Listen up, friends. If you've been wondering whether the Good Bones cast will reunite anytime soon, Mina Starsiak Hawk is here to break it down for you. In an honest and heartfelt episode of her "Mina AF" podcast on January 8, the HGTV star gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at her current relationship status with estranged family members. Spoiler alert: reconciliation isn't exactly on the horizon.
Thanksgiving Was a Test Round, But It Didn’t Go as Planned
Let’s talk about the holidays, because let’s be real, they can be a minefield for anyone, but especially for Mina. At 39, she found herself in a tough spot, navigating the drama with her mom, Karen E. Laine, her brother Tad Starsiak, and former co-star Cory Miller. When it came to Thanksgiving, Mina and her husband, Steve Hawk, made a tough call. They decided not to join the entire family for the holiday. Why? Well, Mina wasn’t ready to sit at the table and pretend everything was okay when, deep down, she knew it wasn’t.
“I wasn’t in a place where I felt like the fallout from not being there was going to be more manageable than the bad feelings I would have from being there,” Mina explained during her podcast episode. The holidays had her reflecting on a difficult year, and she wanted to be honest with herself and her audience about where she was emotionally.
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Christmas: A Balancing Act
Thanksgiving turned out to be a sort of trial run for Christmas, but Mina wasn’t feeling it. The thought of a traditional holiday with her family just didn’t sit well with her, leaving her feeling unsettled. “I think toward the end of the show, when I was just feeling very crummy and angry, and not in a good place with a lot of things and people, that’s kind of how I started feeling going into the holidays,” she admitted to her listeners.
So what did they do? Mina and Steve, along with their kids, Jack and Charlotte, headed to Steve’s grandma’s house for Christmas Eve. After about an hour, Mina took the kids to her family’s celebration, complete with matching pajamas and cookie-making. It was a delicate balance, but it worked for them.
Working Through the Challenges
Mina shared her thoughts on how she’s trying to focus on herself and the positive relationships in her life. “I don’t want a spotlight on me for stirring the pot. I’m trying to work on myself. I’m trying to have positive interactions and relationships, and the things that don’t fall in those categories, I don’t want to be a part of,” she said. It’s not easy when some of those negative dynamics are tied to family traditions, but Mina’s determined to move forward.
Steve, 42, stayed at his grandmother’s house for the entire evening after discussing things with Mina. “Steve didn’t come to everything, but I did end up going to all the family celebrations,” Mina continued. “After Thanksgiving, I adjusted my mindset. I can’t control any of this. I’ve said my piece, people know where I stand, and me being angstful or upset or stressed out at this point is really only affecting me. So, I’m just going to move on mentally.”
Mina admitted it’s been exhausting pretending everything is okay. She’s still not in a great place with several family members and feels weird tension and negative energy while trying to coexist with them. It’s a tough road, but Mina’s determined to find her own path forward.
