Being Mary
Mary Johnson Van Den Berge is a "wear your heart on your sleeve" kind of woman, an unapologetic bookworm, and an online shopping champion. She devours murder mysteries in every form — whether in books or podcasts — with an enthusiasm that surprises even herself. Raised on a farm near St. Marys in Southwestern Ontario, she now calls Petrolia home, nestled in Ontario’s scenic “banana belt.”Mary is a proud advocate for women’s rights and believes deeply in the power of honest conversation. On her podcast, she creates a safe and open space for women to explore the emotional layers of life—thro...
Retirement Dilemma
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Retirement.
Such a simple word for such a life-changing decision.
This week on Being Mary, I’m talking about the emotions, fears, possibilities, and questions that often come with this next chapter of life.
Because retirement isn’t just about finances…
it’s also about identity, purpose, meaning, and asking yourself:
“What kind of life do I want now?”
If you’re approaching retirement — or know someone who is — this conversation is for you. 💛
🎙️ New episode: The Retirement Dilemma
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Canada Day - The Freedom to Be Ourselves
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NEW PODCAST EPISODE: The Freedom to Be Ourselves
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized freedom means more than where we live.
Sometimes freedom is quieter than that.
The freedom to speak honestly.
To grow.
To change.
To become more fully ourselves.
Today on Being Mary, I’m reflecting on Canada, womanhood, aging, and gratitude for the ability to keep becoming — at every stage of life.
Happy Canada Day ❤️
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Exploring Healing Together
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This week on Being Mary, I’m joined by Maggie Whitcroft for a thoughtful conversation about emotional healing, nervous system regulation, energy work, and what it means to reconnect with yourself after difficult seasons in life.
I’ll be honest — this was something very new to me, and part of this episode is simply allowing myself to stay curious and open to learning.
Whether this world feels familiar to you or completely outside your comfort zone, I think there’s something meaningful in hearing how different women find their way back...
Episode 2: It’s Never Too Late to Learn: Growing Your Brain as You Age
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Learning isn’t just for young people.
In fact, continuing to learn may be one of the best things we can do for our brains as we age.
In today’s episode of Being Mary, we’re talking about curiosity, creativity, rest, and the small ways we can continue expanding our minds.
Because this stage of life isn’t about shrinking.
It’s about becoming.
🎙️ Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.
“This is Being Mary… and the best chapters are still ahead.”
Episode 1: Everyday Mind Fitness
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We spend a lot of time talking about taking care of our bodies as we age.
But what about our brain?
In today’s episode of Being Mary, we’re talking about everyday mind fitness — simple things you can do to keep your brain active and engaged.
Not complicated things.
Just small shifts like:
• puzzles
• changing routines
• social connection
• movement
• curiosity
Because if we’re doing squats for our knees…
we can do a few mental squats too.
Strangers Who Stay With Us
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Sometimes the people we remember most…
are the ones we barely knew.
A quick conversation in a grocery store.
A shared laugh in passing.
A moment of unexpected connection.
In this episode, I’m sharing a couple of simple, everyday encounters that stayed with me —
not because they were extraordinary,
but because they were human.
Because even the briefest connection
can remind us that we’re not invisible.
🎧 Strangers Who Sta...
The Smallest Conversations
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Some days, the smallest conversations are the ones that matter most.
A quick chat at the grocery store.
A smile at the checkout.
A kind word when someone least expects it.
In this episode, I’m reflecting on how these simple moments of connection can shift a day — for someone else… and sometimes for ourselves too.
Because maybe it’s not about changing the world…
maybe it’s just about showing up in it.
🎧 The...
Motherhood Looks Different this Mother's Day
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Motherhood… didn’t look the way I expected.
And if I’m being honest…
I don’t think I fully understood my own mom
until much later.
This episode is a reflection on that—
on love, hindsight, and how motherhood changes over time.
And a quiet question I’ve been sitting with:
What does Mother’s Day look like
when your daughters are mothers too?
🎧 Listen now
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Elevator Speech - What's Yours?
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If someone asked you today,
“What do you do?”
what would you say?
Not the title you once had.
Not the role you’ve always played.
But the truth of who you are now.
This week on Being Mary, I’m talking about elevator speeches — and why that simple question can feel so complicated as we grow older.
Maybe your answer has changed.
Maybe it’s still changing.
And maybe that’s exactly the point.
