Summary
For our very first Side Quest, we sit down with our oldest son, James Kuykendall, a 23-year-old accountant in Charlotte, to talk about all things parenting. We dig into early memories, blended-family life, discipline, mischief, perfectionism, nervous systems, and what it’s like to grow up together as a family across distance, duty stations, and seasons.
There’s laughter and a whole lot of honesty about what we got wrong, what we learned, and how we try to do better now.
We also get into the joy of raising adult kids, social battery shutdowns, and why Christmas felt like pure magic when James was little.
Toward the end, James shares a beautiful definition of sonder—and we wrap with what we’re all watching, reading, and loving- links below.
Nick and I shared a mic on this one (thank you for your patience with the audio), and thank y’all for giving us grace as we pace energy and post when we can.
The case that Maggie couldn’t remember was the story of Phineas Cage.
What We’re Watching & Reading
James
* The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Maggie
* Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
* George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant
Nick
* Freethinkers by Susan Jacoby
* “Robert Ingersoll’s Eulogy for Walt Whitman”
Shared
Nugget of Wisdom
James’s closing wisdom:Sonder — the realization that every person you pass is living a life as vivid, complex, and important as your own.
Credits
* Produced by: Maggie Boxey
* Music by: Alex Gordon HiFi
* Listener supporters: Gina, John & Lydia, we love y’all.
* Support our dream of a mobile bookstore on Substack → [link]
* Follow us behind the scenes on IG: @outoftheboxeys
If you want to go deeper into our story:
* TEDx Talk: I Am One of the Millions Missing
* The 3 Things: A Practical Path to Collective Recovery by Maggie Boxey
