A (Christmas) Story from Craig Thomas

Substack plans, an ongoing fundraiser, and a legendary influence

Hello, and welcome HIMYM-ers (and newfound HWMYM-ers)!

This is Craig Thomas, co-creator of How I Met Your Mother and co-host to Mr. Josh Radnor as we reminisce, episode by episode, about an incredible story: the story of how we made your mother.

I mean, not your mother, the TV show called... OK, I hope it's clear we're not trying to say anything offensive about your moth— well, you get it, right? (Right?!)

HIMYM fans are the greatest fans on Earth, so by the transitive property, we can assume HWMYM fans will be too. That's just mathematics.

We will use our Substack to share special little HIMYM-themed nuggets with newfound fans of our newfound pod.

For example, one thing I don't think Carter or I have spoken about much in interviews is the influence of the movie, A Christmas Story (you know, the one with the Red Ryder air rifle) on the tone of HIMYM—specifically the narration (by the late, great Bob Saget). I was thinking about this over the holidays as my mother, my family, and I all did our annual, traditional rewatch of A Christmas Story (and there is still snow on the ground here in NYC as I write this, so it's still in my brain). The way the writer of A Christmas Story, Jean Shepherd (he's also the Future Narrator; grown-up Ralphie), framed the story of his childhood as (and this word is literally in the film at one point) legendary. Infamous. Incredible. Notorious. Amazing. He calls vignettes from his childhood things like, "The Scut Farkas Affair, as it came to be known." Ralphie's father is a "feared furnace fighter." The stories are still told and retold, according to Future Narrator Ralphie, "to this day" (and of course, it's true, because sure enough Future Narrator Ralphie is, "to this day," telling it, year after year!)—the stuff of legend.

Carter and I both grew up watching A Christmas Story, and we internalized this lesson: All of our life stories are the most important thing in the world, simply because they are ours. Tales that get told, and retold, and echo through eternity (well, at least within our own little universe, by those who know and love us; the only universe that really matters). This is how we all see ourselves, and those we love; as main characters in a story worth telling, and re-telling, passing on to the younger generation, sitting patiently (or not so patiently) on the couch, listening to us blabber on. We are all good stories. We are all legendary. Thank you, Jean Shepherd, for showing us that fundamental lesson at such a young age. Thrilling how A Christmas Story gets to live on, and keep teaching it.

HIMYM does, too, and we have YOU to thank for that.

Thanks for coming on this new leg of the journey with us, the chapter where we, like Future Ralphie and Future Ted Mosby, sit back to spin a few yarns of the good ol' days—HIMYM never would've happened without its legendary fans, and it gets to live on, all because of you, to this day... and, hopefully, beyond.

This podcast is a new way for the show to keep evolving and telling its story—a new couch to sit on and hear an incredible story: The story of How We Made Your Mother.

It's gonna be legen— wait 208 episodes for it.....

— Craig T.

And one more thing: we're a podcast with a cause!

Follow THIS LINK to support the groundbreaking research of Dr. Paul Grossfeld, who (with his lab team) studies the genetic basis of pediatric heart defects and cognitive disabilities in children. His research helps kids like my son, Elliot, who was born with a rare genetic deletion called “11q” or “Jacobsen Syndrome” (J.S.), and began his life with a risky open-heart surgery at just two weeks old.

For our “J.S.” community, Dr. Grossfeld is a beacon of light in the dark, offering life-saving advice, singular expertise and crucial guidance from afar to our local doctors, who often know nothing about 11q. Dr. G is the worldwide expert in J.S. and his lab is the only one on Earth robustly studying the genetic basis of its many health and developmental implications.

Despite being so crucial to so many, Dr. G’s lab is always in search of funding to stay afloat. With federal funding harder than ever to procure, Dr. G's lab would simply close without the support of kind-hearted folks like you! Every penny counts!

So, on behalf of so many families like our own, we thank you. 100% OF YOUR DONATION GOES DIRECTLY TO DR. G’S RESEARCH (Zero overhead!) Plus, we’d encourage you to ask if your employer has a matching program. You could double your donation!

We are calling this effort HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE, and it will be the ongoing campaign of this podcast.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Dr. Paul Grossfeld is a board-certified pediatric cardiologist and Professor of Pediatrics at UCSD. He is a world-renowned expert on Jacobsen syndrome and does cutting edge research on the genetics of some of the most complex congenital heart defects, including hypoplastic left heart syndrome.