My mom has been my biggest supporter throughout my life and always listens to my podcasts.  But she also has a story tell - one that is full of difficulty softened by faith.  In 1973, my mom suffered a life-threatening emergency when she developed HELLP syndrome during her labor with my sister (that wasn't the term they used back then, so my mom is a case study in the medical books). Every Mother's Day since has been a gift, because she almost didn't make it.  In this episode, we talk about some of her memories growing up, her experiences working at Grand Canyon to put herself through college, and her first years working as a teacher.  But it's her traumatic birth story, the critical days afterward and the years she spent trying to heal that have made my mom one of the most empathetic people I know.  Her advice to people suffering from long-term illness is so good.  And her experience grieving her old life and making adjustments to a new life is worth hearing.  Come meet my mom!