

713

: 00:31:02

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

COVID hit we were like, well let's

714

: 00:31:04

just keep it going, just us three.

715

: 00:31:06

'cause we were still in college

and at the time like we were all

716

: 00:31:08

quarantined into our own houses.

717

: 00:31:10

And so I remember we kept doing a Bible

study, just us three, even through COVID.

718

: 00:31:15

Like we would all sit on my bed

719

: 00:31:17

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

720

: 00:31:17

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: in my

721

: 00:31:17

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Cloud.

722

: 00:31:18

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

and do our own little study and, and

723

: 00:31:20

then we just kind of kept that going

even beyond college, which I love.

724

: 00:31:24

I think that's something that maybe

a lot of people haven't experienced

725

: 00:31:26

that they like maybe had a bible study

of friends in college and are like,

726

: 00:31:32

dang, that sucks that I don't have

that anymore now that I'm in college.

727

: 00:31:35

Let this be your encouragement

and your reminder that you

728

: 00:31:37

can do things long distance.

729

: 00:31:38

It's obviously not as fun as being all

in person and if you have an opportunity

730

: 00:31:43

to be in a small group in person, that's

awesome, but continuing to invest in

731

: 00:31:48

your like long distance friendships

in that way I think is also important.

732

: 00:31:52

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Mm-hmm.

733

: 00:31:53

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

For sure.

734

: 00:31:54

I think too, like when, you know,

and this is more focused on the long

735

: 00:31:58

distance aspect, uh, we did a ton

of things in college to like ignite

736

: 00:32:03

our faith, um, and stay committed

to the three of us together.

737

: 00:32:07

Um, but I really don't feel like

there's a time where I hang up on

738

: 00:32:11

the phone with, maybe it's like all

three of us or one of you guys that

739

: 00:32:15

I'm not like, Hey, how's your faith?

740

: 00:32:16

You know, um, just like a quick

check in and, you know, if somebody's

741

: 00:32:20

struggling or something, like having

that follow up later on, maybe the

742

: 00:32:24

next week or later that week, you know,

just being like, Hey, how's it going?

743

: 00:32:27

Like,

744

: 00:32:28

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Mm-hmm.

745

: 00:32:28

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Have you prayed that Rosary?

746

: 00:32:29

Have you started that book?

747

: 00:32:31

Um, because at the end of the day,

like, uh, you know, your relationship

748

: 00:32:36

with Jesus is, is, is a relationship

and it needs accountability.

749

: 00:32:40

And sometimes if you don't have

that from people around you, um,

750

: 00:32:43

it's important to, to stay connected

with your friends in that way.

751

: 00:32:46

So I, I always appreciate that,

like, you guys too, or it's

752

: 00:32:49

like, Hey, how's your faith?

753

: 00:32:50

You know?

754

: 00:32:51

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Mm-hmm.

755

: 00:32:52

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

and it's definitely a time.

756

: 00:32:54

to be vulnerable too or, or be like, it's

great and you know, maybe they need help.

757

: 00:32:58

Um, but I just think in this seamless

aspect that's always been super helpful.

758

: 00:33:04

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

759

: 00:33:05

think the last thing I wanna say too,

and we can always like, I feel like

760

: 00:33:08

faith as a foundation is gonna weave

into like so many of these conversations.

761

: 00:33:12

So like something else comes

up, we can bring it up.

762

: 00:33:13

But the last thing I wanna say about

this as well is that us being rooted in

763

: 00:33:19

our faith and having that be truly the

most important thing in our lives has

764

: 00:33:23

allowed us to have a culture in our friend

group of just like openness and honesty.

765

: 00:33:30

When we feel like one person is

like straying, right from like

766

: 00:33:34

their faith or from the way like

the Lord is calling them to live.

767

: 00:33:37

And I remember like in college, like we're

surrounded, especially in college by just

768

: 00:33:41

like major like mortal sin all the time.

769

: 00:33:44

And I remember like giving each other

the space to be like, Hey, like you

770

: 00:33:49

can like hold me accountable, you

know, or like you can call me out or.

771

: 00:33:52

Like, I remember being like, okay, like

I'm only gonna have like this many drinks.

772

: 00:33:55

Like, I want you to like, keep me

accountable for that and like, don't

773

: 00:33:58

be the friend that like, pushes

me to drink more because like, I'm

774

: 00:34:01

trying not to be drunk, you know?

775

: 00:34:03

Or like any sort of like boundaries with

my boyfriend, you know, Trey, in college

776

: 00:34:07

I was, I remember telling Bri, she like

shared a wall with me and we were like

777

: 00:34:11

best friends or, uh, roommate, like,

uh, neighbors at the top of the stairs.

778

: 00:34:15

And I was like, make sure

my door's always open.

779

: 00:34:18

Like, you know, like, be my dad.

780

: 00:34:19

Like no boys in the room unless

the like, you know, doors open

781

: 00:34:22

and like friends are upstairs.

782

: 00:34:23

Like, I want you to help keep me

accountable in these, like not just

783

: 00:34:27

my actual faith, but how faith informs

my life decisions and how I'm choosing

784

: 00:34:32

to live a Christ-centered life.

785

: 00:34:33

And that is also that I also

something that I think is so

786

: 00:34:36

valuable in a friendship that

a lot of people don't have.

787

: 00:34:39

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Mm-hmm.

788

: 00:34:40

I think, uh, it was important that

you like, gave me, you know, also the

789

: 00:34:44

permission to hold you accountable.

790

: 00:34:45

Like, there were multiple times

where I'd walk upstairs and be

791

: 00:34:48

like, oh, your door's closed.

792

: 00:34:49

And I would just shoot you a text

and maybe you were like, oh, we're

793

: 00:34:52

just like working on West Coast

Catholic something, or we're reading

794

: 00:34:55

a book or something and I'd be like,

okay, well like in 30 minutes, make

795

: 00:34:57

sure your door's open when I leave.

796

: 00:34:59

You know?

797

: 00:34:59

Um, you giving me the like,

permission to be able to be

798

: 00:35:04

that for you too was important.

799

: 00:35:06

Um, or like the drink thing too.

800

: 00:35:09

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

let's talk about friendship after

801

: 00:35:11

college and being long distance.

802

: 00:35:14

'cause that has been tough.

803

: 00:35:16

Like that has just not been easy

and nobody, I think, prepares you

804

: 00:35:20

for how hard and sad long distance

best friendship is gonna be.

805

: 00:35:24

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

806

: 00:35:25

Especially because our, uh, our, like

last time together was quarantine.

807

: 00:35:31

Like talk about the most amount of time

you can spend with a group of people.

808

: 00:35:36

Like we were always together.

809

: 00:35:40

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Always,

810

: 00:35:40

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

811

: 00:35:41

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

that adjustment like as we left

812

: 00:35:42

college and all moved away to

start our jobs or grad school and

813

: 00:35:47

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Where, so like where

814

: 00:35:48

did you go first, Marie?

