When Holidays Hurt: An Interview with Bo Stern-Brady
Pain, loss, grief, sorrow—all of it feels amplified when we're in seasons that are meant to feel festive.
When Bo Stern-Brady and I sat down to talk about sorrow and it’s impact around the holidays, I knew this was a conversation I’d like to listen to again. And honestly, I’m still trying to absorb and apply some of what she speaks about here. Bo is acquainted with grief and loss and pain. She’s learned how to befriend sorrow while also allowing joy to exist alongside it.
Listen in to my conversation with Bo—or share this with someone—if you want to hear more about:
Connecting the dots between pain and purpose (without skipping right to the purpose).
The mobility of grief—how it moves with you into new seasons and spaces.
The commodification of grief.
How a major loss sometimes feels like it not only impacts the present and future but also the past.
The specific isolation and loneliness that the holiday season can bring.
Facing the holidays when your grief looks different to others in your family.
Why the backstory of Jesus’ birth matters for those of us struggling.
Being brokenhearted and healed.
How delineating your other feelings from sorrow can help.
Watch the full interview here:
This session originally appeared at the Tethered Summit.
About Bo Stern-Brady
Bo Stern-Brady is a speaker, writer, and the co-founder of Soulspace - an innovative mediation app that helps anchor runaway thoughts to the love of God. She is the author of three books that focus on growth-through-suffering, a message developed and refined during her husband’s four-year battle with ALS. Her story and writing has been featured in countless publications worldwide, including Huffington Post, Focus on the Family and NBC News. Bo believes God is always good, coffee always works, and life always wins. She is married to the second love of her life and they split their time between their homes in Bend and Portland, Oregon.
Soulspace Meditation App:
Bo's Books:
When Holidays Hurt: Finding Hidden Hope Amidst Pain and Loss
Bookshop • Amazon
Beautiful Battlefields
Bookshop • Amazon
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