What does it take for a friendship to last from sixth grade to midlife?

In this episode of Talking Smack 415, Jamie the Great and I we dive deep into the origin story of a forever friendship that belongs to Caryn and Jen and began at Brett Harte Elementary School in Cherry Hill, New Jersey — back when Guess jeans, first bras, and hours-long phone calls ruled the world.

This is a story about growing up together and navigating friendship into adulthood. And about choosing each other again and again over decades.

We talk about:

• Talking on the phone for hours (when life was innocent and drama meant who liked who)
• Playing Uno for hours and chatting on the swings ( a total stranger things moment)
• The time they stood up for themselves after a teacher called them “dirt bags”
• Getting their periods and figuring out how to use a tampon
• Admiration, loyalty, and the safety of a judgment-free zone
• A few “mean girl” moments (because high school…)
• Why this relationship remains one of the most important in their lives

Through middle school memories, teenage growing pains, and adult responsibilities, what has kept them bonded is something rare:
A total judgment-free zone.

This episode is for anyone who:

• Still talks to their elementary school best friend
• Wonders how to maintain long-term female friendships
• Believes women need lifelong friendships to thrive
• Is navigating midlife and reflecting on the people who shaped them

Because sometimes the most important love story in your life… isn’t romantic.
It’s your best friend from 6th grade.

Research shows that long-term female friendships improve mental health, longevity, and emotional resilience. But what does that look like in real life?

It looks like:

• Phone cords stretched across bedrooms
• Sharing secrets before you even know who you are
• Growing up without growing apart
• Choosing loyalty over ego
• Knowing someone has seen every version of you — and loves you anyway

This is nostalgia, vulnerability, laughter, and real talk about why female friendships are foundational — especially in midlife.

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February is here and in Talking Smack 415’s Energetic Forecast: Maia’s Take it’s a continuation.
We’re still moving through the energy of 2025 and carrying January with us… until things begin to shift mid-month, right in alignment with the Lunar New Year.

The energy of Feb is all about:
Presence

• Paying attention.
  Returning—again and again—to now.
• February asks us to deepen (or begin) a meditation or centering practice, because staying grounded isn’t automatic—it’s a practice. And it’s on us to keep coming back to center.

The tarot card pulled for the month is Adjustment—which symoblizes balance, equilibrium, and recalibration.

This is the first time that there were three animals:

• The Peacock — a Buddhist symbol of transforming poison into medicine, reminding us to alchemize the bad into good.
• The Bluebird
• The Blue Butterfly

And since they’re all blue—the color of the month is blue. Blue symbolizes spiritual and intellectual powers and it’s the color of the throat chakra. We need to be present his month and think before we speak.

We also share our words for the year, which we didn’t have in January.

• Jamie’s is Presence
• Debbie’s is Power
• Maia’s is Creativity

Listen, subscribe, share, rate, and review.

Share this episode with your friends and family who love to laugh. Subscribe to Talking Smack 415 and leave us a rating and review so more peeps can find us for laughter and friendship to feed your soul!

Happy New Year and welcome to Talking Smack 415’s 2026 Energetic Forecast: Maia’s Take.

We love that 2026 arrives with a very low tolerance for BS, and Jamie the Great, Maia, and I are already feeling it.

This year is all about shedding, cleansing, and letting go—of people, patterns, places, and habits that drain you instead of replenish you. Think of it as an energetic detox for your life.

Important timing note:
January 2026 acts as an extended transition month—a continuation of 2025. You’re being given a final window to release what no longer serves you. The true energetic new year doesn’t fully kick in until February 2026, and when it does? It’s clean. It’s fresh. It’s different.

Spirit Animal of the Year: The Frog
Frog energy represents cleansing, renewal, and rebirth. Water is medicine this year—whether that’s swimming, cold plunging, baths, or simply being near water. Anything that helps you wash it off matters.

Tarot Energy: The Fool
The first card up signals new beginnings, fresh starts, and bold leaps of faith. The Fool asks you to trust the jump—even before you can see the landing.

Color of the Year: Green
Green shows up everywhere—frog energy, spring energy, heart-chakra energy. And yes, even being green with envy holds wisdom this year. Envy can act as a compass, pointing you toward what your heart truly wants. Let it guide you—not consume you or bring you down.

Numerology Check-In
We’ve just completed a 9-year cycle. 2026 is a 1 year—the energy of initiation, leadership, and starting over. This year is going to feel totally different, which is kind of the point. We’re beginning again.

If you’re ready to release what’s not aligned, trust your heart as a GPS, and step into what’s next with clarity and courage—this forecast is your roadmap.

Tune in, scrub it off, and let 2026 be the year you meet the real you.

PS: Ten years ago, in 2016, I created an art installation called The Shedding. Apparently, the universe loves a long callback.

Share this episode with your friends and family who love to laugh. Subscribe to Talking Smack 415 and leave us a rating and review so more peeps can find us for laughter and friendship to feed your soul!