815

: 00:35:50

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

I went home for the summer to

816

: 00:35:53

fundraise and then I moved to Nebraska

817

: 00:35:55

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah,

818

: 00:35:56

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: to be a

folks missionary at the end of the summer.

819

: 00:35:58

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

that's right.

820

: 00:35:58

Okay.

821

: 00:35:59

And then Brie and I

both went home as well.

822

: 00:36:00

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Mm-hmm.

823

: 00:36:01

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Did we see each other that summer?

824

: 00:36:04

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

I don't think we saw each

825

: 00:36:04

other until Mari got married.

826

: 00:36:07

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045: Oh,

827

: 00:36:09

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

828

: 00:36:09

I think you're right.

829

: 00:36:10

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

that's right.

830

: 00:36:12

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Um, actually Lauren, I think you

831

: 00:36:14

came out to visit, but it was sad.

832

: 00:36:16

It was a sad transition.

833

: 00:36:17

It was like leaving your parents

for college for the first time.

834

: 00:36:21

It was like leaving that family that you

made and then that you were quarantining

835

: 00:36:26

with during like a really scary time where

it was like, what's going on in the world.

836

: 00:36:30

Um, and just like knowing that we

were never gonna get that back.

837

: 00:36:34

Like, just like, I'm gonna walk over

to your room and it's two seconds

838

: 00:36:39

away and I'm gonna jump on your bed

in the morning and then we're gonna

839

: 00:36:42

go make breakfast and have fun.

840

: 00:36:43

You know?

841

: 00:36:44

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

842

: 00:36:45

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

it was really sad and difficult and,

843

: 00:36:48

um, just hard to like, make those kind

of friendships outside of college too.

844

: 00:36:54

Um, where it's just like that

easygoing friendship that you can just.

845

: 00:36:59

Just do anything with like, sit on

the couch and just talk for hours.

846

: 00:37:02

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Mm-hmm.

847

: 00:37:03

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

but I really do feel like the, in that

848

: 00:37:07

first year, we did such a good job

of, talking to one another, um, on the

849

: 00:37:12

phone over FaceTime, all those kinds

of things, especially since it was

850

: 00:37:16

hard, um, with you moving and me and

Lauren like trying to figure out what,

851

: 00:37:20

what our next steps were and stuff.

852

: 00:37:23

Um, but we always just kind of

met each other where we were at.

853

: 00:37:26

And um, think that always that made

that transition a little bit easier.

854

: 00:37:31

And, and I just remember

always telling each other like,

855

: 00:37:34

we are gonna stay friends.

856

: 00:37:36

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah,

857

: 00:37:36

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

we have to make this work.

858

: 00:37:40

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

yeah, yeah.

859

: 00:37:40

But I do remember it being sad and almost

feel like it was worse than moving,

860

: 00:37:45

moving away from your parents' house

because like, you know, you always have

861

: 00:37:48

your family and like you're always gonna

go back to them and it's like, yeah,

862

: 00:37:52

you'd like to think you're always gonna

have your friends, but like that really

863

: 00:37:56

takes like a lot of effort and work.

864

: 00:37:59

I mean, thank God, like we're still

all friends, but even still, it's

865

: 00:38:02

like, yeah, it's such driving away.

866

: 00:38:05

I remember like driving away from

the house, just like in tears in the

867

: 00:38:08

car and just being like, I will never

get this again, and it just like,

868

: 00:38:12

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

I remember Brie leaving, Brie left

869

: 00:38:14

at like 4:00 AM and we were all awake

standing out there with posters.

870

: 00:38:19

We made posters that were like, bye Brie.

871

: 00:38:22

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Mm-hmm.

872

: 00:38:23

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Yeah.

873

: 00:38:25

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

874

: 00:38:26

I think it was hard.

875

: 00:38:26

I think it was, it was sad and it was

hard, but it was also nice that since

876

: 00:38:33

we were forced to like do FaceTime and

Zoom for everything anyways, like it

877

: 00:38:40

was a real, it like in that sense, our

like, friendship just like transitioned

878

: 00:38:44

into that, like, for a moment, like,

and, and kind of like catapulted, like

879

: 00:38:51

that like aspect of the friendship,

like needing to be virtual and like.

880

: 00:38:57

All of those things.

881

: 00:38:58

Like even if we, you know, like

even family friends that I had

882

: 00:39:02

in Portland, like we had to do

Zoom stuff with them too, right?

883

: 00:39:06

Like, even if we were neighbors or they

lived like 10 minutes away, like that was

884

: 00:39:10

just what our world was like at the time.

885

: 00:39:12

And so I think that that was, it

was normal for like maintaining

886

: 00:39:17

your, like friendships and your

relationships to like be virtual.

887

: 00:39:21

But it gave us like the, like

that's what we needed to like

888

: 00:39:29

continue where we are now.

889

: 00:39:30

Like, like we just needed to be

forced into that like, friendship.

890

: 00:39:35

'cause what we could have done is we,

we all could have just gone home and

891

: 00:39:37

then like never talked to each other.

892

: 00:39:40

Mm-hmm.

893

: 00:39:42

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

been really a bad situation.

894

: 00:39:43

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

895

: 00:39:46

But I think that it almost like

forced us to be like, oh, okay.

896

: 00:39:49

Yeah.

897

: 00:39:49

Like we could FaceTime, like we know

how to do this, we can get on Zoom.

898

: 00:39:52

We worked out, like we

worked out together.

899

: 00:39:54

Like we were, we did so many things.

900

: 00:39:58

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

That's so true.

901

: 00:39:59

Didn't we do like

902

: 00:40:00

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

about

903

: 00:40:00

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

We did like four classes together.

904

: 00:40:03

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

did like bar classes

905

: 00:40:04

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

That's

906

: 00:40:04

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Zoom.

907

: 00:40:05

Yeah.

908

: 00:40:05

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

909

: 00:40:06

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

910

: 00:40:06

I do think you're right, Lauren, that

like the culture of virtual meetings

911

: 00:40:11

that arose during COVID made it that

much more like prevalent or just

912

: 00:40:17

like top of mind to be like, oh, you

can just do this with your friends.

913

: 00:40:19

Like Skype was always around

when we were growing up, but

914

: 00:40:22

like, nobody Skyped, right?

915

: 00:40:24

Like nobody, like nobody got on

a, on a video call really, unless

916

: 00:40:28

it was like a really long distance

family member or something like that.

917

: 00:40:32

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah.

918

: 00:40:33

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

you're right.

919

: 00:40:33

The culture of COVID

made that more normal.

920

: 00:40:35

And so we just kind of

integrated that continuing on

921

: 00:40:38

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Yeah, that was, that wasn't like out of

922

: 00:40:40

the norm for us to be like, oh, let's just

get on a Zoom and like talk for hours.

