{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"262. Rituals, Family Stories & the Moments That Hold Us Together with Bruce Feiler","description":"Welcome back to the podcast! Today\u2019s conversation is one I\u2019ve been looking forward to for a long time. I\u2019m sitting down with bestselling author Bruce Feiler to talk about families, transitions, rituals, and the stories that shape us. I first came across Bruce\u2019s work years ago through his article The Stories That Bind Us, and it completely changed the way I thought about family culture and the role our stories play in our kids\u2019 lives. One of the things Bruce shares in this conversation is that strong families aren\u2019t strong because they avoid hardship\u2014they\u2019re strong because they know how to navigate it together. He talks about research showing that children who know more about their family history tend to have greater resilience and emotional well-being. Not because they think their family is perfect, but because they understand that every family goes through challenges, setbacks, loss, growth, and reinvention. I loved this reminder that one of the best things we can do for our kids is tell the truth about our stories in age-appropriate ways. Not hiding the hard parts, but helping them see that difficult seasons are part of life\u2014and that people can make it through them. We also spent a lot of time talking about rituals, which is the focus of Bruce\u2019s new book, A Time to Gather. Before this conversation, I think I mostly associated rituals with formal traditions or religious ceremonies. But Bruce reframed it in such a practical and meaningful way. He describes rituals as shared acts that help people feel connected and grounded during moments of change. And honestly, the more we talked, the more I realized how much families need this right now. In a world that moves fast and constantly pulls us in different directions, rituals create space to pause, gather, reflect, and reconnect. One of my favorite moments in the episode was when Bruce helped me think through creating a meaningful graduation ritual for my oldest son. As we talked about him preparing to leave home, I found myself emotional realizing that this season really is the end of a chapter for our family. And instead of just letting that moment pass by, Bruce showed how intentional gatherings and small symbolic acts can help families honor transitions in a way that feels memorable and grounding. This conversation reminded me that families don\u2019t need to do everything perfectly to create meaningful connection. Sometimes the most powerful things are also the simplest: gathering around a table, telling stories, asking good questions, celebrating milestones, or creating intentional moments during seasons of change. More than anything, this episode feels like an invitation to slow down and create space for togetherness\u2014because those moments are often the ones our families remember most. LINKS: All Links Family Brand!  stan.store\/familybrand familybrand.com\/quiz familybrand.com\/retreats.  Links For This Episode: Bruce's substack is at this link: https:\/\/brucefeiler.substack.com\/ Most recent post about his upcoming book release and some other exciting announcements: https:\/\/brucefeiler.substack.com\/p\/its-time-to-gather-watch-me-on-cnn A pre-order link for the book: https:\/\/greenlightbookstore.com\/book\/9780593656433   Episode Minute By Minute: 00:00 \u2013 Introducing Bruce Feiler and his work 02:00 \u2013 Bruce\u2019s journey from travel writer to family expert 04:00 \u2013 Why Bruce started studying families 06:00 \u2013 The modern challenges families face today 07:30 \u2013 Why parenting advice feels overwhelming 11:00 \u2013 The Stories That Bind Us explained 14:00 \u2013 Why family stories build resilient kids 16:00 \u2013 The \u201coscillating family narrative\u201d 18:00 \u2013 Why kids need to hear about family struggles 19:00 \u2013 The importance of extended family and community 22:00 \u2013 Family mission statements and values 24:00 \u2013 Bruce shares his family mission statement 26:00 \u2013 How family values shape everyday decisions 28:00 \u2013 Introducing Bruce\u2019s new book: A Time to Gather 30:00 \u2013 What rituals actually are (and aren\u2019t) 32:00 \u2013 Why rituals are disappearing in modern culture 33:30 \u2013 The rise of reinvented family rituals 36:00 \u2013 How rituals help with loneliness and transition 38:00 \u2013 Bruce shares a story about grief and gathering 41:00 \u2013 Melissa workshops a graduation ritual for her son 48:00 \u2013 Why rituals don\u2019t need permission or perfection 50:00 \u2013 Bruce\u2019s three most important pieces of family advice 52:00 \u2013 \u201cFamily is not the most important thing\u2014it\u2019s the only thing\u201d     ","author_name":"Family Brand: Take Back Your Family","author_url":"https:\/\/familybrand.com\/","html":"