Ruby's Nana Kay on her life lessons at 80
5/27/202646 min
Hello! This Thursday, we're back with a very special Life Lessons episode. Ruby sits down with her Nana, Kay Hall! At 80 years old, Kay has lived a life marked by love, resilience, and more wisdom than we could ever fit into one conversation. In it, she shares how grief and estrangement have shown up over the decades, and the moment she had to give up her firstborn son for adoption after unexpectedly falling pregnant at 17-years-old. She also reflects on what it was like growing up as a young woman in the 1950s and 60s, from being forced to leave work after marriage, the moment she met her husband of 60 years, Keith Hall, and the heartache they went through after the loss of their second child at 40 weeks pregnant. It's a really special one. We hope you enjoy this conversation between Ruby and Kay! For support on the themes of pregnancy loss and abortion covered in this episode, please take care and contact Red Nose 1300 308 307, or head here. Thank you so much to Pandora for supporting this episode of Inherited. Sometimes, the most meaningful gifts are the ones we buy ourselves. Find a gift in-store or online at Pandora. Your host today was Ruby Hall (@rubytuesday2.0), and the guest was Kay Hall. Inherited is produced by Monica Vantilburg and executive-produced by Lucy Hunt. If you enjoyed this episode, click ‘follow’ on your favourite podcast app! We’re also on Instagram and TikTok @inheritedthepod. We’ll be back with our first mid-year break episode next Tuesday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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First 90 secondsRuby Hall· Host0:00
This episode of Inherited is brought to you by Pandora. It's more than jewelry, it's a moment to celebrate you. Explore new collections made for self-gifting online and in-store at Pandora. Welcome to Inherited. I'm your host, Ruby Hall, and I'm popping up in this intro before we get into today's conversation because we did have some technical difficulties while recording this interview just at the start. It is with a very special guest, my nana, Kay Hall, who has just turned 80. I was actually over in Perth a couple of months ago for my brother's wedding and her 80th, so we recorded this a few days after. She grew up in New Zealand in the '50s and the '60s, my nana did, and unexpectedly fell pregnant when she was 17, and was forced to give her baby up for adoption. A few years later, she was with my granddad, and they had three beautiful girls, one being my mum. And at that time in her life, she opened up about her hidden grief and wanting to reach out and reconnect with her adopted son. So this is my nana's story and what she knows at 80. I hope you enjoy this conversation.
Kay Hall· Guest1:05
[gentle music] I was very close to my grandparents, just like you are with me, Ruby. Probably not as close, but they were caring, so I went and stayed with them a lot and had dinner with them a lot.
Ruby Hall· Host1:21
Like I have.
Kay Hall· Guest1:22
Yes.
Ruby Hall· Host1:23
I've grown up really close with my nana.
Kay Hall· Guest1:25
Yes.
Ruby Hall· Host1:25
I've lived with you. I lived with you when I was a little girl.
Kay Hall· Guest1:27
Yes.
Ruby Hall· Host1:27
I lived with you when I was in my