On a TEDx stage in Concord, Massachusetts, two mothers met and discovered they shared a deep bond – both had lost teenage daughters. In this intimate conversation, Morgan Motsinger and I explore what happens when life's bubble of safety gets punctured, how to navigate ongoing loss while caring for a child with a degenerative disease, and why it's so important to give ourselves permission for joy even in our darkest moments.

We dig into the destabilizing events that change how we see the world, what it means to hope when circumstances feel hopeless, and why comparing our grief to others' never serves us. Morgan shares her insights from positive psychology about human flourishing, and together we explore how to remain open to life's beauty even after experiencing profound loss.

This conversation touches on:

• The different "flavors" of grief and how they shape us
• What happens when your worldview gets shattered
• Finding hope that isn't tied to external circumstances
• The importance of maintaining your identity beyond caregiving
• Why joy isn't a betrayal of grief
• The power of being a "student of yourself"
• What meaningful self-care actually looks like

Learn more about Morgan:

Website 

Instagram

Youtube

Morgan's TEDx Talk

Jessica's TEDx Talk

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Order Jessica's memoir, Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes

Watch Jessica's TedX Talk

Music credit: Limitless by Bells