Episode #344: Let's Talk Parenting with Host Sandra Beck and Bill O'Herron

·47 min·4 clips

A 74-year-old woman who feared deep water her whole life belly-flopped off a dock to teach her grandson courage.

Motherhood Talk Radio host Sandra Beck welcomes guest Bill O'Herron, a sales executive and part-time counselor with a master's in social work. Bill discusses his new book, set for release in October, which focuses on relationships and inner work. He shares his diverse background, including an English major, financial career, world travel to 46 countries, and running a juvenile justice program. Sandra relates her experience caring for her mother during a five-year battle with breast cancer, highlighting how her mother's approach to life shifted toward simplicity and presence. Bill explains the Latin root of 'relationship' as 'relatis,' meaning to carry back, emphasizing that relationships require ongoing inner work and vulnerability. Sandra introduces the concept of 'time traveling' as dwelling on past regrets or future worries, sharing her fears as a single mom with financial pressures. Bill suggests that conscious time travel to dialogue with one's younger self can be productive for healing. Sandra recounts a childhood memory of a spelling chart that caused lasting shame, and Bill guides how to reframe such memories by celebrating other aspects of the younger self. They discuss the challenge of 'being yourself' amid societal labels, with Bill advocating for quiet self-reflection to connect with core feelings. Sandra describes how her childhood love of building rock houses with buttercup flowers evolved into her current passion for writing women's fiction novels. Bill notes that engaging in activities you love, like fishing or astronomy, can foster relaxation and connection. The conversation touches on using marriage as an arena for personal growth through friction and vulnerability. Bill explains the science behind music, noting that sound waves from music trigger safety signals linked to womb sounds—breathing, heartbeat, and water—which open the heart. Sandra encourages listeners to try dancing to music to access joy and connection. Bill shares that his book will be available on Amazon and via wholecounseling.com. The episode concludes with Sandra promoting the importance of relationships with oneself and others.

As heard by us

A parenting chat that finds its best footing in empathy for younger selves.

Motherhood Talk Radio spends its hour with Sandra Beck and Bill O'Heron moving from parenting and relationships into a more reflective idea: time travel as a way of meeting younger versions of oneself.

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Why you'd press play

If your fourth-grade self still has something to say, this is your kind of visit.

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