Under the Canopy

Families living practically on top of each other, yet acting like strangers—it’s the suburban soap opera nobody admits they’re starring in. You know the drill: the cousin down the street you never call, the sibling across town you only wave at during funerals, the aunt whose house you pass daily but haven’t stepped inside in years. Proximity without intimacy. Together but apart. And here’s the kicker: nature does it too. Forest canopies practice crown shyness—branches stretch close, but they refuse to touch, leaving jagged little gaps in the sky. It’s survival, sure, but it’s also a metaphor for our human talent at keeping distance while pretending closeness. This episode asks: are we protecting ourselves, or just starving connection? Are those gaps safety nets, or excuses? We’ll drag family dynamics into the sunlight, poke at the awkward silences, and challenge the rituals that keep us “safe” but disconnected. Think of it as a canopy audit—with a side of sass and a whole lot of truth-telling.