923

: 00:40:44

Like, you know, like,

924

: 00:40:45

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: like

we were just hanging out on the couch.

925

: 00:40:47

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

exactly.

926

: 00:40:48

Exactly.

927

: 00:40:49

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: What

are some other ways you feel like we

928

: 00:40:52

stayed connected throughout the years?

929

: 00:40:55

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045: I

mean, I think this could be like, um, you

930

: 00:40:58

know, if we're going to, if we can dive

into more of like what happened when,

931

: 00:41:02

like Bri and I started PT school, like

then Bri and I moved, you were still in

932

: 00:41:08

Nebraska, but like, then it turned into

that whole like phase of our friendship

933

: 00:41:15

and I think that what happened was,

934

: 00:41:17

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Where did you move to?

935

: 00:41:18

Like what was the phase?

936

: 00:41:19

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045: so.

937

: 00:41:21

Bria and I both started PT

school in the summer of: 2021

938

: 00:41:26

She moved from Northern

California to Central Oregon.

939

: 00:41:29

I moved from Oregon to Nebraska.

940

: 00:41:32

So it's kind of a funny little

triangle between the three of us.

941

: 00:41:35

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah.

942

: 00:41:35

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Um, but I think that what happened during

943

: 00:41:39

grad school was, or when Bria and I were

in grad school, was sort of our like

944

: 00:41:44

individual friendships, like between the

three of us, like started to flourish

945

: 00:41:49

a little bit more, just like solely

based on like when Bria and i's like.

946

: 00:41:54

Spring breaks were, or like Easter breaks

or Christmas breaks and like how those

947

: 00:42:00

things would overlap or not overlap.

948

: 00:42:03

Like it was really easy for me to like

drive down to see Brie when I would

949

: 00:42:07

go home for a month at Christmas.

950

: 00:42:10

But it was also really easy for

me to see Mari because she lived

951

: 00:42:14

45 minutes away when I was in

Omaha and she was in Lincoln.

952

: 00:42:17

We were both super busy and like, we saw

each other a few times, but it wasn't

953

: 00:42:21

like what I think we thought it would be.

954

: 00:42:24

But, but it was, and

so it became that way.

955

: 00:42:27

Or there was like a trip that

like our summer breaks never,

956

: 00:42:32

never lined up between Bria and I.

957

: 00:42:33

But I know like she took a trip to Denver,

like to see you and Trey and like you

958

: 00:42:39

went to Bend and like saw her and Timmy

like this sort of started our like,

959

: 00:42:45

okay, well we might just have to be okay

with like only two of us being there.

960

: 00:42:50

Like.

961

: 00:42:51

We, and it's not that we never

put effort into being like, okay,

962

: 00:42:55

could all three of us be there?

963

: 00:42:56

Like, it was always like always sent like

in the group chat, like, Hey, I'm gonna be

964

: 00:43:00

in Portland, like, you know, these weeks.

965

: 00:43:03

Like, Mari, could you meet us in Bend?

966

: 00:43:04

Like, that was always like there,

967

: 00:43:07

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Mm-hmm.

968

: 00:43:08

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

it was challenging.

969

: 00:43:10

Like, and this was probably I think

where our, like friendship had the

970

: 00:43:15

most like challenges and like, just

things that had happened that we

971

: 00:43:24

hadn't, hadn't cross, like bridges

that we had never crossed before.

972

: 00:43:27

Um,

973

: 00:43:27

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Mm-hmm.

974

: 00:43:29

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

but I think that it was like, we

975

: 00:43:31

ha I've always felt like, like our

individual friendships with each

976

: 00:43:36

other are like just as beautiful as

our friendship, like the three of us.

977

: 00:43:41

And like, there's never been like a

comparison like between those things.

978

: 00:43:47

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045: Yeah,

and I think that, I mean, you just bring

979

: 00:43:49

up the point of just like traveling to

each other, that was a big part of how

980

: 00:43:53

we kept up with each other long distance.

981

: 00:43:55

And we had conversations where we

realized like, okay, like we don't

982

: 00:43:59

have anything on the calendar and so

we're not gonna see each other unless

983

: 00:44:01

we put something on the calendar.

984

: 00:44:03

And knowing that we had to put something

on the calendar and there was always gonna

985

: 00:44:06

be sacrifices made on every party, right?

986

: 00:44:09

Whether it was time or finances

or how far somebody was traveling

987

: 00:44:14

or driving hours or whatever.

988

: 00:44:15

And we all knew, like as we rotate

where we meet up and where we have the

989

: 00:44:19

next girls trip or who can come this

time or who can't, there's always like

990

: 00:44:23

sacrifices that had to be made, but

we were willing and committed to those

991

: 00:44:27

sacrifices so that we could see each other

992

: 00:44:29

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Mm-hmm.

993

: 00:44:30

mari-wagner_2_06-29-2025_152045:

least once a year.

994

: 00:44:31

Um, and hopefully more than that, like

here and there, if we were able to.

995

: 00:44:35

squadcaster-fafd_2_06-29-2025_152045:

Mm-hmm.

996

: 00:44:37

squadcaster-j13j_2_06-29-2025_142045:

Um, something I think too that's really

997

: 00:44:40

unique about our friendship that I

was just thinking about while you guys

998

: 00:44:42

were talking is like how we celebrate

different things for each other.

999

: 00:44:48

Like it's not just birthdays, even though

over nine years straight, we've always

: 1000

00:44:51,110 --> 00:44:53,450

like bought each other birthday presents,

: 1001

00:44:53,750 --> 00:44:54,040

-: 2025

Okay.

: 1002

00:44:54,040 --> 00:44:57,725

But another thing, another thing we do

on birthdays is spam the group chat.

: 1003

00:44:58,115 --> 00:45:03,425

Like, yeah, like this is a good thing

that everybody should do is like just spam

: 1004

00:45:03,425 --> 00:45:05,915

your group chat with some good memories.

: 1005

00:45:06,470 --> 00:45:06,890

-: 2025

: 1006

00:45:07,580 --> 00:45:08,960

-: 2025

you know, like when Mari started the

: 1007

00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:13,040

podcast, like, I think we sent her cookies

and like when Lauren moved to Montana,

: 1008

00:45:13,040 --> 00:45:17,210

we sent her like a, you know, like a

package to move to Montana or like, I

: 1009

00:45:17,210 --> 00:45:21,260

remember when I moved to Oregon for PT

school, like the first package I got

: 1010

00:45:21,260 --> 00:45:25,100

was like a, a housewarming thing with

like all my favorite snacks from Trader

: 1011

00:45:25,100 --> 00:45:27,115

Joe's and different notes from you guys.

