007: moms that can fly / la dolce vita
in this episode, nins shares a heartwarming mother-daughter conversation about the simplicity of love from {THE AND} by The Skin Deep. arns is inspired by artist Juna Law's opening her heart up to a second chance at life.
CONTENT WARNING: grief
referenced in this episode:
{THE AND} Rachel & Ginny video by The Skin Deep (@the_skindeep)
artist Juna Law
Juna Law feature by Shi Han of Human Edition (@human_edition)
Juna Law blog by e-zine My Creative Cup of Tea
0:00 - intro
4:26 - nins: {THE AND} Rachel & Ginny
24:00 - arns: artist Juna Law
episode summary
Intro
Welcome back to brb crying! This week’s episode opens up with our hosts describing their show as “a podcast where the two of [them] scour the world for stories like detectives” before quickly clarifying that “this is not a true crime podcast at all.”
Like aquaintances with nothing in common, they comment on the weather before exchanging thoughts on ants that come ravaging in the summer and Arns' improved health compared to the previous week.
Arns includes a clarification from a past episode: Arns mentioned that she apologized profusely to her husband when bleeding all over her sheets but neglected to include Jo’s response, which was that he gave zero fucks (he’s a nurse). Nins and Arns then comment on how he’s a great guy—“top 10 for sure.”
In conclusion, Arns is feeling great and is ready to fucking kill it today, to which Nins says, “Well let me fuck you up with my story ruin that mood.” Here goes!
Nins’ segment: {THE AND} Rachel & Ginny (5/10 tears)
In this emotionally charged segment, Nins shares a moving video from {THE AND} project by The Skin Deep. The conversation is between Ginny and her 15-year-old daughter Rachel, who has Down syndrome. This video made Nins cry multiple times, first when she initially watched it and again (and again, and again…) as she delved deeper into the story.
Nins provides context about {THE AND} project, explaining how it films authentic, intimate conversations between two people with various relationships. The project, founded by Topas Adis, aims to explore human connections. Adis's inspiration came from his childhood experiences of parental arguments, sparking a desire to see more connection and intimacy between people.
Before they really get into it, Nins decides to show Arns the video (because Arns hates spoilers obvi!!!!). Arns sits back after the 8-minute video and is, unsurprisingly, crying very hard. As she says between sniffles: “If we weren't sitting here…I could cry about this for a really long time.”
At its core, the conversation between Ginny and Rachel is an incredible display of vulnerability and love. They’re each asked a series of 12 questions meant to help them dig deep into their relationship. The video is edited so both mother and daughter’s faces are filmed closeup, allowing viewers to clearly witness their reactions (hello??? crying).
Nins naturally gravitated toward Ginny, saying "this is a woman who was meant to be a mom. she just had this natural warmth about her; I could just imagine that anyone that she cares about is just absolutely safe”, evident by how Ginny looks at Rachel "with such tangible love in her eyes."
Rachel, whom Angela describes as "the sweetest soul" and "a pure beam of brightness," melts hearts by saying her mom's superpower would be "caring powers." As Rachel states in the video, "You're a wonderful mom. If I ever cry, you always fly to me and go 'Rachel, I'm here. I'll give you a hug and a kiss.'"
Ginny's responses are equally touching. When asked about her wishes during pregnancy, she candidly shares her initial fears about Down syndrome, but beautifully concludes that it hasn't hurt Rachel, herself, or their family. The emotional peak comes when Ginny responds to the question, "What does my love feel like?" saying, "Your love feels like a place to stand... like a foundation. Like a rock under my feet."
Nins highlights the simplicity and purity of their expressions of love, noting how they manage to articulate "big very complex and huge emotions" with just a few words. She's particularly moved by the evident bond between Ginny and Rachel, observing that "underneath all of that noise... it's just a mom wanting to fly to her kid."
Angela shares some of the video's comments, which add another layer of poignancy. One comment suggests that "these two were together before this life," prompting Nins to reference Journey of Souls by Michael Newton (a fave on this podcast—these two literally do not stfu about it) and the idea of souls choosing each other before reincarnation.
In an especially poignant part of the episode, Nins shares how, as she’s grown older, she’s thought more and more about the dynamics of a parent and child, and how that changes as that child becomes their own person. In spite of that—underneath all of that noise, it's just a mom wanting to fly to her kid.
