This Beautiful Life

00:02 My name is Chelsie Shell I am 24 years old, and today is April 10th of 2024. I am currently speaking with Shaina Smallwood, who is my best friend, and we are currently recording in her living room. So can you tell me where you grew up?

00:24 Okay. I was born in London, and then at 3 years old, my parents divorced. And at the time, we were living in Florida. And then my dad took me to Ohio, and I grew up there until I was about, like, six. And then we moved back to Kentucky, where eventually I was able to see my mom. And I had a few hardships in childhood, but other than that, it was. It was pretty okay.

01:03 Growing up. Did you have a nickname.

01:06 Shay?

01:08 Is there a story of how you got that nickname?

01:10 It was what my mom would call me.

01:16 What was one of the worst things that you ever did as a kid?

01:20 Probably just lie. That was pretty good, kid.

01:27 You didn't have anything that you did that was mischievous? Ornery?

01:33 No, just lying. I can't even remember what it was about, but.

01:41 Can you tell me one of your happiest childhood memories?

01:49 Time with my mom.

01:53 What's one of your worst childhood memories?

01:57 A lot of arguing in my family and fighting.

02:07 What did you think your life would be like when you were older?

02:13 Uh, not stressful. Easy. Fun. More freedom.

02:24 Versus. What is it really like?

02:27 Stressful. Very hard trying to figure out how to be an adult, I guess.

02:38 So the opposite of what you thought it was gonna be?

02:40 The complete opposite.

02:45 Who is the love of your life?

02:48 My husband.

02:50 And what's his name?

02:51 His name's Alex Smallwood.

02:53 And can you tell me about him?

02:56 Well, we met in seventh grade. He sat in front of me, and from that moment, I knew something was special between me and him. But he didn't know it, you know, at the time. We broke up a bunch during middle school and high school, but then senior year of high school, we got back together. And then seven years after, we're now married.

03:31 Do you remember the exact moment that it started to feel serious? The exact moment that you looked at him, you was like, this. This is the one.

03:42 For me, it was. When I first seen him, I knew it. What? It didn't feel like puppy love, because I've had a lot of puppy loves, but with him, it was different. I can't. I can't even describe it. I guess that's how I know.

04:01 Has he ever told you when that he thought that it felt serious for him?

04:06 I. I don't. I don't think so. You know, he was a Young boy.

04:14 Well, maybe you can ask him later. What's one thing that you love the most about him?

04:25 The head on his shoulders. And his motivations and his loyalty and his outgoingness.

04:40 Can you tell me about a person who has been kindest to you in your life?

04:45 My mom.

04:51 Tell me about your mom.

04:55 Well, from the time I was little, she was like my first best friend. We did everything together. She always wanted to spend time with me. That was her number one priority.

05:23 Tell me something funny that she would do.

05:27 I don't even think I can say. She was wild, at least around me, so I. She did a lot of crazy things, so I. I don't even think I could say those. But as a young kid, I thought they were funny. I'll just say that that was my washer.

05:52 Can you tell me one of your happiest memories?

06:05 Probably meeting my friends, getting married, having my own house, getting my own car, and being pregnant for the first time.

06:29 And when you met your friends for the first time, what was the thing that you said?

06:38 For both of my friends, my two only friends. I asked them if they liked One Direction, and that was that. That's all it took.

06:52 Can you tell me about one of the most difficult memories that you've had?

06:57 Shoot, I have a lot. Losing my mom, just losing a lot of family members, Losing that first baby, and then losing my brother.

07:22 Can you tell me about someone that you'll always remember?

07:26 You're trying to make me cry. My mom and my brother.

07:35 What do you feel most grateful for in your life right now?

07:48 Everything I have gone through, because it has taught me a lot and has made me a better person and has made me enjoy the things that I have every day.

08:10 What are some of the most important lessons that you've learned in your life?

08:17 To be kind, to be patient, to be sentimental, to love. And to be honest.

08:34 What is something that you're the most proud of?

08:42 This is harder than I thought myself. Can you tell me more about that? I'm most proud of myself because of all the things I've gone through, all the losses and getting through them and just living every day and trying my best at everything.

09:15 Do you think that you have a favorite memory of me?

09:30 When I first approached you and you spending the night with me that first night.

09:43 It was like we instantly clicked, right?

09:45 Yeah.

09:49 If you could hold on to one memory from your life forever, what would it be?

09:55 I have a few. Well, I'm just gonna say, like. What's it called? A collection of memories from, like, each person. Because there's only, like, okay, well, for my mom, it's. All the memories I have with her, for my friends, all the memories I have with them, all the memories I have with my family, all the memories I have with my brother, all the memories I have with my husband. I just. I can't pick one. I have, like, too many.

10:51 If you were to die suddenly this evening, what would you regret not having done?

11:03 Spending more time with my family.

11:09 What are your hopes for me?

11:17 Why does the question instantly make me cry? That you become happy. That. That you get a break. That you're able to do what you want and enjoy in life and. Yeah. That you. That you eventually become happy.

12:08 What do you hope for my children's future?

12:17 That they grow up to. To realize. To realize how amazing their mom is. That they grow up to be happy. Happy and successful and loved. And I just want them to know they have a lot of people who love them, including me.

13:00 If this was to be our very last conversation, is there anything that you'd.

13:05 Want to say to me? Oh, God almighty.

13:13 Whoops.

13:21 That I'm. That I'm grateful and thankful for. For going down. Out or not. Not down there, but outside. And simply asking you that question. And what was the question again? And that I'm glad that the thing you went through when you were a kid didn't. Didn't take you away. Because then. Because then I never got to meet you. And that if this was our last conversation, I would hope, like, very. Okay. Very last conversation. And what means, like death or.

14:45 I don't know, any means.

14:48 I guess camel up its death. Okay, then. I hope we both go with you knowing it's okay.

15:04 I love you too.

15:07 That. Or that we both go knowing that you. You was my sister. And that hopefully in God's eyes, he, you know, you will still be my sister.

15:33 Okay. I'm not gonna torture you anymore. That is the.

15:42 That's the end of my question. It's for you. I try to keep this stuff in.

15:50 If my professor has made it this far into the interview, I just want to say thank you for this lesson.

16:01 I'm just a very emotional person and.

16:03 Sorry that we are so emotional together. It's hard to stay professional, and that's all that I have.

16:13 Thank you.