: 1012

00:45:27,415 --> 00:45:27,835

-: 2025

: 1013

00:45:28,280 --> 00:45:30,620

-: 2025

Um, just like different,

: 1014

00:45:30,860 --> 00:45:32,090

different things like that.

: 1015

00:45:32,120 --> 00:45:34,760

Um, you know, with different struggles.

: 1016

00:45:35,720 --> 00:45:38,900

we've sent meals home or,

you know, stuff like that.

: 1017

00:45:38,930 --> 00:45:44,360

Um, and, and even recognizing like

when one of us lost a grandparent, like

: 1018

00:45:44,360 --> 00:45:49,280

we would send flowers or something,

you know, just meaningful things.

: 1019

00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:52,070

Like, Hey, I can't be there

with you in person, but I love

: 1020

00:45:52,070 --> 00:45:53,210

you and I'm thinking of you.

: 1021

00:45:53,210 --> 00:45:57,350

And it's just that small gesture

that I think has been so fun.

: 1022

00:45:57,410 --> 00:45:57,890

You know?

: 1023

00:45:58,250 --> 00:46:02,090

Um, or when me and Lauren graduated PT

school, like, we both, you know, you

: 1024

00:46:02,090 --> 00:46:04,640

guys got me a gift, we got Lauren a gift.

: 1025

00:46:04,670 --> 00:46:10,340

Um, just celebrating different milestones

outside of it just being our birthdays

: 1026

00:46:10,340 --> 00:46:14,480

I think is really, I don't know, like,

: 1027

00:46:14,510 --> 00:46:14,990

-: 2025

Supportive.

: 1028

00:46:15,020 --> 00:46:16,460

-: 2025

it, it is so important.

: 1029

00:46:16,460 --> 00:46:16,910

Yeah.

: 1030

00:46:17,450 --> 00:46:18,530

-: 2025

And supportive.

: 1031

00:46:18,585 --> 00:46:18,860

Yeah.

: 1032

00:46:19,175 --> 00:46:19,460

-: 2025

Yeah.

: 1033

00:46:19,460 --> 00:46:20,120

And supportive.

: 1034

00:46:20,510 --> 00:46:22,160

-: 2025

Yeah, like I think it just, like, it

: 1035

00:46:22,160 --> 00:46:26,120

takes like that love into action and

I think it's really easy to send a

: 1036

00:46:26,120 --> 00:46:30,110

congratulations text or to be like,

oh, I'm so proud of you for doing this.

: 1037

00:46:30,110 --> 00:46:32,810

But like, I remember when I launched

the podcast and then I saw on my

: 1038

00:46:32,810 --> 00:46:36,920

doorstep, like these box of cookies

after a literal all nighter.

: 1039

00:46:37,790 --> 00:46:42,650

I kid you not, we were working in

our bed and our 6:00 AM alarm went

: 1040

00:46:42,650 --> 00:46:47,480

off and we looked at each other and

we were like, what just happened?

: 1041

00:46:47,480 --> 00:46:48,080

Tre and I?

: 1042

00:46:48,440 --> 00:46:53,180

And so just like seeing that like you

guys recognized like how big of an

: 1043

00:46:53,180 --> 00:46:57,500

accomplishment that was for us, or how

much work we had put in, or that we

: 1044

00:46:57,500 --> 00:47:02,120

had thought of, you know, sending you

a care package when you moved to, um,

: 1045

00:47:02,120 --> 00:47:05,810

Oregon or yeah, like you said, like

graduations, like all the other, all the

: 1046

00:47:05,810 --> 00:47:07,700

different like milestones that we've hit.

: 1047

00:47:07,700 --> 00:47:12,350

Being each being there for each other and

showing up in small gestures kind of like

: 1048

00:47:12,350 --> 00:47:15,350

really takes that love into action and

shows, just like you said, like I can't

: 1049

00:47:15,350 --> 00:47:18,770

be there with you, but like I'm there

with you as much as I can be right now.

: 1050

00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:21,200

-: 2025

Yeah, because we, we know that if we

: 1051

00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:26,960

were in the same place, like, you know,

if, if you, if you had launched the

: 1052

00:47:26,960 --> 00:47:31,280

podcast and Bria and I lived like 30

minutes away, like we would've had a

: 1053

00:47:31,280 --> 00:47:32,900

dinner, like we would've had a party.

: 1054

00:47:33,140 --> 00:47:36,200

Like we would've gone out

like for a celebration, right?

: 1055

00:47:36,500 --> 00:47:36,830

-: 2025

: 1056

00:47:36,890 --> 00:47:38,240

-: 2025

we know that if we were in the

: 1057

00:47:38,240 --> 00:47:40,940

same place, like those things

would be happening in person.

: 1058

00:47:41,360 --> 00:47:44,150

And so it's like, I mean, we

live in a world now where like.

: 1059

00:47:44,885 --> 00:47:49,685

It's so easy to just like DoorDash

things, like I've got, like, I'm this

: 1060

00:47:49,685 --> 00:47:52,175

door, like we just, DoorDash Maori stuff.

: 1061

00:47:52,175 --> 00:47:54,125

I just door dashed brie stuff.

: 1062

00:47:54,125 --> 00:47:55,895

Like, it just is a thing.

: 1063

00:47:55,895 --> 00:47:56,345

Like

: 1064

00:47:56,695 --> 00:47:56,985

-: 2025

yeah.

: 1065

00:47:57,425 --> 00:47:59,075

-: 2025

think, you think like the country music

: 1066

00:47:59,075 --> 00:48:03,485

and the, the hiking and all this stuff,

like let's add DoorDash to that like.

: 1067

00:48:04,635 --> 00:48:08,435

-: 2025

DoorDash, please I'm gonna reach out.

: 1068

00:48:10,315 --> 00:48:11,235

Honestly, I'm gonna try.

: 1069

00:48:12,855 --> 00:48:13,775

-: 2025

Honestly, though, like it

: 1070

00:48:13,775 --> 00:48:15,055

could be so small last week.

: 1071

00:48:15,860 --> 00:48:20,060

I hit 20 weeks of pregnancy and

all I wanted was the half-baked,

: 1072

00:48:20,270 --> 00:48:21,920

uh, Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

: 1073

00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:24,770

And I had just seen Lauren,

'cause she was in Oregon.

: 1074

00:48:25,190 --> 00:48:27,710

And I told her, I was like,

tonight I'm gonna go buy it.

: 1075

00:48:27,800 --> 00:48:31,370

And we live, me and my husband

live in such a small town and like

: 1076

00:48:31,430 --> 00:48:31,720

-: 2025

: 1077

00:48:31,790 --> 00:48:32,870

-: 2025

store just sucks.

: 1078

00:48:33,290 --> 00:48:36,350

And they had like every flavor of

Ben and Jerry's except that one.

: 1079

00:48:36,350 --> 00:48:37,310

And I like, went home.

