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Welcome to my imperfect email.
As always, every week, we’ll send a question that will help you reflect on your own imperfect life, inspired by this week’s episode.
1000 thank-you’s to Becky Lucas who hooked us up with the Little Drummer Girl for our annual holiday episode.
Little Drummer Girl has some vulnerabili-tea to spill, and she’s not holding back. It’s a Christmas scandal for the ages.
Merry everything, everyone.
Bell
Bell Northeast
what does Christmas time mean to you?
We'd love to hear your answer to this question. If you're in the mood to get vulnerable and share your writing, send it through.
A Christmas Scandal
With Little Drummer Girl
It’s time to spill some Vulnerabili-TEA.
It’s our annual holiday episode, and this year, with many thanks to comedian Becky Lucas, we welcome into the studio Little Drummer Girl.
Who has some, um, grievances to air.
Little Drummer Girl is taking us back in the space-time-continuum to re-write history, and let us in on the scandal which surrounds the infamous lyrics ‘pa rum pum pum pum’.
All ad revenue from this episode will be donated to Becky’s chosen charity of HeartKids, who do an incredible job providing lifelong support, resources, and advocacy to the 250,000 people impacted by childhood-onset heart disease.
As this episode is a little bit on the sillier side, there wasn’t as many helpful take-aways (unless you too are traveller of the space-time-continuum).
So instead, the team have shared their favourite episodes from 2025.
Josh
“it’s rare that you can point to a single moment that changed your life for the better …. ever rarer for it to be captured on audio and video”
Ryan
“because a) he’s one of my favourite people in the world, and b) I needed a reminder that it’s not all about me”
Hugh
“because of Mitch’s incredible courage”
Bridge
“I’ve never been more moved by someone so young, speaking so wisely about the topic of self harm. She’s thoughtful, considered and has insight that feels like it should have taken 3 lifetimes to gather. For anyone with teens or young people in their lives, this is a must listen”
George
“this episode made me feel closer to the whole team. I felt very privileged to be in the room that day and give everyone a big hug afterwards”
Bell
“a dream come true, and not only because I desperately want to be Hannah’s friend. As an eldest daughter, and someone who was constantly praised for being ‘responsible’ growing up, this episode really hit home”
Want to know what you value? Our very own psychologist, Dr Emily has created a simple guide to help you uncover your values.
And because we value you so much, we’re going to give it to you for free.*
*All you have to do is share this newsletter with just one other person.
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what does Christmas time mean to you?
Christmas time for me is about a big pile of presents family.
As a Northeast, I am exceedingly lucky to have a plethora of cool and creative cousins (no duds here), that I would sell my soul to spend time with.
Every second year is declared an ‘on’ year, and the Northeast’s, armed with crayfish, KK presents, a cricket ball and enough food to feed an army, descend upon a designated house to delight in each other’s company.
When I was younger, I would get so excited about spending this day with my cousins that I flat-out would not sleep the night before. The only solution to this predicament was the introduction of a cousin sleepover, where we all spent Christmas Eve night together on an array of mattresses and camp beds.
During an ‘off’ year, I spend Christmas day with my immediate family down the beach. The morning is slow, the afternoon is for dozing, and the activity of priority is a Christmas swim.
Christmas hasn’t always been an easy day for my family. My parents, somewhat messily, separated when I was 11, and for a few years there was a stressful timetable concocted for where my sister and I would wake up, where we would eat, and where we would sleep on Christmas night. There were grudges, miscommunications, and the subtle buying of love through presents (which I did not mind one bit the year I scored an iPod).
Overtime, my family has kintsugi-ed itself back together.
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery using a gold or silver glue, highlighting the scars and objects history instead of hiding it. It is suggested that the practice of kintsugi makes an object stronger than it was before it was broken.
This philosophy reflects where my family is at now, 15 years since, seemingly, breaking apart. The history is still there, the cracks still visible, however now filled with the golden glow of memories and moments which have since become the glue.
There will be pain points throughout the day. There are characters and topics my sister and I have learnt to avoid, certain memories which may make the other parent feel left out or take them back to a time when it was really tough to be civil.
Importantly, so, so importantly, there is an undeniable undercurrent of love which supersedes this and binds us all together.
I LOVE CHRISTMAS!
Producer Bell
This reflection is from me (Producer Bell), because I love this time of year so much and will take any excuse to write about it.
Always vulnerable responsibly.
Each year, we donate all ad revenue from our holiday episode to our guest’s chosen charity.
This year, Becky Lucas (on behalf of the Little Drummer Girl) has chosen HeartKids.
HeartKids holds a special place in Becky’s, well, heart, for the support they provided her family during the diagnosis and treatment of her son’s congenital heart condition.
HeartKids provides lifelong support for the 250,000 people affected by childhood-onset heart disease. This includes resources, advocacy, and both emotional and practical care for families caring for a loved one, or grieving the loss of their child.
We feel so honoured to be donating to HeartKids this year.
You can check out HeartKids below
Did this newsletter make you think of someone in particular?