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Summary:

In this episode of "That's Just Human," Elisha interviews Tonya Mills, an author and poet, about her experiences as a caregiver for her mother, starting from childhood through her mother's final years. Tonya shares the challenges of her upbringing, marked by abuse and her mother's depression, and how she stepped into a caretaking role at a young age. She discusses the emotional toll of caregiving, including feelings of guilt, regret, and resentment, and how writing about her experiences helped her process these emotions and find healing. Tonya also reflects on her relationship with her mother, the lessons she learned, and how she strives to break the cycle of trauma in her own life. The conversation explores themes of resilience, self-discovery, and the complexities of mother-daughter relationships.

Time Stamps:

• 0:00:00: Introduction of Tonya Mills and the topic of her experiences as a caregiver.
• 0:01:47: Tonya's childhood and early caretaking responsibilities due to her mother's depression and abuse.
• 0:04:18: Tonya's mother moving in with her, her passing, and feelings of guilt and regret.
• 0:08:29: Feeling resentment about lack of a "normal mother".
• 0:11:27: Generational abuse that affected her as a mom.
• 0:15:07: Starting her transition into adulthood with the help of therapy.
• 0:21:39: Taking care of her mom
• 0:27:16: Her and her mom learning from each other.
• 0:31:33: The last months of her mom's life and living with her.
• 0:37:46: Becoming a writer to escape childhood trauma.
• 0:41:01: Talking about processing emotions with writing.
• 0:43:02: Imposter syndrome.
• 0:47:31: Tonya shares the book title.
• 0:52:28: Tonya shares final words of wisdom.
• 0:54:14 Closing remarks and invitation for listeners to share their stories.

Links to find Tonya Mills:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/tonyamills.author

Web: https://magickalprose.wixsite.com/magickalprose

The Book She wrote a chapter in:

https://www.amazon.com/Caregiver-Chronicles-Family-Caregivers-about-ebook/dp/B0CQGT7P5P/

Link to Transcript of Show:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qUAQQ4CnW-khMp2UhxzDotmAJ30j_HOL/view?usp=sharing

Apply to be on the Show:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdo3jzeiCYLsDQMnfZbar8GlhJOjWGAFLtMlsZI2L8XwZ_IMw/viewform?usp=sharing

Find Elisha Elsewhere on the web:

https://linktr.ee/elishalightangel