Welcome to Dear Prudence. I'm your prudence, Janay Desmond Harris. This week we'll be

discussing how to respond when everyone thinks your toxic ex is brave and amazing. Where

to turn when your absentee dad has done psychedelics and forgiven himself a little too enthusiastically.

And what to do when you can't stop making bitchie comments to your dog? Here to help me

out is the writer and comedian Mae Piggins. She's the author of books including Tell Everyone

on this Train I Love Them, and Maeve in America, essays by a girl from somewhere else. She's

a panelist on NPR's Weight Weight Don't Tell Me, and co-host the weekly stand-up comedy

show Butterboy. Welcome Maeve, thank you for being here. Thank you so much for having me.

And of course I have to mention, you know, my mom, who likes to be called Prudence Senior,

she's one of your biggest fans, mostly based on Weight Weight Don't Tell Me, and when I told her you

were coming on the show, she sent me a text that said she's 41 and she's an Ares. Like she knows

everything about you. Yeah, she sent like a little like potted biography of me that I found so

funny and charming. Yeah, and a link to one of your comedy shows. Yeah, and she kind of like

directed you to a piece of my stand-up that's online. Yeah, she's kind of my high woman. I hope

that's okay, even though you're her daughter. We both love you. So say hi to Prudence Senior.

Hi Prudence Senior, and thanks for... Thanks for the invitation to Thanksgiving that I'm

pretty sure is coming up soon. We would absolutely love to have you believe me with you some buffers.

Before we get started, I want to ask you for a piece of unsolicited advice. So I wish I could

credit who said this, maybe you'll remember. This is not from me, okay? But it's something I heard

and it's go where you're wanted and it's something I always try and remember in every aspect

of my life. Even though I definitely like push myself and try new things and do things that are

difficult, ultimately I think going where you're wanted, whether that's in your career or your

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