: 1080

00:48:37,310 --> 00:48:39,740

I was like, I'm, so, I texted

her, I was like, I'm so defeated.

: 1081

00:48:40,070 --> 00:48:40,820

I couldn't find it.

: 1082

00:48:40,910 --> 00:48:45,500

Literally five minutes later

DoorDash me half-baked.

: 1083

00:48:45,560 --> 00:48:47,930

Ben and Jerry's, I don't even

know where she got it from.

: 1084

00:48:47,960 --> 00:48:51,380

Probably the grocery store didn't

go to, but like, it could be so

: 1085

00:48:51,380 --> 00:48:54,380

small, you know, it doesn't have

to be like this big gesture, but

: 1086

00:48:54,440 --> 00:48:56,000

that like meant so much to me.

: 1087

00:48:56,000 --> 00:48:58,880

Like it was such a silly thing, but

I was like, I wanna celebrate this

: 1088

00:48:59,540 --> 00:48:59,830

-: 2025

: 1089

00:49:00,620 --> 00:49:02,450

-: 2025

and yeah, like that meant so much.

: 1090

00:49:02,450 --> 00:49:02,840

So.

: 1091

00:49:03,170 --> 00:49:05,810

Um, and like, I think it can feel

overwhelming to be like, oh, I have

: 1092

00:49:05,810 --> 00:49:06,920

to put this whole thing together.

: 1093

00:49:06,920 --> 00:49:09,440

It's like, no, really, it's

just the gesture that means so

: 1094

00:49:09,485 --> 00:49:09,875

-: 2025

: 1095

00:49:10,595 --> 00:49:10,895

Mm-hmm.

: 1096

00:49:10,985 --> 00:49:11,105

-: 2025

Yeah.

: 1097

00:49:11,105 --> 00:49:13,895

Like we hadn't, we had

Mari's Bridal shower on Zoom.

: 1098

00:49:15,230 --> 00:49:16,550

-: 2025

Back to the COVID days.

: 1099

00:49:16,850 --> 00:49:17,435

-: 2025

Yeah.

: 1100

00:49:17,495 --> 00:49:21,965

But like, we could have not

like you, like, like, and we

: 1101

00:49:21,965 --> 00:49:24,005

were just, we we did that.

: 1102

00:49:24,095 --> 00:49:25,715

We, and we, it was good

: 1103

00:49:26,150 --> 00:49:26,360

-: 2025

: 1104

00:49:26,660 --> 00:49:26,855

-: 2025

: 1105

00:49:27,095 --> 00:49:29,540

We had some fun games and

like everybody was there.

: 1106

00:49:29,540 --> 00:49:31,145

Weren't you on like vacation or something?

: 1107

00:49:31,145 --> 00:49:32,915

Or like, the Waggner were on vacation.

: 1108

00:49:32,975 --> 00:49:33,305

Yeah,

: 1109

00:49:33,945 --> 00:49:34,505

-: 2025

I was Mexico.

: 1110

00:49:34,945 --> 00:49:36,350

I mean, go figure.

: 1111

00:49:36,755 --> 00:49:38,225

-: 2025

I remember that so vividly.

: 1112

00:49:38,225 --> 00:49:39,965

Like the, the ocean, like in the

: 1113

00:49:42,595 --> 00:49:44,270

-: 2025

I think the last thing too

: 1114

00:49:44,330 --> 00:49:46,060

is sending prayer requests.

: 1115

00:49:46,360 --> 00:49:46,780

-: 2025

mm-hmm.

: 1116

00:49:46,790 --> 00:49:49,610

-: 2025

often and we're vulnerable when we send

: 1117

00:49:49,610 --> 00:49:54,320

it, and we know that we can count on

each other to actually pray for us and to

: 1118

00:49:54,320 --> 00:49:58,370

allow there to be a space of just like,

Hey, having a super hard time right now.

: 1119

00:49:58,370 --> 00:50:01,130

Like, please, you know, pray

for these specific intentions.

: 1120

00:50:01,520 --> 00:50:02,720

We're really hoping for this.

: 1121

00:50:02,720 --> 00:50:04,940

Like, here's exactly what to pray for.

: 1122

00:50:04,940 --> 00:50:07,235

And so inviting each

other into kind of like.

: 1123

00:50:08,165 --> 00:50:11,645

That more personal journey that we're

on, and maybe we don't have time

: 1124

00:50:11,645 --> 00:50:14,495

for like a full hour like catch up

call for you to like know exactly

: 1125

00:50:14,495 --> 00:50:16,145

what I need prayers for right now.

: 1126

00:50:16,295 --> 00:50:20,195

But we know that we can send a

quick prayer request into the group

: 1127

00:50:20,225 --> 00:50:23,525

and that gonna pray for each other

right then and there, or like later

: 1128

00:50:23,525 --> 00:50:24,755

that day or something like that.

: 1129

00:50:24,755 --> 00:50:27,095

And that's something that I

think is also really special.

: 1130

00:50:27,455 --> 00:50:28,145

-: 2025

we're really, I think

: 1131

00:50:28,145 --> 00:50:29,135

we're really good at that.

: 1132

00:50:29,545 --> 00:50:29,965

-: 2025

Mm-hmm.

: 1133

00:50:30,360 --> 00:50:32,015

-: 2025

we're really good at being vulnerable,

: 1134

00:50:32,015 --> 00:50:36,965

but then we're also really good at being

like account like accountability, like for

: 1135

00:50:36,965 --> 00:50:40,505

each other and, and like trust, like that.

: 1136

00:50:40,505 --> 00:50:45,425

We trust that it's going to happen from

the other people, you know, the others do.

: 1137

00:50:45,635 --> 00:50:46,025

Yeah.

: 1138

00:50:47,435 --> 00:50:49,325

-: 2025

about, let's talk about supporting

: 1139

00:50:49,325 --> 00:50:53,105

each other as we've like entered

different vocations in our life.

: 1140

00:50:53,165 --> 00:50:56,555

It's incredible that like we have

been friends through nine years

: 1141

00:50:56,585 --> 00:51:00,185

'cause there has been so many

changes through the last nine years.

: 1142

00:51:00,245 --> 00:51:06,005

So to give a recap, we literally went

from all three of us being single to

: 1143

00:51:06,005 --> 00:51:11,345

then me getting engaged and married

and then Brie getting engaged and

: 1144

00:51:11,345 --> 00:51:15,725

married and Lauren recently entering

into a relationship in the past year.

: 1145

00:51:16,055 --> 00:51:18,365

And then Brie becoming a mom.

: 1146

00:51:18,575 --> 00:51:22,445

And so like we've kind of hit like

all these stages, all these stages

: 1147

00:51:22,445 --> 00:51:26,705

from like singleness, engagements,

marriage, motherhood, um, and all been

: 1148

00:51:26,705 --> 00:51:28,677

in those seasons at different times.