🎧 If Someone Asked… What Would You Say?
Now...
Love, Loss, and Letting the Truth Breathe
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Love, Loss, and Letting the Truth Breathe — now live.
Five years ago, I lost my husband Casey.
Grief has changed over time.
It doesn’t disappear… it softens, it shifts, and sometimes it still shows up quietly when I least expect it.
This episode is a personal reflection on love, loss, and the truths we carry — even the complicated ones.
It’s also a conversation about something we don’t talk about enough…
how, as we grow older, death becomes part of our lives in...
The Page I Almost Didn't Write
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There are things in life we only begin to understand much later.
Lately, I’ve been noticing something that surprised me a little.
I’m just starting to understand what it truly feels like to be loved by people.
Sometimes when we’re younger — or when we’re in the middle of life — we’re simply trying to survive the chapters we’re living in. We don’t always stop long enough to ask what things are supposed to feel like.
Looking back now, after marriage, loss, an...
Hockey Tryouts & Life Lessons
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Hockey tryouts aren’t really about hockey.
They’re about effort.
Disappointment.
Confidence.
And learning who you are when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
In today’s episode of Being Mary,
I’m reflecting on hockey tryouts, life lessons,
and the quiet ways we encourage — or pressure — the people we love.
🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.
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A Gentle Nudge Back into the World
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Lately I’ve noticed something about myself…
When life is changing, I tend to retreat.
And the more I isolate, the harder it feels to step back out again — even though getting out is exactly what I need.
A simple conversation with a stranger the other night reminded me how powerful small human moments can be.
Not deep. Not life-changing.
Just… human.
Maybe today we put the phone down for a minute.
Look up. Smile. Say hello.
You never know what it might shi...
Episode 4: Becoming a Grandmother — Legacy and Letting
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Today on Being Mary, we come full circle.
In the final episode of the Daughter – Mom – Grandmother series, I reflect on the tender wisdom of becoming a grandmother — or an Oma, as I’m called.
This season is softer.
It’s about presence instead of direction.
About watching love continue — and trusting what you’ve passed on.
In this episode, I share reflections on legacy, letting go, and the quiet joy of seeing parts of yourself live on through the next generation.
✨ If this episode resonates, I invite you to sh...
Episode 3: The Balancing Act — Parenting Adult Children
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Today on Being Mary, we step into a chapter no one really prepares us for — raising adult children.
It’s the quiet shift from being the one who leads…
to the one who learns how to step back with love and trust.
In this episode, I talk about the evolving role of motherhood — the art of not saying the thing, respecting boundaries, navigating new partners, and learning how to stay close without control.
This season asks us to trade direction for presence, advice for listening, and certainty...
Episode 2: The Becoming of a Mother — Matrescence
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When a woman becomes a mother, everything shifts — body, heart, and soul.
In today’s episode of Being Mary, I explore matrescence — the profound transformation that happens as a woman learns to love, nurture, and rediscover herself.
This is an honest conversation about identity, exhaustion, wonder, and the quiet courage it takes to become someone new.
✨ If you’re a mother — new, seasoned, or somewhere in between — this episode is for you.
🎧 Now streaming wherever you get your podcasts.
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Episode 1: The Ties That Bind — Daughters and Mothers
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Today on Being Mary, we begin a brand-new series:
Daughter – Mom – Grandmother: The Evolution of Love.
We start at the beginning — the bond between a mother and daughter.
It’s one of the most complex, beautiful, and emotional relationships we experience as women.
It can lift us up.
It can challenge us.
And at times, it can break our hearts.
But it’s also the thread that ties generations together — passing down wisdom, strength, and stories.
In this episode, I reflect on growing up a...
Being Mary Re-Introduction
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On Monday I said, “If you’re new here, come back Wednesday.”
So here we are. 🤍
This episode is a re-introduction—for those just joining me, and for those who’ve been walking alongside me for a while.
Being Mary began as a book, but it’s become so much more than that. It’s a space for real conversations about life, loss, love, healing, and becoming—at any age.
You can listen to the episode now, and if you’d like to explore more, my new website is live with past episod...
PICKLEBALL – and why I’m Hooked
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I showed up alone with a paddle, a few nerves, and no expectations… and walked away hooked. This episode is about pickleball, community, and rediscovering the joy of play — no experience required. 🏓💛
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Surviving the Holidays
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🎄 Feeling like the holidays are just a Hallmark movie you didn’t audition for?
