Here’s something we can all agree on: nature is healing. My guest on this episode of About Your Mother, Scott Schumaker, speaks from firsthand experience about nature's healing power. He explores this topic and more on his podcast Love, Loss, and Hallucinations. After retiring as a professional athlete, Scott lost his identity, and his marriage was on the rocks. Listen as he shares his journey in nature to rebuild his life and rediscover his inner emotional life. Resources Mentioned Su...

How do you know when you can repair a relationship versus when it’s time to walk away? My guest on this episode of About Your Mother, Kate King, shares the difference between a difficult relationship and a toxic one, and how to know what you should do next. Kate is a licensed professional counselor and board-certified art therapist. Her latest book, Mend or Move On, dives into the details of dealing with difficult relationships of all types. Listen in as she shares her own experience as...

How do you make peace with what your family has given you, both the good and the bad? My guest today is Bridget Crocker, a trailblazer in the outdoor industry and author of The River’s Daughter. In her incredible memoir, she writes about breaking the cycle of abuse in her family and relying on nature as a guide. Our conversation will inspire you to face your past and look to nature to help you find answers for the future. This episode is extra special because it was recorde...

Life changing conversations can happen at any time in our lives—but what if you are 14 and your mother reveals a secret that upends your adolescence and sends you on a decades long journey to untangle from the world she brought you in, the world you were happy to be a part of? Adrienne Brodeur's best selling book, Wild Game, examines the price she paid to be her mother's confidant and helper in an epic affair with her husband's closest friend. The story doesn't end there. Connect with A...

Immersing ourselves in a culture is exhilarating and can change our view of the world. What happens when you are an American marrying into a Chinese family? What could go wrong? Good Chinese Wife is a memoir that explores Susan Blumberg-Kason's life integrating into a Chinese family and her thrilling search for agency. Connect with Susan susanbkason.com Good Chinese Wife Learn more about the podcast at byjennifergriffith.com/podcasts

I’m honored to have a hometown hero from Jackson, Wyoming, on this episode of the About Your Mother podcast. Lindsay Linton Buk is a photographer and storyteller originally from Powell, Wyoming. Her dream took her to New York and back, where she learned photography from the best in the industry before being called back home. Lindsay and I sat down in person for this conversation about art, her roots, and how she forged a space for her creative career in The Cowboy State. Lindsay’s...

How do you turn your trauma into growth? I’m thrilled to share my conversation with Dave Sanderson, a leadership expert, motivational speaker, and one of the passengers on the flight that became the infamous Miracle on the Hudson event. Listen in as Dave shares about his experience on the harrowing day, how his mother’s voice guided him, and how he turned a traumatic event into one of the best things to ever happen to him. If you’re struggling with processing your own traumatic experiences, D...

Is the foster care system in the US broken, or is it even worse than that? According to Rob Schreer, my guest in this episode of About Your Mother, the system is shattered and must be rebuilt. A child enters foster care every two minutes, totaling around 700 children a day. Eighty percent of death row inmates were foster children, and only 54% of foster children graduate high school. As a foster kid himself, Rob knows the system and its faults all too well. Listen in to learn about Rob’s stor...

Ann Fessler's critically accompanied book, "The Girl Who Went Away," gives voice to the millions of women forced to surrender their babies in the decades before Roe v Wade. As an artist and a teacher, listening to Ann tell her story feels like you are walking into a lecture hall about to learn something new, and you are. This episode originally aired in December of 2022. Connect with Ann Website The Girls Who Went Away A Girl Like Her Learn more about the podcast at byjennifergriffith.com/c...

This is the story of a mother who made the ultimate sacrifice for her and her daughter’s freedom. In this episode, I’m joined by Namratha Stanley, author of Vineyard Melody, and wine entrepreneur. Namratha shares about her own mother’s sacrifices and the example of unconditional love she set throughout her upbringing. At age 24, Namratha married into an abusive family and lost her sense of self. Twelve years later, after a near-death situation, Namratha escaped with her daughter and started h...