: 1149

00:51:29,675 --> 00:51:33,005

have we like navigated through

those different seasons?

: 1150

00:51:33,005 --> 00:51:35,675

Been there for each other,

walked with each other in it.

: 1151

00:51:36,035 --> 00:51:38,345

Um, and then we can also.

: 1152

00:51:38,780 --> 00:51:42,650

I also like wanna speak to, if you

guys wanna do it while you share all

: 1153

00:51:42,650 --> 00:51:44,030

this stuff right now, that's fine.

: 1154

00:51:44,030 --> 00:51:47,090

Or we can talk about it later, like

speak to comparison in all that.

: 1155

00:51:47,090 --> 00:51:50,600

Because as women, like, we're very

susceptible to falling into comparison

: 1156

00:51:50,600 --> 00:51:53,690

and looking, you know, to our left

and our right and being like, oh, like

: 1157

00:51:53,690 --> 00:51:57,080

she has this and I don't, or like, you

know, she got married before me, or

: 1158

00:51:57,080 --> 00:52:00,260

like, you know, gosh, I'd wanna be a

mom right now and she gets to be a mom.

: 1159

00:52:00,260 --> 00:52:02,000

Or like, oh, I'm still single.

: 1160

00:52:02,000 --> 00:52:03,230

Like, what is that?

: 1161

00:52:03,350 --> 00:52:05,960

What has that journey been

like and how have we kind of

: 1162

00:52:05,960 --> 00:52:06,920

navigated through all that?

: 1163

00:52:10,250 --> 00:52:13,040

-: 2025

Yeah, I think, um, like from Mar's

: 1164

00:52:13,040 --> 00:52:18,380

transition, you know, me and Lauren

couldn't really speak to marriage at all.

: 1165

00:52:18,440 --> 00:52:20,450

'cause you got married

first out of all of us.

: 1166

00:52:20,510 --> 00:52:23,840

Um, and you had other friends that

like helped you through that stage.

: 1167

00:52:23,840 --> 00:52:28,550

But kind of going back to just like

being there, being excited, praying

: 1168

00:52:28,550 --> 00:52:31,730

for them, celebrating with them,

knowing that you can't fulfill like.

: 1169

00:52:32,390 --> 00:52:36,500

I can't help you with all these

marriage things, um, but I'm still

: 1170

00:52:36,500 --> 00:52:38,197

gonna be there and celebrate you guys.

: 1171

00:52:38,420 --> 00:52:40,490

Um, that was really fun.

: 1172

00:52:40,490 --> 00:52:44,300

And then, I mean, I can speak to my

transition to being engaged and married.

: 1173

00:52:44,600 --> 00:52:50,270

Mari was like my one go-to friend that

helped me so much, that transition.

: 1174

00:52:50,270 --> 00:52:53,660

'cause there's so much that happens

in engagement and planning a wedding,

: 1175

00:52:53,690 --> 00:52:57,740

and sure there's girls out there

listening that can totally relate.

: 1176

00:52:57,740 --> 00:53:01,250

Right now, maybe if you're in that

season, it can be super overwhelming.

: 1177

00:53:01,250 --> 00:53:03,170

Like it's really exciting times.

: 1178

00:53:03,170 --> 00:53:03,560

But,

: 1179

00:53:03,745 --> 00:53:04,165

-: 2025

: 1180

00:53:04,850 --> 00:53:06,050

-: 2025

You know, and, and especially when

: 1181

00:53:06,050 --> 00:53:09,620

you're a faith, you're gonna be a

faith-filled marriage and, and have

: 1182

00:53:09,620 --> 00:53:12,320

that sacrament, like, there's always

these spiritual attacks that come in

: 1183

00:53:12,320 --> 00:53:14,810

between and, um, different struggles.

: 1184

00:53:14,810 --> 00:53:20,570

And so having that friend who's already

walked through it is so important.

: 1185

00:53:20,570 --> 00:53:21,020

Like.

: 1186

00:53:21,755 --> 00:53:22,295

I don't know.

: 1187

00:53:22,295 --> 00:53:26,195

Mari and I probably talked on the

phone like once a week for like

: 1188

00:53:26,195 --> 00:53:30,425

an hour or two, like as I was

getting closer to getting married.

: 1189

00:53:30,425 --> 00:53:30,755

Just

: 1190

00:53:31,040 --> 00:53:31,340

-: 2025

: 1191

00:53:31,505 --> 00:53:32,585

-: 2025

like helping with wedding planning,

: 1192

00:53:32,585 --> 00:53:36,455

but honestly helping like,

prepare myself for that and like,

: 1193

00:53:36,795 --> 00:53:37,085

-: 2025

: 1194

00:53:37,385 --> 00:53:39,155

-: 2025

yeah, and, and like what kind of

: 1195

00:53:39,335 --> 00:53:45,665

conversations to have with, with your

future spouse, um, how to navigate like

: 1196

00:53:45,665 --> 00:53:49,565

difficult things, you know, money in-laws,

all the, like, all these different

: 1197

00:53:49,565 --> 00:53:52,325

things that all of a sudden become

like at the forefront of your brain,

: 1198

00:53:52,595 --> 00:53:53,015

-: 2025

: 1199

00:53:53,705 --> 00:53:54,125

-: 2025

On your finger.

: 1200

00:53:54,845 --> 00:53:59,675

Um, and that was just such a, she

was such a wealth of information,

: 1201

00:53:59,675 --> 00:54:00,905

like so patient with me.

: 1202

00:54:01,295 --> 00:54:02,165

Um, but even.

: 1203

00:54:03,065 --> 00:54:06,275

married now, it's, it's really

good to have somebody be like, you

: 1204

00:54:06,275 --> 00:54:09,485

know, we're never like talking bad

about our husbands or anything.

: 1205

00:54:09,485 --> 00:54:12,605

It's like, Hey, have you ever

encountered, you know, this issue or

: 1206

00:54:12,755 --> 00:54:13,175

-: 2025

: 1207

00:54:13,505 --> 00:54:15,485

-: 2025

and like, how have you gone about that?

: 1208

00:54:15,485 --> 00:54:19,115

And can you help me like be a good

wife and, and handle this well?

: 1209

00:54:19,175 --> 00:54:23,195

Um, and that has been so

awesome, like, just having a

: 1210

00:54:23,195 --> 00:54:25,370

friend who's helped with that.

: 1211

00:54:25,670 --> 00:54:26,090

-: 2025

: 1212

00:54:26,165 --> 00:54:28,025

-: 2025

then on the, the like flip side of

: 1213

00:54:28,025 --> 00:54:31,535

it all, like, uh, you know, Lauren

just came into a relationship over

: 1214

00:54:31,535 --> 00:54:35,765

the past year, but me and Mari being

married, it might seem like it's hard

: 1215

00:54:35,765 --> 00:54:39,305

for us to relate to her, but like we

also both were single at one point.

