This is self-work and I'm Dr. Margaret Rutherford.

At self-work, we'll discuss psychological and emotional issues common in today's world and what to do about them.

I'm Dr. Margaret and self-work is a podcast dedicated to you taking just a few minutes today for your own self-work.

Hi, this is Dr. Margaret Rutherford. I'm so glad that you're here with me today.

This is a special podcast. I won't be following the usual format

because this is all about an anniversary and gratitude. I'm a clinical psychologist I practice out of Fable Arkansas

and I started podcasting about a year ago but I began my blogging journey exactly five years ago today.

So here's my brothers in their wives.

On Sunday, it's the day a decade ago, when my mother died and then my father a week later. I've written about their lives and their deaths before.

My mom had died in the wool Southern lady all heels and hoes, not a hair out of place.

A woman who I rarely heard curse, but she would occasionally

say off to the side, and I can't say the word because I promise to do clean lyrics.

But I'd rather eat mmm than cook. I think you can probably fill in the blank.

My dad, a man who could tell a great joke, a man who loved his family and believed in giving back. We heard

stories about both of them after their deaths, stories of my mom making sure some

kid in my class felt valued, or my dad not charging anything for a service he

provided. They weren't saints. They had vulnerabilities. They did their best to love

us well. So this weekend it will be good to be with family. But this weekend

is also important for another reason. Five years ago today in fact on the fifth anniversary of my mother's death, I published

my first blog post. My son always has thought that picking that date was a bit odd, but I thought at the time and still do

that she'd find it interesting that I was going public with my

thoughts and experiences.

...