I had the pleasure of meeting weekly with Airiel Sadler during the 2024 rehearsals of That's What She Said. She was shy, then sweet, then vulnerable, then funny then articulate. Each time I listened to her speak, her words became more dynamic and more meaningful. She got 7 minutes on stage. Here is the full story of her glorious mess. 

 Listen as this Champaign-born, Chicago-raised, Champaign-adulting sweetheart of a women talks about her formative years running around the streets of Chicago while her mom worked full-time as a nurse. This 14-year-old girl became pregnant and gave birth to the love of her life, Mae. She chose to raise her daughter with pride and strength and more love than one mother can hope to give. Physical pain, trauma and debilitating mental health struggles were only a few of the hurdles she faced while earning her licensed clinical social worker credentials. She is also an advocate for vulnerable populations and an author of multiple books. Now she faces her next chapter as her daughter prepares to fly the coop. She calls everyone, "family," and now she is part of mine.

Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect

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