: 1216

00:54:39,665 --> 00:54:43,235

Um, and so realizing, like, remembering

what that struggle was like, like

: 1217

00:54:43,235 --> 00:54:44,840

you really wanna find your person

: 1218

00:54:45,140 --> 00:54:45,560

-: 2025

: 1219

00:54:46,505 --> 00:54:48,185

-: 2025

you know, now you're happily married,

: 1220

00:54:48,485 --> 00:54:49,805

but one of your best friends isn't.

: 1221

00:54:49,805 --> 00:54:52,535

And so I just remember like

multiple times Lauren coming to

: 1222

00:54:52,535 --> 00:54:55,240

visit and just like having those

hard conversations about like, I.

: 1223

00:54:56,030 --> 00:54:57,320

I know this is so hard for you.

: 1224

00:54:57,320 --> 00:54:58,550

Like let's just talk about it.

: 1225

00:54:58,550 --> 00:54:59,030

You know, it's

: 1226

00:54:59,300 --> 00:54:59,590

-: 2025

: 1227

00:54:59,660 --> 00:55:01,940

-: 2025

sad or frustrated or all those things.

: 1228

00:55:01,940 --> 00:55:06,920

And, um, just like really being

there for her because I was also

: 1229

00:55:06,920 --> 00:55:08,920

there like a year prior, you know?

: 1230

00:55:09,220 --> 00:55:09,510

-: 2025

: 1231

00:55:10,040 --> 00:55:13,550

-: 2025

so just always remembering that maybe

: 1232

00:55:13,550 --> 00:55:17,150

you haven't been in that season of life,

but you can still celebrate in that like

: 1233

00:55:17,150 --> 00:55:20,270

I was with MA getting married or you,

you have been in that season of life,

: 1234

00:55:20,270 --> 00:55:22,820

but now it's been a year, two years,

three years since you've been single.

: 1235

00:55:22,820 --> 00:55:26,210

But you can still relate and still

help that person and give them hope

: 1236

00:55:26,210 --> 00:55:29,570

and faith and, and encourage them to

wait for the right person and keep

: 1237

00:55:29,570 --> 00:55:31,040

their values and stuff like that.

: 1238

00:55:31,400 --> 00:55:31,730

-: 2025

: 1239

00:55:32,060 --> 00:55:33,350

-: 2025

I guess like that's kind of

: 1240

00:55:33,350 --> 00:55:35,630

how it went for me both ends.

: 1241

00:55:35,690 --> 00:55:37,430

Um, yeah.

: 1242

00:55:39,790 --> 00:55:40,240

-: 2025

Yeah.

: 1243

00:55:40,750 --> 00:55:43,150

Gosh, that was really well said, Bre.

: 1244

00:55:43,150 --> 00:55:43,750

Nice job.

: 1245

00:55:45,410 --> 00:55:45,740

-: 2025

: 1246

00:55:46,930 --> 00:55:47,410

-: 2025

Uh, yes.

: 1247

00:55:48,580 --> 00:55:53,050

Uh, I'll say that, uh, you know, one

of my best friends from PT school.

: 1248

00:55:54,035 --> 00:55:55,985

And so is is also married.

: 1249

00:55:56,015 --> 00:56:02,525

So by the time I was 25, uh, I mean, and I

don't have like a huge friend group, like

: 1250

00:56:02,525 --> 00:56:04,835

I, I keep it pretty, pretty close knit.

: 1251

00:56:04,835 --> 00:56:09,275

You know, there's maybe like five people

that I could see being like my bridesmaids

: 1252

00:56:09,275 --> 00:56:12,635

and like those are people that, that like

I would consider are my best friends.

: 1253

00:56:12,635 --> 00:56:16,085

And like by the time I was

25, 3 of them were married

: 1254

00:56:18,215 --> 00:56:19,955

and I was like, okay.

: 1255

00:56:20,015 --> 00:56:23,105

Um, I just, I didn't see this in my life.

: 1256

00:56:23,105 --> 00:56:24,605

Like, I don't know why.

: 1257

00:56:24,605 --> 00:56:26,765

Like, I, I didn't, I didn't see that.

: 1258

00:56:26,795 --> 00:56:34,655

Um, but the hardest time in my life,

or not in my life, but in, in this

: 1259

00:56:34,685 --> 00:56:42,695

like our seasons together was during

PT school where Brie and I were on the

: 1260

00:56:42,695 --> 00:56:45,845

same path from a career standpoint.

: 1261

00:56:46,685 --> 00:56:51,755

And so Mari understood that we

were on that same path, but then

: 1262

00:56:51,755 --> 00:56:55,535

Brie met Timmy and was engaged.

: 1263

00:56:55,535 --> 00:56:57,185

And then you were married.

: 1264

00:56:57,185 --> 00:56:58,445

You got married in PT school.

: 1265

00:56:58,475 --> 00:56:58,835

Yeah.

: 1266

00:56:59,315 --> 00:56:59,675

Yeah.

: 1267

00:56:59,675 --> 00:57:05,375

Like was in, was discerning engagement

and discerning marriage and all of those

: 1268

00:57:05,375 --> 00:57:11,465

things happened like while we were in PT

school, but that was not happening to me.

: 1269

00:57:11,795 --> 00:57:12,590

And so

: 1270

00:57:12,890 --> 00:57:14,060

-: 2025

journey she was going on.

: 1271

00:57:14,165 --> 00:57:16,655

-: 2025

yeah, so it was like we were both, we were

: 1272

00:57:16,655 --> 00:57:21,185

both in PT school, but all of a sudden,

like her discernment became being a wife.

: 1273

00:57:21,185 --> 00:57:23,335

And my discernment stayed

: 1274

00:57:23,635 --> 00:57:24,055

-: 2025

: 1275

00:57:24,355 --> 00:57:25,265

-: 2025

being a pt

: 1276

00:57:25,635 --> 00:57:26,055

-: 2025

: 1277

00:57:26,135 --> 00:57:28,565

-: 2025

like I remember just like.

: 1278

00:57:29,210 --> 00:57:32,990

Having conversations like we would

have, like I remember having FaceTimes,

: 1279

00:57:32,990 --> 00:57:36,860

like in PT school with you guys, and

like feeling like I had to be like, no,

: 1280

00:57:36,860 --> 00:57:38,870

like this is what I'm doing right now.

: 1281

00:57:39,170 --> 00:57:43,070

Like, this is what my heart

is set on, is like my career.

: 1282

00:57:43,460 --> 00:57:47,480

And like, it wasn't that you guys

were like disappointed or like getting

: 1283

00:57:47,510 --> 00:57:53,240

on me for things, but it was like

you knew that I always, I always

: 1284

00:57:53,240 --> 00:57:57,680

have and always will have a longing

to be a wife and to be a mother.