Throughout the summary, Nins emphasizes the power of unconditional love, the beauty of vulnerability, and the profound connection between Ginny and Rachel. She encourages listeners to explore more videos from {THE AND} project on YouTube, promising more "beautiful gems" that, quite frankly, will probably wreck you.
The segment beautifully captures the essence of {THE AND} project's mission: to create experiences that allow people to have deep, cathartic conversations, explore their relationships, and experience deeper connections. Nins' retelling of Ginny and Rachel's story serves as a powerful reminder that while parent-child relationships can often be complex, beneath it all is a love that’s simple and pure.
Arns segment: Artist Juna Law (3/10 tears)
This week, Arns delves into the inspiring story of Juna Law, an "art artist" (a clarification that Arns provides before Nins has a chance to interject and ask). Discovered through a Malaysian account called Human Edition, Juna's tale of reinvention and resilience immediately captivated Arns.
Juna's journey is a rollercoaster of emotions and brave decisions. After a modest 30-year career in children's fashion design, she found herself in a broken relationship with a controlling, narcissistic husband. In 2013, Juna took a leap of faith, divorcing him and losing more than half of what she owned. It took her a mere five years to pay back the alimony—the price tag for her freedom.
Inspired by Under the Tuscan Sun—the most casual, realistic backdrop for a romcom—Juna made her way to Florence in 2017. A year later, she experienced her "universe is talking to me" moment when she bought a gorg old farmhouse in Tuscany, only to realize it was the same house she had photographed and fallen in love with the year before. The universe, it seems, has a flair for the dramatic.
In 2019, Juna packed up her entire life, her English bulldog Rocky (the unsung hero of this story), and moved to Tuscany. Over the course of the pandemic, she and her partner transformed the old farmhouse into a stunning work of art they call "La Canonica di Luca." (What do you mean? Of course the house has a name.)
Arns gushes over Juna's artistic endeavors, from her pottery and ceramics to the lavender field they planted and organically certified, as one does. Juna even created a mulberry tree nest for her inner child, fulfilling a lifelong dream of having a treehouse. "Is this someone's life or is this an Emily Henry novel?" Nins interjects with reason.
However, life threw Juna another curveball when she lost her partner Valter in February. Arns was moved by how Juna met her grief, stating in one caption, "I will sit quietly and listen to each wave that taps on my broken heart." The raw vulnerability in Juna's words resonates deeply with Arns; it’s a poetic, simple illustration that perfectly captures how grief comes and goes.
Arns appreciates Juna's reminder that it's never too late to live your life. She admires Juna's intense awareness of life as it currently is, acknowledging both the joy and the heaviness. Juna's ability to toggle between moments of loss and acute pain, and moments of joy and abundance, struck a chord with Arns, who admits, "I feel like sometimes I'm scared to feel all of it, as much as I preach it and say it."
The segment concludes with Arns reflecting on her own fears and the courage it takes to upend one's life as Juna did. She expresses genuine gratitude to Juna for teaching and reminding us about the pleasure of rediscovering ourselves over and over again. "Love you, Juna," our hosts chirp, sounding sarcastic but actually meaning it with every fiber of their being.
Juna's journey serves as a beautiful reminder that home isn't a place but a feeling, and sometimes you just have to trust that your path will unfold as it should. As Juna poetically puts it, "Life is a journey. Happiness is small fragments in time you collect while treading forward to the unknown path. May we all gather a basket full of happiness." If that basket happens to be filled with Tuscan wine and homemade olive oil, all the better.
Conclusion
Arns and Nins celebrate another successful recording, exclaiming "we fucking did it!" They express heartfelt thanks to their listeners, whom they affectionately call "cry babies," for supporting their "silly little project" and participating in the emotional work it entails.
The hosts encourage listener engagement by requesting five-star reviews (FIVE STARS ONLY!!!!!!) and ratings on various platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube. They provide multiple ways for fans to connect, including their email (hello@brbcryingpodcast.com) and website (brbcryingpodcast.com).
Bringing it back to the beginning, Nins and Arns shout out Arns’ husband Jo once more (since Nins’ husband Lu always gets all the love). They then briefly speculate about Jo’s listening habits, imagining him speeding up the podcast to fit his commute. You take what you can get.
Until next time…brb crying :’)