Learning from the Curve

The recent death of George Floyd has sparked an outrage in the United States that has been impossible to ignore. As a result there is rioting across the nation as well as people speaking up regarding their own experience with racism and injustice.  My friend, Educator Heather O'Donley, speaks with me regarding her feelings about the tragic death of George Floyd as well as her own experience with racisms. She shares ideas of how to teach children to watch out for racism and how to stand up to it.

Corona Virus has really rocked our world, especially when schools were closed for the next three weeks, and in some areas for the foreseeable future.  Educator Caroline Jones talks about tricks and tips to support parents while they are home navigating the new world of full time teacher to their children. She touches on showing yourself grace when you feel inadequate and not comparing yourself to anything you see on social media.   

Nikki Harmon is a wife, mother and a marriage and family therapist located in American Fork, Utah. After her second divorce, she was left feeling embarassed about the thought of another heartbreaking ending. It seemed as though happiness was always just a little bit out of reach. When she married her now husband she realized that life will always be hard, even when life is going the way you want it to. That realization has put life into perspective for her as she realized that it's vital to choose happiness in the hard.  Connect with Nikki on Facebook or Instagram at Nikki Harmon Therapy or on her website - Nikkiharmontherapy.com

Deanie Wimmer is a long time Utah news anchor who hosts the evening news on KSL. She is also an Emmy award-winning reporter who covers education and leads the station’s literacy initiative “Read Today.” But did you also know that she is a supporter of finding mentors in life to help you get where you're going? In this episode, Deanie talks about her long standing career and how she's been so successful. She discusses life-long learning and not being afraid to ask for help. She gives great advice for anyone who is interested in trying something new but isn't sure how to get going.   

Setting boundaries with family and friends can be so difficult. My friend Sarah shares what it was like growing up with a mother who had an addiction to pain killers and the process she used to set boundaries, inspired by Brene Brown.  Step 1: Decide what is okay and what is not okay. Step 2: Make a plan. Step 3: Say no instead of feeling resentful. Although Sarah has wished to remain anonymous to protect the other people involved in her story, she bravely opens her heart to share the things she's learned. If you have a loved one struggling with addiction, you are not alone. If you need to set boundaries with a loved one, you are not alone.  Here is a video of Brene Brown explaining the idea of boundaries. Definitely worth your time to watch.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U3VcgUzqiI  

Brittany Moli grew up in a dysfunctional home where she was mentally and emotionally abused. Her older sister was sexually assaulted by her father several times until being caught and taken into custody.  In this episode, Brittany discusses the emotional distance she felt from her biological parents and what it was like to be put in foster care and then later adopted into the Moli Family.  She bravely shares her life experiences as she hopes to help others who have been or are currently in the foster care system. 

Ashley and Alo were married soon after meeting in 2013. They were eager to begin their life together but felt frustrated to realize they were experiencing infertility. Ashley eventually decided that maybe there were other children who needed she and Alo. Together, after making the decision that this was what was best for them, they pursued fostering to adopt.  But in true form, life had bigger and harder plans for them. They were asked to foster a family of 6 children. Instead of splitting them up, Ashley and Alo took them all in. Many of them had disabilities and some of them had severe behaviors.  However, Ashley and Alo say that giving them back wasn't an option. They worked tirelessly to support these children, and teach them appropriate ways to interact with others. Through the ups and downs they have grown and developed so much love for their children. Listen and be inspired by this family. 

I recently went through a miscarriage at 10 weeks along and then hemorrhaged a week later. This week on the podcast I discuss that experience and the three things it taught me.  While this was a very difficult trial in my life, I have drawn several dividends from this defeat.  1. Hard is hard. It's not our place to judge who's situations are the most difficult.  2. Sharing our difficulties allows other people to share their difficulties.  3. Draw dividends from your defeat and write them down.  These three lessons have brought value to a very difficult situation. I'm a firm believer that God can take difficult life circumstances and allow the effects of them to bring light into our lives.   

It's so hard on parents when their child comes home from school and tells them that they don't like their teacher or that they feel their teacher doesn't like them. Sarah Roberts, an Executive Director in a Utah school district, talks with me about tips to help parents figure out what may be going on and the process to take while working with the teacher to support the child. 

Mike and Marcella are parents to Brody, a 4 year old with Diastrophic Dysplasia - a rare form of dwarfism. In this episode, Mike and Marcella tell about having a son with different abilities and what life is like with him. They describe how intelligent Brody is as well as some of the difficulties of having a son who needs medical support from another state. Their life is one of happiness and joy despite the difficulties they've endured. Listen and be inspired by Brody's Big Adventure!

Cortney Humphrey opens up about the birth of her second child, Quinn, who was born with an extremely rare form of dwarfism. She discusses the peace she felt while pregnant with Quinn and how it carried over after her delivery. Cortney also mentions how she dealt with her grief and how it didn't hit her right after losing Quinn but rather after the birth of her third child. Cortney acknowledges how much anxiety and PTSD she eventually felt and her realization that she needed some help in working through it. 

Learning from the Curve - because life doesn’t care who’s  at the plate, it will always throw the curve. The good news is you don’t have to strike out. In fact, this could be the most beautiful  home run in the history of the game.   The Learning from the Curve Podcast was started for the following reasons: To honor Paige who changed my life in every way possible. She opened my eyes to the pain and suffering around me. She taught me to look into people’s eyes, smile and genuinely ask how they’re doing. She showed me that we should handle everyone with genuine love and care.  To remind myself and others that we are not alone in dealing with difficult life circumstances.  To inspire friendships and foster healing through the sharing of our personal curveballs.

An explanation of the loss of my daughter Paige and the reason for starting the Learning from the Curve Podcast