"Neediness" has come up in plenty of episodes, but this is the first one dedicated to that loaded word. The episode was inspired by a letter from a listener--author, Sally Vardaman, who found herself reacting to my mom's story in episode #72 about her decision to end a friendship over what she called, "neediness." Sally's letter was so reflective and insightful that I asked her to come on the show.
We covered:
- feeling drained by a friend's needs.
- worrying you're overtaxing friends with your needs.
- eliminating the shame of having needs in the first place. We all have needs! They just rarely cannot be met by one particular friend.
MEET SALLY VARDAMAN
Sally Vardaman is a writer who believes in the power of stories to make us think, question our assumptions, and connect with each other despite our differences. She is the author of Shoot the Arrows, a new book of essays to her three teenage children on why honesty and self-reflection are the keys to a healthy and meaningful life. You can find more about her work at sallyvardaman.com. As well as on Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads.
The Books Sally has found helpful on the topic of neediness:
Sally wrote, "There are no quick fixes and we need all the education we can get. The great thing about books and learning is we always have the opportunity to understand ourselves better and change."
ALL THE DEAR NINA LINKS + CONTACT INFO
📢 This week’s fabulous sponsor + how to purchase ad space on Dear Nina
📱 Subscribe to my newsletter “Conversations About Friendship” on Substack
❤️ Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, the Dear Nina Facebook group
📪 Ask an anonymous friendship question
🔎 Want to work with me or need another link? That’s probably here.
Our sponsor this week: https://www.purewesson.com/
Advertising Inquiries:
https://redcircle.com/brands
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship