P-I-G Afterthoughts: The Strength to Stand, the Grace to Grow

In this special P-I-G Afterthoughts episode, Kellie and Erin circle back to reflect on their powerful conversation with Gini Thomas—whose story of love, loss, and resilience is still echoing in their hearts.

They unpack the layers of Gini’s journey: meeting the love of her life, surviving the accident that took him, navigating 24 surgeries and an eventual amputation, and ultimately becoming a fierce advocate for herself and others.

Along the way, The Sisters explore their own experiences with trauma, motherhood, faith, and the power of showing up for one another. From "Eeyore days" to gratitude lists, this honest and heartfelt conversation is a reminder that we all have the capacity to rise—and to carry legacy forward, even in our hardest seasons.

April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month—and this reflection continues the conversation with deep respect and gratitude for Gini and all who walk this path.

Resources & Links: 

• Connect with Gini Thomas at https://linktr.ee/ginithomas
• Celebrate April's Limb Loss & Limb Difference Awareness Month
• Learn more about & support The Limb Preservation Foundation

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to P-I-G Afterthoughts
• 5:20 Gini & Joe: A Love Story Built in the Kitchen
• 9:30 The Moment that Changed Everything
• 14:50 Choosing Life: Shock, Awareness, & the Will to Survive
• 21:15 Becoming Her Own Health Advocate
• 29:30 Patience in Gratitude: A Practice for Living
• 35:30 Sister Reflections on Trauma, Legacy & Healing
• 43:20 Closing Thoughts: What's Your P-I-G?

Transcript

The Sisters: Kellie & Erin: 0:06

Welcome to The P-I-G, where we explore life, love, loss and legacy through real conversations and meaningful stories, with purpose, intention and gratitude. We're your hosts. I'm Kellie, and I'm Erin. We're sisters, best friends, sometimes polar opposites, but always deeply connected by the life, love, loss and legacy of an incredible woman, our mother Marsha. Today we're doing something new: our very first P-I-G Afterthoughts.

The Sisters: Kellie & Erin: 0:33

These are reflective sister chats where we circle back after our a powerful guest conversation to unpack what stayed with us. Think of it as a time to process out loud, together, with you. If you listened to our last episode with Gini Thomas, you already know just how deeply it moved us. Gini story of loss, resilience, and quiet strength is one that doesn't leave your heart easily, and we've been thinking about it ever since. So we're taking time today to sit with that story, highlight the moments that struck us most, and share how it's changed the way we think about love, grief, healing and showing up for others, and ourselves. We hope it inspires you to reflect too, and maybe even share your own thoughts with us after the episode. For now, settle in, take a deep breath and let's dive into our PIG Afterthoughts.

Kellie: 1:41

Well, hello, Sister! It's so good to see you and be back for episode number seven.

Erin: 1:52

Hi, Sister! It's so good to be here with you today too, and I am really looking forward to our very first PIG Afterthoughts and reflecting on our incredible interview with Gini Thomas.

Kellie: 2:00

Yeah, that episode-- Still Here, Still Standing--well, all of our episodes, have been absolutely amazing to me; the stories that we've heard, the journeys that have been told and shared, but Gini specifically, could have easily been three or four individual episodes. So, as we unpack our afterthoughts today around the multiple layers of the losses she experienced so early in her life, I really hope our listeners, if they haven't already, will go back and listen to her full story in detail. And, in celebration and awareness of Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month, which is the month of April, we thought that this would be a really great way to continue to highlight a key aspect of her journey.

Erin: 2:54

Yeah, definitely. I think that the timing is perfect for us to continue to reflect not only on Gini story but to draw awareness to Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness month.

Erin: 3:05

And, like you said, this could have been so many different episodes because, yes, she did lose her leg in an accident, but that same accident claimed the life of her husband. She's also experienced the loss of her mom like we have... she's had a lot of life experience in her short 40-year life.

Kellie: 3:25

Well, she certainly has.

Kellie: 3:27

What really struck me were the themes of that specific episode, which are the themes really of all The P-I-G episodes, right, around life love, loss and legacy that the concepts are really endless. But when we think about Gini's ability to find gratitude in even the darkest moments, that's a really key aspect that stuck out for me, especially with her mom. And we know gratitude well-- it's part of our P-I-G: purpose intention and gratitude-- but that was really a defining part of the episode and something that I've really been reflecting a lot on over the last week or so since we chatted with her. But also resilience, her faith, her healing journey, her honesty about how raw and real that has been for her, and that's something you and I talk about all the time too, and it'll be fun to explore these themes today in our afterthoughts as we not only reflect on Gini story, but also on our own.

Erin: 4:35

Yeah, I completely agree with that. A nd that attitude of gratitude is something we have talked a lot about over the years and something that Gini embodies completely. It's so inspiring, her ability to find the good in all things. In her life, with everything that she has faced, it is really remarkable. A nd that same message really came through in, you know, our interview with my friend Wendy and her loss and, like you said, it's come across and it's been a recurring theme in all of our episodes. But no question that Gini' s is a very inspiring story.

Kellie: 5:29

So let's start at the beginning of her story, which is the accident in August of 2012. It was exactly 17 months to the day that she had married the love of her life, Joe. Their story of how they met was so sweet and fun. She took this extra course for college and wound up participating in theater and acting (something that was so far out of her comfort zone), was scantily clothed sitting at the bar, and the air conditioner was blowing. A nd Joe was in the band and he came over and chatted with her and the rest was history. I loved the story of how they met and their instant connection. She was supposed to fly out the next day to go visit her (then) boyfriend, they both wound up breaking up with their other people, and they entered into a relationship that just sounds like it was so beautiful, so loving and so connected, which is something that both you and I really value and treasure, and so starting there seems to me like such a meaningful place to begin our afterthoughts with Gini story.

Erin: 6:40

Yeah, I completely agree.

Erin: 6:42

There were several things that she talked about in that story about their meeting that, yes, is so sweet. And I really want our listeners to go back and listen, but to speak for myself (and I know you echo this as things we both really value in our own current relationships), that was really great. You know, they really built their relationship in the kitchen, around food, which I know is something that you and Marcus do and value, and that's something that Jason and I do and value, and so it was really fun to hear about that. It was also really fun for me, and I did not know this before our interview, that Joe was almost 20 years older than her. I love that she shared that and I have giggled several times thinking back on the fact that there just was a one week difference-- he was 19 years and 51 weeks older than her, and so there's a one week where he was 19 years older than her, not 20.

Erin: 7:59

And that's the time that she was going to tell her parents about their relationship, because she thought 19 years sounded better than 20. So, yeah, just it's a fun story. I t's a beautiful love story, and their relationship did have a really strong foundation, and it was built on love and honesty... just really, really beautiful from the get go.

Kellie: 8:31

Yeah, it is truly one of those authentic love stories. It's so funny you brought up the 19 years and 51 weeks because I was going to echo your thoughts with "uh-uh, that wasn't quite 20 years, they had that one week. And that's what's going to make it okay for mom and dad. It makes the concept of having lost that love and I'm so happy that they dated and celebrated their love and built their relationship over a few years. But that accident happened 17 months to the day and that really is standout in the sense that they were just beginning their journey together.

Kellie: 9:03

It makes me think about my relationship with Marcus (and if people want to get to know Marcus and Jason, number one, they can keep listening to the podcast because we're going to have many more conversations with both of those amazing men, but they can go back and listen to episodes two and three, which is a two-part series where we talk with them very openly and honestly about their experiences with life, love, loss and the legacy that they desire to leave as partners, fathers and leaders; such a beautiful conversation). And I was thinking about the cooking and building relationships around food and having you and Jason here late last year and how much fun the four of us had in the kitchen.

Erin: 9:49

Yeah

Kellie: 9:49

In fact, Marcus and I were just watching ( we love cooking shows, which probably comes as no surprise... n ature shows and cooking shows!), but last night we were watching Chef's Table-- and if you've never seen it, I really encourage you to watch it and our listeners, especially if you like cooking shows at all; go to Netflix (h ere's my plug!) and watch every episode you can of Chef's Table. We watch them over and over and over and over again.

Kellie: 10:16

Last night's episode was a woman who was from Savannah, Georgia, as a little (which is, I know, a place that you and Jason have visited) and the culinary and Epicurean culture that is so steeped in Southern cooking. She moved to New York and was going to live there forever and she wound up getting into food and becoming a chef, and she was talking about the roots of her childhood in the South and she had no idea how she was going to become a chef in fine dining to the level that she wanted to... until she tapped back into the roots of her family's history in the South. And she had this opportunity to become a partner in a restaurant that happened to be opening in Savannah, Georgia, and so the path that got laid out for her to explore this love she had for Southern cooking. Anyhow, the rest is history as she's a very famous chef now. B ut one of the things she said is that, if you want to get to know people and the heart of who they really are, you do it around the table with food.

Erin: 11:30

It's true, it bonds people. You know, and you think about it, like so often in my life before Jason right, if I wanted to socialize or, you know, meet with a friend or whatever it was... you go out to eat, you go out to happy hour, you know? And I don't know if that's a world thing, you know, or if it's a humanity thing, but it's definitely a cultural thing here. It's a bonding experience. And it'd be interesting to maybe even have a deeper conversation at some point around that. You know, Jason and I's first date... we went out to dinner, you know, because that's what you do and you sit and you eat and you talk and you get to know people. But there is something really magical about having that experience in your own home, in your own kitchen, with the people that you love. You know, whether it's a partner, or your children.

Erin: 12:30

I love being in the kitchen with my kids and rubbing elbows with them, you know, and creating stuff. My oldest son, Weston, who's 20, has become a great cook. He loves to cook and so that's, you know, something that's developing in our mother- son relationship and it's just a bonding experience, no matter who you're doing it with. So I love it.

Kellie: 12:55

And I don't want to get too far off G ini and make this all about us, but I do want to piggyback off that ( pun intended!) because, you know, Marcus and I building our relationship around food, just like you and Jason have built yours, and you keep going out for Monday night date nights, which I completely love, and I think it's such a great example. I love that all of our children have this passion and desire for playing with food, exploring food, cooking together. Lily and Marcos have fun with us; we text pictures back and forth of what we're making and, as you know, we have a family recipes cookbook that is now in and will be a part of our families forever, and so I love that.

Kellie: 13:43

Gini and Joe built their relationship around food, and she was so honest and said "it wasn't that either one of us were any good at it right, he did the entrees and I did the desserts, but still, that's where we came together, that's where we fell in love, that's where we got to know each other and that's where we had those really special, sacred moments. So, if we fast forward to that accident in August of 2012, what really struck me about that day was it was just a normal, average, everyday day. They had to go to Home Depot to buy an industrial snake because the tree roots kept getting caught in their pipes. I mean, which of us, on a Saturday, hasn't had to dive into chores and get delayed because we had to attend to things that needed to get done before we went and did what we were planning to do, which, for them, was going to visit his mother an hour out of town? The other thing that really struck me was and we know this anytime you do anything, everything has to fall perfectly in place for anything to happen in any one given moment of time and how far back that rolls is really unbelievable. So the fact that they got T-boned by a car that ran a stop sign after they'd done all these chores, finally gotten on the motorcycle, decided to take the safe route instead of the highway route, which should have been the safe route, and then, in a split second, life changed forever.

Kellie: 15:31

Yeah, understanding immediately that she was in shock but she was alive, knowing immediately, looking at Joe, that he was not, and even though she didn't say it, I had the very distinct understanding, as she explained that moment, that she made a conscious decision to live.

Erin: 15:58

Yeah, I agree completely. It's a really powerful story to listen to and, you know, she talks about how she knew she must have been in shock because she didn't feel any pain. But she looked down and was having thoughts about, "oh, my bone looks really yellow. I didn't know bones were that yellow, you know, and her leg was completely shattered. And to have the thoughts that she did about I need to give people information, because I'm probably going to pass out and you know, to be in that shock and to not be experiencing pain in that moment and, like you said, for her to have a pretty good understanding in a moment of her status, joe's status, you know.

Erin: 16:45

And then the paramedics and everything arrived and as they were taking her away, she talks about how they clicked her into that ambulance and that's when everything shifted and she started experiencing pain and, you know, she was unconscious for about a week and when she woke up about a week later she had already had three surgeries on her leg. We don't talk about this actually in the episode, but I learned this about her when I had had dinner with her the week before was that they didn't-- they being her family and the people around her, her doctors-- they didn't want her to wake up to find out that she had lost her husband and lost her leg. They didn't realize that she was already aware of that. She had already been aware that she had lost Joe and, I think, was anticipating the fact that she would lose her leg. She had those conscious thoughts before then. She was basically in a medically induced coma for a week, and so they performed a lot of their limb salvage surgeries in hopes that they could do that so that she wouldn't wake up to multiple losses. So they thought they were basically doing her a favor, but not understanding the level of awareness that she had already had about the situation, which I thought was really fascinating as well.

Kellie: 18:11

I have to tell you, as the mother-- bonus mom-- of a child, and Gini was in her mid-ish 20s... w asn't she like 25 or 26 roughly, when that accident? somewhere right in there when that accident happened?

Erin: 18:28

I think 27.

Kellie: 18:29

That sounds about right. We have a daughter who was in a near tragic head-on collision with a Ford F-250 in the fall of 2018. S he was 17 years old and that is every parent's worst nightmare, right, that telephone call, or that discovery... which you know,

Kellie: 18:49

We're exploring our own family and our own stories and our own connection to The Boxes, which-- if listeners don't know what that is, go back and listen to episode one so you can get all caught up on who we are and where we're going with this podcast--b ut today we are recording on Good Friday, and on Good Friday, April 17th, which was yesterday, in 1981 ( and we're going to talk about this again on some future episodes with our dad and also as we talk about loss through the decades that we've been alive). Today marks 44 years since our sister, Laurie, died in a car accident with her two best friends. So it is a little timely that we're having all of these conversations and today's Afterthoughts episode-- not just reflecting on Gini journey and story, but it's also really spurred in me a lot of thoughts around Savannah's accident and what happened around that time.

Kellie: 19:55

She had to be cut out of that car with Jaws for Life. She had to be airlifted to the hospital, and it took months and months and months to help her recover. She has a rod in her femur; w e were lucky to be able to keep her leg. She also broke nearly every single bone in her face; s he had a full frontal Le Fort fracture. So, multiple surgeries. And how individuals come through accidents like that. Unfortunately, Laurie and her two best friends back in 1981 did not survive their accident; i t was tragic, it was deadly, and it was on Easter weekend. I mean, it's kind of a triple whammy for that one.

Kellie: 20:36

But one of the things that really struck me with Gini is her immediate question to the doctor that day that she got off her trach and her ventilator and she was conscious after she and her mom had shared the moment about yes, Joe is gone, and they cried together and had, though that moment that you know, had to be so special for the two of them, especially knowing that Gini then later loses her mom to her kidney disease and to dementia. So there was kind of compounding loss there. But her first question to the doctor was, "do you think this leg will really work again? Like I saw that leg when I was on scene at the accident and that memory of this leg is really broken, and broken badly, and what I heard from her was kind of deciding to go along with all the limb salvages for the multiple years that they did that, even knowing that the chances of getting that limb, that leg, back to full use was maybe 60% at the most. But it seemed to me that she had this conscious awareness and started that grief process of okay, I'm grieving my husband, I've got to put that in this bucket. My leg is in a totally different bucket, which is over here. But it seemed to me that she was starting that grief process even long before they decided to amputate above the knee and then subsequent surgeries kept cutting off more and cutting off more and cutting off more because of all the problems she was having and eventually being able to get to that bone implant surgery that she was luckily a great candidate for?

Erin: 22:25

Yeah, absolutely. And I know I keep coming back to it, but it's the strength. I t's her strength through it all. And I know we'll probably talk about this as we go in this episode and recap, but the questions that she asked from day one and the path that she had to go down to really become her own number one advocate for what she needed and wanted in terms of health care.

Erin: 22:53

We talk about how these incidents, the trauma, these life-altering moments impact us forever, or and how they impact us, and there are so many things that I've thought about since that episode that have caused me to pause and reflect on some of my own moments with different, varying levels of trauma, I should say, you know, in my life and and how I've responded to those and the lessons that I've learned and what that has taught me, and drawing some awareness to that so that I can stop and pause and reflect and sit with things and then realize then, where do I go next based on that? You know, where am I going to let these thoughts take me and you know so much of it is a choice on how we react or respond to these life circumstances.

Kellie: 23:51

And trauma, too, is an interesting concept because, depending on who we are hardwired to be, who we're created to be as human beings. We all respond a little bit differently. We have different behaviors, we have different EQ, we have different priorities, we have different passions, we see the world through different lenses of perception. But what's really cool to me is that, like any skill, we can develop our perception in how we view things and then how we process and either internalize-- or not internalize-- that experience and then choose to do something with it.

Kellie: 24:37

Personally, I have always been an advocate for taking traumatic experiences-- the shit that hits the fan that happens all throughout our lives and living-- and taking whatever goodness and greatness out of that I possibly can to learn something and then pay that forward to create some kind of positive ripple effect in the world. That is WAY easier said than done.

Erin: 25:04

Yes, it is!

Kellie: 25:06

And I have been through some experiences, and so have you, and we've walked that path. Let's go back to Savannah, for example. In her car accident, you know, that trauma was followed by a couple of cancer diagnoses, a major physically- alterating surgery, and this young woman, at 23 years old, is taking life by storm. It doesn't mean that it's easy, right, and every day you have to get up and look at yourself in the mirror and say, "I'm going to choose to do something great with my life and with my experiences. Today, again, that is sometimes easier said than done. I've had to do it with traumas in my life.

Kellie: 25:54

In fact, the last five to eight years have seemed to be kind of these layering experiences that pile on top of each other, and that can be really taxing on our parasympathetic nervous system, our health and wellness and well-being; i t can instigate some anxiety, or some panic, and it's the process of staying connected to other human beings-- in my opinion-- having a safe environment where you can speak to how you're feeling authentically ( which is where I really look forward to having some incredible experts on with us to help people understand how, in those moments, you can tap into this unbelievable human strength). But first you have to have confidence and belief that it actually exists, to find it within you and then use that as a stepping stone to maybe even just the next minute or the next day. What I heard so beautifully in Gini's story was how she and her mom allowed grief and gratitude to coexist.

Erin: 27:12

Yes

Kellie: 27:13

And when she was being Eeyore, as she said in the episode, her mom would say to her (and her mom's 77th birthday was just last week, which is so fun, because our mom would be 77 now too!)...

Kellie: 27:31

her mom would encourage her, or engage her, in a reflective gratitude practice by saying, "you've told me everything bad, now tell me something good. And when Gini had nothing to share, her mom would start. And then she even said in the episode I still practice that today. And then and now. The list would just keep snowballing forward, and pretty soon. How can you argue with everything that's great, from sleeping in a warm, comfy bed, to having hot water, to take a shower, to a great medical team, to food on the table, to a roof over our heads? I mean, gratitude is everywhere, all around us, in every moment, if we're willing to see it and embrace it.

Erin: 28:22

Yes, I completely agree. And I love that you brought that up. I was going to mention the same, that that gratitude practice that Gini shared was so impactful and, speaking to what you just said, it is way easier said than done.

Erin: 28:42

So many times and so often when we're in the thick of it, life is just ick, whatever that is, we can't see it for ourselves, right? We get into this victim mentality. This woe is me. I was doing this yesterday: I can't do anything right, my life sucks. And it was Jason, who let me vent and listened and held my hand and was like, Okay, that's not all true, and you have this and you have this and you're doing this well, and this is great, you know. And so, so often it takes somebody else coming alongside us, picking us up when we're down, reminding us of the goodness and believing it, sometimes more for us, or believing it for us and speaking it into our lives until we can see it and recognize it and believe it for ourselves. I'm doing much better based on that, but it's true.

Erin: 29:49

And so one of the things that, when Gini was talking about that and even now reflecting on it in this conversation, it causes me to pause and feel gratitude for the people in my life: you, Jason, others who come alongside me when I need it. But then it also reminds me to be aware of the people around me and what other people are going through, so that I can be that person and to pay it forward, because I know how valuable that is and how critically important it is to have those people around you and I want to be that. I want to be that support for somebody in the moment that they need it, whatever that looks like. And so it has caused me to reflect and remind myself to just not have my blinders on all the time and to be really aware and to listen when people are talking so that you can really understand where somebody's at and offer just a small glimmer of hope when somebody feels really hopeless.

Kellie: 30:56

I love everything that you just said, and when you were talking-- authentically and openly, thank you-- about your experience yesterday, and that moment that you were sharing with Jason, I could literally feel physically in my body the shift in what it feels like when you're caught in negativity, and Eeyore-ism, and woe is me. And then you have that person with you and-- if you are open to it and allow all of that goodness and positivity and kind of calling you out on your bullshit a little bit-- physically everything changes. In addition to everything changing internally, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Can you describe how that felt?

Erin: 31:48

Oh, it's a roller coaster.

Erin: 31:51

Well, I think, when you recognize it for what it is and when you can accept the gift that is offered to you, because that's really what it is-- and we can have a deeper conversation around this; it's reminding me of your story with compliments, and I would really like you to share that-- because I think that sometimes even something that's seemingly small, like where I was at yesterday-- just in my own just life, right, lots of shit going on, feeling overwhelmed by all the things work, kids, relationships, all of it and feeling like I'm drowning, right, and feeling like I'm not doing anything well, and just kind of half-assing a lot of things in my life, which may or may not be true, but that's how I felt in the moment. And so, to have somebody who listens to that and then offers some reassurance, who, for me, in that moment, it was feeling first and foremost like I had somebody who was really listening to me, right? Who was actually listening to where I was really at and how I was really beating myself up about that, and there is something for me that's powerful in verbalizing that, like I just need to vent, I just need to communicate... I just need to get it out. And I don't journal. It's not a practice that I'm good at. I always think that I want to do it, but I fail miserably because I don't love to write it. I want to talk about it. That's how I process.

Erin: 33:30

And so, to answer your question, when I was given the gift of somebody listening to me, and then given another gift of somebody-- very gently, and that's what my personality needs, right? (So there are likely listeners out there who are like, Oh no, I need it in a different way, or give it to me straight!) But I just I need a gentle, soft landing. And so when I was given the gift of somebody gently reminding me of where my thoughts are incorrect or inconsistent, and then also offering me those reminders-- just like Gini's mom did-- of Okay, but tell me something good, and saying to me, I understand that that's how you feel and that that's how you're seeing things, but this is what I see in you and this is the goodness that I see in your life and in your practices, daily habits, you know, all of the things. It doesn't mean that there's not areas of growth, because I got a lot of room to grow, but it was so comforting and refreshing to just hear somebody else's perspective and to hear what somebody else thinks about the situation or how somebody else sees you, because we are our biggest critics. And how I see myself is not always healthy, right? I don't always look at myself in a positive light because I'm really critical of myself. I think most of us fall into that category, and so it's pretty incredible when somebody points out the good things.

Kellie: 35:24

That's really powerful. And it also allows us to get back to that place of neutrality.

Kellie: 35:30

I know for me, when I get into my Eeyore moments-- and I'm going to steal that one from Gini because I just loved it so much-- as you were talking about all of that, I had this feeling of, if we can just get back to a place of neutrality. It's not that we have to go from awful to great, but if we can go from the world is falling apart and I'm falling off with it to wait a minute: I have both of my legs, I have my sight, I have all of my senses, I have somebody who loves me, I've got an amazing sister. I have three incredible children. Now I'm Kiki. I have a grandbaby, beautiful granddaughter, rain how bad is life really? I even found myself between our episode with Gini and our afterthoughts today.

Kellie: 36:22

I've had a couple of experiences that have taken me down Eeyore's road and I've actually thought about Gini and I've thought about how she chose life, how she chose gratitude, how she chose to be in control as her own advocate for her own health and well-being, no matter how long the journey was going to be, and that eventually she chose love again. And I found the story to be so incredibly inspiring. I also have thought back to the conversation with Chris, and with Jason, and with Marcus... and with Wendy and being a mom and thinking about having my daughter abducted from my (or our) front yard and murdered in the way that Lacy was. You know we're having really important conversations here that are not only having an impact on my life and, I know, on the lives of our listeners, but my hope is that people walk away from these stories feeling, knowing and believing that grief is not linear. It's different for everybody. You can go through it in your own way, at your own pace, in your own timeframe, but the reality is you are gifted with this life. You are here on purpose. Human nature is to be resilient and to stand tall, and we all have gifts to offer this world in this lifetime. And sometimes, like you said, we're our own worst critic. We have a hard time looking in the mirror at our own selves. But if we're living a life of authenticity, integrity, and love is at the core of what we do, then I truly believe that we can evolve in the face of loss and that we can live on purpose, with legacy while we're here, and then what we leave behind is just cherries on top.

Erin: 38:28

Yeah, gosh, it is so awesome to hear you talk about all of those things and the perspective.

Erin: 38:37

And yeah, going back to Gini and her journey, to know her today-- you know we didn't know her then-- I can't imagine how proud her dad is. Her brothers. She's the middle child; she has an older brother and a younger brother. Her younger brother actually has Down syndrome and sounds like like such a joy. I really want to meet Will.

Kellie: 38:59

We should have Will on The P-I-G with us!

Erin: 39:01

That'd be awesome.

Kellie: 39:03

Right, Will and Gini together...

Erin: 39:05

That would be a lot of fun. But, because I'm so proud of her, right? Like, just hearing her story and knowing where she was and what she's done and how far she's come, and now that she is fully immersed herself in this world and she's an ambassador for these companies, these prosthetic companies, for Ottobock and Integrum, and she travels, and speaks, and encourages other people, and is a patient advocate. And I learned so much from her about the world of amputees and prosthetics, and even the information that she shared about what insurance companies do and do not cover in that conversation. And so, I love that. Now I have an awareness that I'd never had before about limb loss and limb difference, and it makes me so excited to continue to have these conversations and to continue to share this information with listeners, because she's now opened my eyes and helped me have a different perspective on something.

Erin: 40:12

And going back to, if we would just listen to the people around us and there's so much opportunity in front of us to really impact other people's lives yeah, in a really profound way.

Kellie: 40:24

Yes. Erin, if you had to pick one thing that you would want listeners to take away from Gini's episode, what would it be?

Erin: 40:31

I think it would actually be that practice of gratitude, that daily gratitude practice. That was really powerful. I'm very well versed in this "attitude of gratitude that I mentioned, you know, before, but it's easy to lose sight of kind of the daily things that we have in our lives that we really need to be grateful for, and there are so many lessons that I could touch on from that episode. It was just at every twist and turn there was a little nugget of awesomeness that Gini had to offer up and so I walked away from that conversation with so many things and I really do want to encourage our listeners to go back and listen to that episode, and every episode for that matter, because those things come across in every conversation that we have.

Erin: 41:21

But if I had to choose one thing, it would be that practice. How about you?

