I'm recording this intro from a very quiet house. I just dropped off my daughter, my last kiddo, at college. On the drive home, it hit me: I feel most at ease and most alive as a mom in the everyday moments. Running errands. Cheering at games. Hearing the car pull in at night. Being a mom has certainly come with plenty of worry and sleepless nights, but I feel most grounded when I'm with my kids and my husband.

As much as I miss them, I'm so grateful my kids are out living their lives, and I'm stepping into a new season of my own. Part of that is accepting that I can't hold on to them forever, or protect them from everything.

That's exactly why this week's conversation hit so close to home. I sat down with my friend and fellow Bend local, Claudia Hinz, to talk about her novel Safekeeping, the story of a Dallas mom fighting to keep her son out of a reinstated military draft, and learning the hard way that we can't keep the people we love safe. Sometimes the greatest gift is letting go.

In this episode

• How the seeds of Claudia's new book Safekeeping were planted when Claudia was a little girl, overhearing her psychologist father host Vietnam veterans and POW/MIA families in their living room
• Stepping away from her broadcast journalism career to raise three kids, and the honest resentment that can come with that kind of sacrifice
• What it means to mother an adult child, and the hard truth that we can’t keep our children safe, no matter how much we love them or what resources we have
• Why so many veterans told Claudia that no one had ever asked about their experiences
• The surprising connection between Tenley and Privately, a young combat veteran, and why it’s really about being seen
• Five novels, a decade of rejections, and how to keep coming back to the page when you feel black and blue

About Claudia

Claudia Hinz lives in Bend, Oregon. She graduated from Harvard and received her MA in English from Southern Methodist University. She worked as a television reporter for network affiliates in Northern California, Seattle, and Dallas. Her work has been published in The Christian Science Monitor, Women Writers, Women’s Books, Story Magazine, The Boston Globe, 1859 Oregon’s Magazine, Bend Lifestyle Magazine, and BLUNTmoms.

When Claudia said love is being seen and held for who you are in a particular moment, I felt it in my bones. This moment, for me, is learning who I am beyond the driveway and the sidelines. I’m so grateful you’re here with me for it, because one thing I’ve learned as a mom and a human is that I can’t do life alone!

xo,
Molly

P.S. Look whose podcast was featured in Maria Shriver’s newsletter, The Sunday Paper... mine! 🙌

Connect with Claudia

• Get the book: Safekeeping
• Website and upcoming events: claudiahinz.net
• Instagram: @claudiahinzauthor
• Book clubs: Claudia would love to join your discussion, virtually if you’re outside Central Oregon.

Work with Molly

• New website: molly-carroll.com
• Therapy and coaching: I’m accepting new clients and specialize in breaking stuck patterns, coping with anxiety and depression, navigating life transitions, and creating more joy and balance. Schedule a session
• Speaking: Bring me to your company or conference to speak on connection and personal and professional success. Learn more at molly-carroll.com.

Support the podcast

After three years and over 100 episodes, this podcast is still self-funded. Even $5 a month helps cover hosting, editing, and prep. Join on Patreon

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