How a $100 Bet Saved Our Relationship

Modern Love

The New York Times

Society & Culture, Nyt, Nytimes, Loss, Redemption, Storytelling, New York Times, Love, Essay

4.3 • 9K Ratings

🗓️ 22 March 2023

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Mark Jason Williams and his mom often butted heads on two issues: She was uncomfortable when he brought up anything about being gay, and he was tired of her incessantly talking about how he survived childhood cancer. By the age of 40, Mark had reached his wit’s end. He stopped pleading for her to change and instead proposed a $100 bet. But the real change in their relationship came when Mark broke his end of the bargain. Today, Mark and his mother, Betty Williams, tell their story. Modern Love listeners, we want to hear from you! We’re conducting a brief survey of the podcast, and we would love your feedback. Visit nytimes.com/modernlovesurvey to access the survey.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From the New York Times, I'm Anna Martin.
0:16.0	Today, we have a story about how our closest relationships can slowly grow apart.
0:21.0	It starts with little moments where you say the wrong thing or you're not listening closely,
0:26.0	and this distance creeps in.
0:29.0	And then one day, you're sitting across from the mid-dinner and they feel so far away,
0:34.0	and you're thinking, how do we get here?
0:37.0	Mark Jason Williams wrote an essay about his relationship with his mom, Betty.
0:41.0	Mark was very sick as a kid.
0:43.0	He went through painful medical procedures and long hospital stays,
0:47.0	and his mom was there for all of it.
0:49.0	They became inseparable.
0:51.0	But his mark got older that distance crept in.
0:55.0	Until finally, he couldn't take it anymore.
0:58.0	So he did something about it that raised the stakes of their relationship.
1:03.0	This is Modern Love.
1:11.0	Mark Jason Williams, welcome to Modern Love.
1:14.0	Thank you. It's an honor and a privilege to be here.
1:16.0	So you wrote an essay about your relationship with your mom.
1:20.0	Can you read the beginning for me?
1:22.0	Sure thing.
1:25.0	Why aren't you eating?
1:27.0	My mother said to me.
	...

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