Single? Alone? Or just avoiding awkward family drama? You’re not alone.
Join me, Mary, as I talk about surviving the holidays—without losing your mind, your wallet, or your sanity. We’ll laugh at Hallmark fails, celebrate Die Hard moments, and maybe even find ways to help someone else this season.
This holiday, it’s not about perfection—it’s about surviving, thriving, and a little bit of gr...
Aging & Thriving, Part 2 - Connection, Home & New Adventures
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Part 2 is here! 💕
This week on Being Mary, we’re talking about connection, home, and embracing new adventures — because aging isn’t about slowing down, it’s about showing up differently.
Let’s keep walking, laughing, and growing — together.
🎧 Tune in now to Aging & Thriving, Part 2.
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Aging & Thriving, Part 1: Health, Purpose & Independence
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New episode is up!
This week, I’m diving into Part 1 of Aging & Thriving — how to stay healthy, find new purpose, and keep your independence strong.
Retirement isn’t the end — it’s a new beginning.
Come age with me — the best is still ahead. 💫
🎧 Listen now on Being Mary.
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My 69th Birthday
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This week’s episode of Being Mary is a special one — a reflection as I turn 69.
It’s been a year of growth, loss, laughter, and new beginnings.
From publishing my memoir to launching this podcast, from road trips and friendships to moments of deep reflection — 68 taught me a lot about resilience and gratitude.
I share why these conversations mean so much to me, and how each episode helps me live a little braver and love a little deeper.
Here’s to embracing life — all of it — as I...
YES I Can
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Some mornings I sit with my coffee and wonder… is this it? Retirement is supposed to be the best years of our lives, but what do we really do with them?
That’s why I started my new podcast Yes, I Can!—a celebration of saying yes to life at any age. 💕
Episode 1 is out now—come join me as we talk about purpose, adventure, and living fully—because if I can, so can you.
🎧 Listen here 👉
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To the girls that are different
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"Today’s episode of Being Mary is for the outsiders—the deep feelers, the ones who never quite fit in. 💫 Your strangeness isn’t a flaw—it’s your gift. Listen now!"
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Funny Friend Requests - Part 2
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“Hi, it’s Mary — today’s the day! The new Being Mary episode is out now, and I’m spilling the wildest TikTok friend requests I’ve ever received. From Keanu Reeves to princes and sugar daddies — it’s a ride you don’t want to miss. Listen now!”
www.BeingMary.ca
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They Called Her Jezebel
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"Healing starts when you recognize you are not the problem — the system is."
— Dawn Stilwell, They Called Her Jezebel
Hi, it’s Mary, and this week on Being Mary I sit down with my good friend Dawn Stilwell, author of They Called Her Jezebel: A Cult Survivor’s Self-Help Memoir. Dawn opens up about her emotional journey — from her early passion for faith and leadership in the church, to the shocking realization that what she thought was her spiritual home was actually a cult. She shares the painful process of breakin...
3 Tiny Tweaks for a Younger, Energized You - Part 3 Relationships
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Hi, it’s Mary—and welcome back to Being Mary.
We’ve been talking about three small habits that can change your body, your energy, and your life.
Habit #1 was all about moving your body.
Habit #2 was about creating more presence in your life.
And now—Habit #3.
It’s simple, powerful, and honestly, it might be the most surprising one yet.
Want to know what it is? Relationships!
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3 Tiny Tweaks for a Younger, Energized You - Part 2 Phones
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Hi, it’s Mary—and welcome back to Being Mary.
Last week, we started with Habit #1: Move your body.
This week, Habit #2 might surprise you.
It’s simple. It’s powerful.
And it could completely change how you feel, how you connect, and even how you age.
Want to know what it is?
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3 Tiny Tweaks for a Younger, Energized You– Part 1: Move Your Body"
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Hi, it’s Mary—and I’ve got a question for you:
What if just 3 Tiny Tweaks could change your body, boost your energy, and add years to your life?
Sounds dramatic, right? But it’s backed by science—and I’m breaking it all down in a new 3-part podcast series.
In this first episode, I’m talking about the one habit you already know—but might be overlooking.
It’s not about losing weight.
It’s not about looking a certain way.
It’s about...
Walks in Nature: Water
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✨ Peace. Serenity. Perspective.
