Joanna Gaines Opens Up About ‘Special Room’ Growing Up
In a recent podcast appearance, Magnolia Network co-creator Joanna Gaines opens up about a unique memory from her childhood.
While appearing on the Ideas Of Order podcast, Gaines discussed a variety of topics in her life. She revealed stories from her early days in interior design to becoming a TV star with her husband, Chip Gaines. She also spoke about the importance of balancing work and family life, while sharing advice for aspiring designers and entrepreneurs.
Perhaps the most personal topic of discussion was when Gaines opened up about her childhood. She reflected on one specific memory that has stuck with her for decades.
Joanna Gaines Opens Up About ‘The Room I Was Drawn To’
For Gaines, her childhood home in Wichita, Kansas will always be a special place special to her. The Fixer Upper star told Ideas Of Order host Jeremiah Brent that one room in particular still occupies her mind the most. “One of the things I remember most is my mom had one room in the house that was the formal living room,” she says. “We weren’t really allowed to go in there, but of course, that was the room I was drawn to.”
As she’s gotten older, Gaines is finally able to understand her mother’s motivations. For years, she wondered why that one particular room was off limits.“Now I understand what it was and the meaning of that room for her. Growing up we never got it,” she admitted. “We were like, ‘why won’t she let us play in this room?’ This was the room that had all her Korean furniture in it. It had all of her little mementos behind the hutch with glass.”
As the years have passed, Gaines has been able to better relate to her mother. She told Brent that her mother wanted to, “Feel known and seen in her own way. Even though she didn’t know how to articulate it then.” “I think it was, for her, the only space where she felt like, ‘this is my story fully displayed here in this house.’”
Joanna Gaines Hid Who She Was For Years
In a November 2022 interview with People, Gaines admitted that she often rejected her Korean heritage as a kid. As a first-generation Korean-American, Gaines struggled to feel included. “We were literally the only Asians in our entire school,” she said. She recalled the name-calling and bullying she and her siblings faced in school. “It was deeply personal because that was half of my story. I realized if this isn’t accepted, maybe I need to hide it and play more into the other side of who I am.”
Reflecting on her past, Gaines realized the damage that the bullying caused her. “I just internally processed all by myself. Which as a kid, we all know isn’t healthy because what you end up doing is just shoving it somewhere,” Gaines said. “It ends up coming out at some point because we have to deal with it. So for me, sadly, it took years for me to wrestle with that.”
“There were a lot of things I believed that weren’t true,” she said. “I had to go back and cross those out and say, ‘This is the truth. You are worthy. You are enough.’ My biggest regret is not owning it earlier and really loving who I am.”
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