Today I’m talking with Jennifer Morris, a mother and author who decided to share her story of love and loss in order to bring comfort to those who have experienced death in their lives. Her book, titled ‘I Will Be With You Alway’ released last June in 2022, and provides children with a story on how to understand and cope with loss.
Another Side to Trauma
Jennifer’s mother died when she was 5, and still too young to understand what death was. She recalls sitting at the dinner table and asking her family, “So, after the funeral, is that when Mom is coming home?” Eventually, Jennifer learned that her mom had committed suicide, and as a young girl told herself the story that her mother had left her deliberately because she was not enough.
Her father’s struggle with alcoholism led to another narrative of Jennifer’s: “I’m alone with no one to take care of me.” She spent her life searching for someone to take care of her, willing to be whatever role they needed in order to feel loved. She felt like a ship in the middle of the ocean, with no control over what life brought. Jennifer recounts that it took 20 years for anyone in her family to talk about her mother’s death.
Deepening Relationships with Others
Much of Jennifer’s healing came in the form of her relationships with her loved ones. She had lived a life where she felt like she wasn’t enough to keep her mother alive. She recalls a defining moment of bringing her first daughter home for the first time. She was struck with the realization that her own mother must have been so unwell to do what she had, because Jennifer couldn’t imagine leaving her child. It hadn’t been her fault.
Jennifer always wanted to be closer with her husband and friends, and it took many intense therapy sessions for that to become a reality. Now, however, she feels love and deep joy daily by letting her loved ones know how loved they are, and by ‘going deep’ with everyone she meets.
Finding Love Where It Is
Jennifer wanted her book to be relatable for anyone who has had someone pass.Over years of therapy, self-healing and self-love, she’s learned that she will always still be connected to her mom. She imparts this journey in her book, ‘I Will Always Be With You.’
“Instead of looking for where they were,” Jennifer says, “find them where they are.” She thanks her mother—and father—daily for the magical moments in her life, and feels their presence always. Jennifer hopes that listeners know that whatever trauma they experience is not forever. There is hope.
Listen in to hear the lessons Jennifer’s learned from writing her book, how her family dealt with trauma and shame, and what advice she has for listeners.
Resources Mentioned
Join Me on Speak Loud Platform
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Connect with Jennifer on her website
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