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#179 - Your Newest Friendship Questions, Answered (with My Mom)
Description
For the first episode of 2026, I have my mom, Kathy Sackheim, in the studio for her 6th appearance on the podcast to help me answer a stack of listener questions straight from the Dear Nina inbox.
We move quickly through a range of friendship dilemmas from listeners:
- milestone birthday expectations
- uneven effort
- friend group tension
- an uncomfortable confrontation
- a group chat blowup
- reaching out after a long gap since the last hangout
- and what to do when a friend’s choices leave you conflicted and/or burdened (We slightly disagreed about that last one!)
My mom, at 80, brings decades of perspective and a refreshingly no-nonsense approach to friendship. We talk about being realistic without becoming resentful, staying nonjudgmental, knowing when to widen your circle instead of forcing a group dynamic to work, and why friends and romantic partners serve very different roles in our lives.
This episode is thoughtful, candid, and practical—exactly what happens when I put a microphone in front of my mom and let her answer your questions honestly.
PREVIOUS 5 EPISODES WITH MY MOM:
- Ep. #1. The Friend Who Will Only Text:
- Ep. #8. When Friends Ask Questions You Don’t Want to Answer
- Ep. #36. Widowhood and Friendship
- Ep. #50. How Friendships Change With Age, Overlooking Foibles, Dealing With Our Teens’ Friendships, and more
- Ep. #72. Grudges and Apologies in Friendships
LINKED MENTIONED:
- Find the anonymous questions in the newsletter at dearnina.substack.com
- Ask an anonymous question
- The live episode in Chicago was Ep. #160
- Join the Dear Nina Facebook Group
ALL THE DEAR NINA LINKS + CONTACT INFO
!! Catch up on all Dear Nina episodes on Apple and Spotify
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🎈 Celebrate your friend on the show by dedicating a week of episodes!
📱 Subscribe to my newsletter “Conversations About Friendship” on Substack