: 1285

00:57:57,920 --> 00:57:59,630

And you both know that about me.

: 1286

00:58:00,050 --> 00:58:03,680

And so you're like, well then why

aren't you doing something about it?

: 1287

00:58:03,740 --> 00:58:06,290

Like, or like, like what

are you doing about it?

: 1288

00:58:06,350 --> 00:58:12,440

Like if you want that, like you need to be

putting in some sort of effort into that

: 1289

00:58:12,740 --> 00:58:17,840

like praying about it, like going out and

meeting people, like being open to it.

: 1290

00:58:17,840 --> 00:58:21,545

Like I, I just like was

not in that space at all

: 1291

00:58:21,845 --> 00:58:22,185

-: 2025

Right, right.

: 1292

00:58:22,190 --> 00:58:25,340

-: 2025

my like whole world surrounded like

: 1293

00:58:25,520 --> 00:58:29,510

PT school, which like, now that I

like look back on it was so unhealthy.

: 1294

00:58:29,750 --> 00:58:34,340

Like even from like a secular standpoint,

like was just like not good, you know?

: 1295

00:58:34,850 --> 00:58:39,500

And so I just feel like that was, that

was like the most challenging part

: 1296

00:58:39,500 --> 00:58:45,410

where then I felt like, like, I don't

know that I ever compared, but I don't

: 1297

00:58:45,410 --> 00:58:47,090

like, in like full vulnerability.

: 1298

00:58:47,090 --> 00:58:52,910

Like I don't know that I was as supportive

like to you two in your seasons because

: 1299

00:58:52,910 --> 00:59:04,550

I was just like, like, and so, um, but

then I remember like when my friend from

: 1300

00:59:04,550 --> 00:59:09,590

PT school got engaged, I remember you

texting me Mari and being like, whoa,

: 1301

00:59:09,590 --> 00:59:12,410

like Bria and I are already married.

: 1302

00:59:12,650 --> 00:59:14,000

Or Brie was about to get married.

: 1303

00:59:14,000 --> 00:59:16,100

She was like two months

out from getting married.

: 1304

00:59:16,370 --> 00:59:17,480

You were already married.

: 1305

00:59:17,480 --> 00:59:20,390

And then, then my friend from

DT school was gonna be getting

: 1306

00:59:20,390 --> 00:59:21,740

married like that next summer.

: 1307

00:59:21,740 --> 00:59:23,360

And you were like, whoa, like.

: 1308

00:59:23,990 --> 00:59:24,890

That's a lot.

: 1309

00:59:25,010 --> 00:59:27,470

And I'm, I was in all of the weddings too.

: 1310

00:59:27,470 --> 00:59:31,850

Like I, I wasn't just a guest, like I

was, I was very heavily involved, like

: 1311

00:59:31,880 --> 00:59:36,710

in y'all's wedding planning and, and like

everything that went along that in your

: 1312

00:59:36,710 --> 00:59:40,730

relationships and like, that's, that's who

should be in your wedding group, right?

: 1313

00:59:40,730 --> 00:59:44,150

Like, or the people that are like

with you in the relationship, like,

: 1314

00:59:44,150 --> 00:59:45,620

you know, from a friend standpoint.

: 1315

00:59:46,340 --> 00:59:53,090

Um, and so, uh, I remember just

being like, that was like the first

: 1316

00:59:53,090 --> 00:59:57,230

time that I think I had like, really

sat with it and was like, whoa.

: 1317

00:59:57,230 --> 00:59:58,460

Like they,

: 1318

00:59:58,535 --> 00:59:58,715

-: 2025

: 1319

00:59:59,480 --> 01:00:01,850

-: 2025

like they have what I like desire,

: 1320

01:00:02,165 --> 01:00:02,585

-: 2025

: 1321

01:00:02,885 --> 01:00:05,150

-: 2025

like how do I get there?

: 1322

01:00:05,435 --> 01:00:05,945

-: 2025

: 1323

01:00:06,080 --> 01:00:06,890

-: 2025

: 1324

01:00:07,205 --> 01:00:08,855

-: 2025

I'm sure that was hard, you know, in

: 1325

01:00:08,855 --> 01:00:13,235

a sense to like sit there and be like,

wow, you know, especially if you didn't

: 1326

01:00:13,235 --> 01:00:17,645

expect it and you're like, now three of

my best friends are here and I want that.

: 1327

01:00:17,645 --> 01:00:18,245

And

: 1328

01:00:18,860 --> 01:00:19,190

-: 2025

yeah.

: 1329

01:00:19,240 --> 01:00:22,145

-: 2025

like what's, like, where's my path?

: 1330

01:00:22,520 --> 01:00:24,290

-: 2025

Yeah, but it was also like, there's always

: 1331

01:00:24,290 --> 01:00:29,630

so much like excitement and like joy and

celebration in weddings that like you

: 1332

01:00:29,630 --> 01:00:34,430

never even really think about it being

like an like a sad thing or that, like

: 1333

01:00:34,430 --> 01:00:38,720

something that you're like not happy about

because like why would, like, why would

: 1334

01:00:38,720 --> 01:00:43,070

you be, and it wasn't that I was like,

I had, I was having so much fun at your

: 1335

01:00:43,070 --> 01:00:47,990

weddings and celebrating and like hyping

you guys up and like all of those things.

: 1336

01:00:47,990 --> 01:00:52,550

But it was like, when I was asked

about it, it was like, oh man,

: 1337

01:00:52,880 --> 01:00:55,610

like this is like real, like what?

: 1338

01:00:55,610 --> 01:00:57,320

And like what do I do about it?

: 1339

01:00:57,650 --> 01:01:04,190

Um, and I think I always thought it was

like kind of funny to like pray about it.

: 1340

01:01:04,370 --> 01:01:04,910

I'm like, what?

: 1341

01:01:04,910 --> 01:01:09,200

Like, I remember like texting

both of you and being like, how

: 1342

01:01:09,200 --> 01:01:11,330

do I even like say this in prayer?

: 1343

01:01:11,660 --> 01:01:14,090

Like, what am I supposed to be asking?

: 1344

01:01:14,120 --> 01:01:17,720

Or like, you know, like asking for in

prayer or, or like saying in prayer

: 1345

01:01:17,720 --> 01:01:23,960

and, and, and then yeah, like, it

just, you know, you always say like,

: 1346

01:01:23,960 --> 01:01:26,300

it comes when you like least expected.

: 1347

01:01:26,300 --> 01:01:32,570

And like, I, I did the dating apps, like

I was in the like, cyclical pattern.

: 1348

01:01:32,570 --> 01:01:38,570

And we talked about this too, like

the, the craziness behind being on

: 1349

01:01:38,570 --> 01:01:42,200

a dating app like that I think could

also be a whole nother podcast episode.

: 1350

01:01:42,200 --> 01:01:45,800

Like, we've come up with like three

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