I Remember with Eileen Fein

In this episode I am talking about the Space Shuttle Challenger, and the moments of connection it has had with her over the course of more than three decades.  On that 1986 mission, NASA wanted to find an "ordinary person," a gifted teacher who could communicate with students while in orbit. Christa McAuliffe, a social studies teach from Lanham, Maryland was selected from more than 11,000 applicants. She would be the first teacher in space.  Because of this, I and millions of other kids watched this event unfold live. It was exciting to be together, all focused on the same thing, all feeling the same thing - joy. The joy of reaching for the stars.  Yet, as President Reagan said at the crew's memorial, sometimes when we reach for the stars, we fall short. But we must pick ourselves up again and press on despite the pain. Decades later, I can now appreciate these words and find peace in them. That our lives are a journey towards fulfillment, and on that journey there will be moments of suffering and love, of pain and joy, and of grief and peace. It is how we connect with each other during these moments that matters most on our journey. Because connection is our life’s purpose.   

In this episode I share my moments of connection from 2001 - a year split in half by 9/11 - that include the Chrysler Building, a long walk across the 59th St Bridge with a dear friend and a wedding that kept love alive when it felt like all was lost. Listen and journey back to a time of disbelief and fear but also incredible moments of connection - when love, joy and peace was needed most.   

Welcome to I Remember with Eileen Fein, a podcast about the power of reminiscing.

Research has shown that recalling memories can enhance your well-being. When you reminisce about problem-solving and identity-related memories, you can increase your self-esteem and sense of meaning in life. And this can happen whether those memories are positive or not. That’s because of the self-resilience and self-exploration you experienced thanks to that memory.

Through conversations with guests from the worlds of art, nature, science, and culture, in each I Remember episode, I take you on a journey of these kind of mindful moments that are unique to each of us but are experienced by all of us and have changed the course of our lives.

All designed to give you a feel-good feeling and help you be mindful of your own moments of self-resilience and connection.

That opportunity starts now. 

This is I Remember.