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| Marla & Dave Thomas |
MS: After 34 years of marriage, how do you maintain a healthy relationship?
DAVE: Our friendship is the foundation of our marriage.
MARLA: Occasionally, when we forget about the friendship, a good brisk tennis/pickleball match resets things.
MS: Did you have any inkling when you met in the second grade that you would be together?
MARLA: Do ducks breed with pigeons? When we met, we despised each other! I was new to the elementary school he was already attending. I had a super short afro, so he kept referring to me as a boy. I had to wait for puberty to set the record straight.
MS: Were there relationship stresses that came from your role in the 10x Grammy Award-winning Take 6?
DAVE: Obviously! Take 6 has always been a world wide touring group. In the early days of our career, we would easily tour 250 days of the year. That has continued. Pre-pandemic, we toured at least 150 days a year. That much time away from home puts a tremendous strain on any relationship.
MS: What were the relationship stresses that may have come from building your business as a celebrity realtor?
MARLA: Every career endeavor that I undertake has the same set of challenges. Balancing the ongoing crisis of our adult children who suffer from varying mental health diagnosis, maintaining the function of our life and finances, all while occasionally taking time out to play with Dave on the road.
MS: During such a long marriage, you've undoubtedly gone through ups and downs - how have you weathered those moments together?
MARLA: I would venture to say that intermittent distance has worked well for us both. Time apart for our personality types gives us both time to regroup and be reminded about the reason we chose to make this crazy “forever” commitment to each other.
MS: How did your mental health advocacy come about?
MARLA: Our story is a very public one. We are the parents of 3 children who now range in ages are 34-32-29. The two oldest have struggled with various issues throughout their life. It wasn’t until the two oldest were young adults and experienced various serious mental health crises did we discover the source of their issues. As most parents would do, we kicked into gear to find solutions to “fix” their problems. Once we understood that their diagnosis would mean a lifetime of management, but never a cure, our foundation “Loving Beyond Reason” was born.
DAVE: We are determined to both erase the stigma surrounding mental illness and to help other families that make the decision to care for their loved ones, who suffer with brain differences beyond what seems to be, find solutions.
MS: What do hope to accomplish via your podcast Mental Health Mondays with Marla and Dave?
MARLA: MHM Podcast is on air for one reason, “to be a bridge that everyone can cross to be free of the stigma attached to brain/personality differences, by sharing personal stories and information”. It is our core belief that transparency is transforming. We have an open platform that welcomes people from all walks of life to bring their personal stories of pain and purpose to a protected platform.
MS: And what is the mission of your Loving Beyond Reason foundation?
DAVE: LBR is on a mission to provide services and education to families with loved ones who suffer with mental health challenges. Now that we have first hand experience about all the cracks that prohibit treatment and recovery, we intend to help others navigate more effectively to help their adult loved ones who suffer.
MS: What message are you sending to Marla on this Valentine's Day?
DAVE: Many people can talk about love, with all that means, but when you and I say “I love you”, it comes with a lifetime of experiences. I wouldn’t - couldn’t - choose anyone else to spend my life with other than you. I love you!
MS: What message do you for Dave on this Valentine's Day?
MARLA: Don’t ever get it twisted. Sometimes I want to knock your block off, but then I stop and realize how much that would cost us in medical bills. So, I remind myself that you are my best friend, and how much I love you. Seriously, despite our challenges in this life, there is no better human that I have encountered, and there is the added bonus that I get to spend my whole life with my best friend (well…whatever’s left of it). I Love because you’re you. Never change!
Follow Dave and Marla on Social Media:
www.Facebook.com/mhmwithmarlaanddave
www.instagram.com/mhmwithmarlaanddave
For more information about their Loving Beyond Reason Foundation:
www.instagram.com/lovingbeyondreason
Watch and listen to Mental Health Mondays with Marla and Dave live on Mondays at 6:00 P PT/9:00 P ET:
www.youtube.com/c/MentalHealthMondays
https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/mental-health-mondays-with-marla-and-dave/id1527617186
Please consider donating $1 a day for the next week - just $7 - to support the MHM “A Dollar Today Keeps the Stigma Away” Campaign by texting “give” to 818-698-1021
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