On this encore episode with my dear friend of 36 years, Cathy Brown, you’ll get a glimpse into the difficulty of losing your mom too soon. Shortly after graduating from college, Cathy was at work waitressing when she got the awful news that her mom had died while traveling home from Paris.

Cathy was my very first guest on the podcast and I’ve pointed quite a few people to this episode over the years as they’ve shared their own stories of losing their moms too soon. I’ve heard over and over how helpful Cathy’s insight and encouragement is around fighting for joy not just in this particular kind of grief, but grief in general. Cathy shares good insight about the "both/and" of healing and grieving - how healing doesn’t mean that you won’t still have pain...and how pain doesn't mean you aren't healing. You'll appreciate her encouragement around experiencing healing, progress, and joy, even with a hurting heart. We also spend some time reflecting on how grief changes and affects so many different aspects of your life, including faith and relationships.

Since we recorded this episode 7 years ago, Cathy has become a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist, trained in EMDR Therapy, and sees clients as a Licensed Professional Counselor (I need to have her on again!). If you are struggling with the aftereffects of losing a loved one, especially if it was an untimely death, I encourage you to listen to Cathy's story of losing her mom and beginning her fight for joy.

*The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Better Help, an online counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: betterhelp.com/fightingforjoy. Christian counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!