Doing It the Other Way

Cathi Hanauer is the New York Times bestselling author of three novels and two essay anthologies, including the 2002 bestseller "The Bitch in the House" and the follow-up, "The Bitch is Back," which was an NPR “Best Book” of 2016. She’s published articles, essays, and criticism in The New York Times, the Washington Post, Elle, O, Real Simple, and many other magazines, and is the founder, along with her husband, Dan Jones, of The New York Times “Modern Love” column. Cathi talks about her American mom Bette who got married at 20 and raised four children while making her controlling husband her priority. Cathi learned from Bette what she didn’t want in her marriage; that instead of seeking perfection, you can let things go and concentrate on your priorities; to not be selfish; and to strive towards patience, acceptance, and empathy for others. Cathi also learned that sometimes, you must use lies to protect yourself or your children. And finally, a huge lesson: children can’t fix their parents’ marriage. For more about Cathi and her work, please visit her website.  To contact Ana, to be a guest, or suggest a guest, please send your mail to: [email protected] For more about “Thank You, Mama" and to subscribe to the newsletter, please visit: http://www.thankyoumama.net To connect with Ana on social media: https://www.instagram.com/anatajder/ https://www.facebook.com/ana.tajder https://www.linkedin.com/in/anatajder/ https://twitter.com/tajder