Kellie: 41:28

For me it was along the same lines, but it came when we asked Gini what her P-I-G was. O ur P-I-G, for even doing this podcast and why we named it The P-I-G (beyond our mom collecting pigs her whole life and being born in the year of the pig), was purpose, intention and gratitude. And when Gini said patience and gratitude, and then it ended with Patience In Gratitude, to me, if our listeners could understand that-- whatever it is you're going through right now, whatever loss is in front of you whether that is a part of yourself, a relationship, a career, your finances, a loved one relationship, a career, your finances, a loved one-- patience will get you through it and to the other side. A nd while you are being patient, if you can practice gratitude, to me, those two have an exponential and compounding effect on the human spirit. A nd so, that's what I hope listeners walk away with... a belief that they, like Gini, can overcome anything and be better and stronger on the other side.

Erin: 42:45

That's really beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. I completely agree. Patience In Gratitude is a profound P-I-G!

Kellie: 42:58

So, as we close today's P-I-G Afterthoughts, I want to encourage our listeners to reflect on what their P-I-G is. A nd this is where it gets a lot of fun. It is perfectly okay if your P-I-G is pizza, ice cream and green grapes, or...

Erin: 43:13

Haha. That is okay, that's a good P-I-G!

Kellie: 43:14

Or, Pesky. That was a great word that came up in Gini's episode several times. So pesky, interesting and goofy, like that could be your P-I-G. It doesn't have to be sappy and emotional, although sappy and emotional P-I-G's are great, but that's what this conversation, that's what this podcast, and that's what these episodes are all about. So, listeners, What is your P-I-G? And we want to hear from you! Let us know what you think. In the meantime, we really encourage you again to go back and listen to the early episodes, to connect with Gini Thomas online (w e've got all of her contact information in our show notes from episode six and again in this one). We also want to hear your afterthoughts, of course, and we do want to remind you that April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month, and we want you to look into Gini and what she's doing to support limb loss and limb difference, and also as an ambassador with Ottobock and Integrum.

Kellie: 44:21

Last but not least, Erin, my favorite times of my week, outside of cooking with Marcus in the kitchen and hearing from or hanging out with my children and my grandbaby, is doing this podcast with you. Thank you for being such a bright, shining light in my life. Thank you for your authenticity, your honesty, your raw vulnerability and thank you for being on this journey with me. I absolutely love you.

Erin: 44:45

I love you too. It is a privilege to be able to do this with you. I'm so grateful for you and this adventure, and the many projects that we're working on together. And you know, our P-I-G is purpose, intention and gratitude-- and while it's the driving force behind this podcast--it's also a driving force for both of us in our individual lives. We talked so much today about gratitude in particular, and I will forever be grateful that you are my big sister and that we get to do this together, and I'm really happy that we now have a bunch of listeners along for the ride as well...

Kellie: 45:27

Well, I look forward to seeing you in the next episode. And don't beat up on yourself... because you're awesome!

Erin: 45:33

I will do my best. Ha. Remember the old Saturday Night Live...

Erin: 45:38

I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and doggone it,

The Sisters: Kellie & Erin: 45:42

People like me! (laughing)

Erin: 45:45

Hilarious, oh my gosh...

Kellie: 45:46

That's great.

Kellie: 45:49

If this reflection resonated with you, we'd love to hear your afterthoughts. What stuck with you, what made you pause? What made you feel seen? After all, hearing the stories of others helps us create a more meaningful connection to our own.

Erin: 46:04

And if you haven't yet listened to Gini's full till Here, Still Standing (in episode six)-- trust us, it's worth every moment. We encourage you to share today's or any episode with a friend. Tag us on social media or join the conversation in our growing communities. You can also visit thePIGpodcast. com for more ways to connect.

Kellie: 46:25

Finally, we would not be here without you. To help us continue growing and expanding our reach, please rate The P-I-G, leave a review, and reach out if you have a story you'd like featured on a future episode.

Erin: 46:39

Thanks for being part of this journey with us. Until next time, hogs and kisses everyone!