This Wednesday on Being Mary, I invite you to join me by the lake — where the sound of the waves and the vastness of the water remind us how to let go, breathe deeply, and just… be.
🎧 Tune in here or wherever you listen to podcasts. Let the water work its quiet magic.
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Deep Roots and Green Lawns
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Deep Roots and Green Lawns
Are you a weed, or are you grass?
This episode explores what weeds can teach us about resilience, connection, and quiet strength — even when life feels like a drought.
Listen now, and let me know: which one are you?
🎧 Available wherever you listen to podcasts.
#Podcast #NewEpisode #PersonalGrowth #Resilience #DeepRoots
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What Caregivers Need — Help, Compassion & Healing
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Episode 2: What Caregivers Need — Help, Compassion & Healing
Hi, it’s Mary — and welcome back to Being Mary.
Last time, I shared my personal journey as a caregiver.
Today, I want to talk about what caregivers need from the people around them — how you can really show up for someone who’s caring for a loved one. Even the smallest gestures can mean the world.
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The Caregiver’s Journey — Love, Guilt & Burnout
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Episode 1: The Caregiver’s Journey — Love, Guilt & Burnout
Hi, it’s Mary — and welcome to Being Mary.
Today we’re talking about one of the hardest, most emotional jobs you can ever take on: being a family caregiver. The love, the guilt, the frustration, the grief — it’s a roller coaster no one really prepares you for.
If you’re a caregiver, or you’ve been one, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about it.
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Hearing Loss - You Need To Hear This
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👂 You need to hear this.
Today we’re talking about something you might not think about — your hearing. I’m sharing my own journey with hearing loss, the surprises (like how loud my bathroom fan really was!), and why taking care of your hearing is about so much more than just hearing better.
If you’ve ever wondered about hearing aids, felt insecure about needing them, or love someone who struggles to hear, this episode is for you. Let’s take the stigma out of hearing loss and learn to advocate for...
Walks in Nature - Rooted: Reconnecting with Trees
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🌳✨ New Podcast Episode: Walks in Nature – Rooted: Reconnecting with Trees
Hi friends — it’s been so hot lately, hasn’t it? I know how hard it can be to feel motivated to get outside. But this week, I want to invite you to join me on a quiet, shady trail — and reconnect with the trees.
There’s something deeply calming about being under a canopy of leaves, feeling the strength of a tree beneath your hand, and breathing in the air they’ve made just for you.
Even a short walk c...
Motherhood Was It What You Expected
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The Truth About Motherhood
You thought motherhood would be sweet snuggles and meaningful moments.
Turns out it’s… sticky handprints, sleepless nights, and adult kids who eat your groceries, borrow your car, and ignore your advice.
Let’s talk about it.
This week on Being Mary, I’m pulling back the curtain on what motherhood really looks like—burnout, guilt, grown-up kids who know everything (but still need your Wi-Fi), and why “doing your best” is more than enough.
✨Spoiler: There’s no perfect mom. Jus...
Give Blood - Holly's Story
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Last week, I gave blood—and then I read something that stopped me in my tracks.
It was a letter written by a 26-year-old woman named Holly Butcher, just one day before she passed away. Her words are powerful, raw, and deeply moving. She speaks about life, love, letting go of the small stuff—and the incredible gift of donating blood.
This is one you’ll want to hear.
#BeingMaryPodcast #LifeLessons #DonateBlood #HollyButcher #Gratitude #LiveFully
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Marriage Wasn't What I Expected
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“Marriage Wasn’t What I Expected”
We don’t say it out loud enough—but so many of us walk into marriage with big dreams and open hearts... only to find that reality looks very different.
This week on Being Mary, I’m peeling back the curtain on what marriage taught me: about love, loneliness, unmet expectations, and personal growth.
If you've ever looked at your relationship and thought, "This isn’t what I thought it would be..." — this one’s for you. 💬💔💡
🎧 Tune in wherever you listen to...
What’s Your 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
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✨ New Podcast Episode! ✨🧹
What’s Your 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
This week on Being Mary, I’m talking spring cleaning—but not just the closets and basements kind. I’m talking about the emotional junk we all carry... the stuff we’ve held onto for way too long.
Old stories.
Outdated guilt.
Invisible weight.
It’s time to make the call and clear some space—for peace, for joy, for you.
📦🎧 T...
