- [Andrew] This episode is sponsored by Squarespace.
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(dramatic music)
- [Brad] Comfort can be found in so many ways.
Cooking, cooking in virtual reality.
- I got white onion right here?
I need some ham.
- [Brad] Sweatpants or sweat shorts,
and using an incredible Babish knife.
- Not sponsored.
Well, not technically. He does pay my salary.
- [Brad] But food may be the most universal way
to recharge from the grind.
And because it literally refuels us, that makes sense.
But comfort food does something more
than just give us energy.
And today I think Chris and I could use some.
- How you doing brother?
- I'm doing good. How are you, man?
- I'm doing well.
You know, I do. I already miss you.
I'm sure it's very different
for you being in a new, an entirely new place.
How is that going for you?
Just like with home sickness and all of that stuff?
- Yeah, man, of course I'm missing home.
Like all my friends were in Nashville.
Every- I created such a base
of community there, which I, you know, kind of
didn't realize until my going away party, how many people
like I had cultivated as friends.
There were just times, some moments where
like I'm sitting at home and alone.
So very quiet, not even Wayne is making a noise.
And I just think like, man did I (censored) up?
Am I, should I be here?
Am I gonna make it here?
- [Brad] It's understandable to feel that way
when you leave everything you know, behind
but Chris is gonna make it.
(water splashing)
- [Brad] I believe that because
I've already seen him come so far.
But today is about acknowledging
how much willpower it's required
and doing something to recharge.
I know this casserole isn't going to fix any
of Chris's problems or my own, but comforts like
this are what replenish our strength to face them head on.
(lid clanking)
(pot beeping)
But what happens when comfort is the only solution
we see to our problems?
And can seeking comfort start to create the opposite?
- How did I know that comfort went too far?
Because I wound up in the hospital.
When comfort starts to affect the quality of your life,
that's what comfort goes too far.
(pan sizzling)
- [Brad] What was causing you to seek comfort
to the degree that you were?
- Being depression, sadness, stress.
I mean, those were all the things
I was comforting myself from.
Deep loneliness was definitely one of those things
like feeling lonely in the inside, knowing in reality
I'm not really lonely, but like I feel lonely.
So that's, you know, you deal with that
in the best way you can, I guess.
Then I ran away from the feeling of loneliness
like which can stem from, you know
abandonment issues that I feel from a lot of things.
Mainly you know, I don't know who my biological father is.
So there's that weird mixture of emotion about like that
you know, abandonment.
(pan sizzling)
- [Brad] I don't blame Chris for comforting himself.
That's a tough problem to solve.
And I needed some comfort just to figure
out what to say next.
So I went for a walk.
(calming music)
- [Brad] It was beautiful out.
The sun warmed me up, and the dogs loved it.
It gave me the boost I needed to sit down and finish this.
The path Chris is on is a difficult one, but he's doing it.
And I hope this casserole can bolster his strength
to keep moving forward.
Which maybe paradoxically will be a comfort of its own.
- Has this whole process brought comfort
to you in maybe a different way?
- [Chris] I mean, this process has brought comfort to me
in a lot of ways, seeing how much it's impacted my life
as far as like the mental state.
You and I working on this together has been really great.
If you have a support system like you
like I have in you Brad, it makes it a lot easier.
Because that's what this has been.
It's been a lot easier knowing that like you got my back
and you're also watching my every move.
- I've got cameras everywhere Chris.
- There's four right now.
There's four. I mean this one, that one.
- I guess that's true.
Yeah. This one, that one. Yeah.
- [Brad] This casserole is delicious.
It looks and tastes like something that would be
on my family's table around the holidays,
Which to me is comfort food at its finest.
And while it's not a cure for loneliness,
I hope this process and all of your support will be.
(pepper grinding)
(calming music)
- [Andrew] Thanks again to Squarespace for
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(calming music)