Imagine taking the worst tragedy a parent can live through and using that story to inspire others and help them through their pain?
That’s exactly what my next guest’s life work is now all about after her son was killed while serving in Afghanistan.
Join us as we discuss the profound impact this experience had on her family and how she has transformed others' lives through the power of storytelling.
Holly is the Gold Star Ambassador/Liaison to Families of the Fallen and a Storytelling Coach for The Heroes Journey. She is a Gold Star Mom whose 23-year-old son, SrA Daniel J Johnson, was KIA on Oct. 5, 2010, in Kandahar Province, Dand District, Afghanistan.
Her son Danny was an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Technician in the United States Air Force. His traumatic and tragic death sent her on a spiritual journey of growth with grief as her companion. She has discovered that grief is not something harmful to avoid, that drags us down.
Instead, Holly looks at grief as a gift that assists us in mourning our loved ones and can teach us and give us spiritual gifts. Some surprising gifts grief has given Holly are greater purpose and meaning, unshakable peace and faith, more profound appreciation, and increased joy for what remains in her life.
Holly is a wife, a mom of seven, and a granny of eight. Professionally, she worked as a Registered Nurse and a Social Worker in the mental health field for over 20 years.
As a Social Worker, Holly primarily worked as a Forensic Specialist for those who were found not guilty because of mental disease or defect.
She also Supervised Drug Court for Women in Dane County WI, and in her last professional position, Holly was the Director of a Homeless Shelter for Women in Madison, WI
Holly’s son’s courage, patriotism, integrity, and passion inspire her every day to be a person worthy of all that he sacrificed for the country he loved enough to die for.
Daniel is her inspiration and her hero.
Last Man Out Play - https://lastoutplay.com/
Storytelling workshops - https://theheroesjourney.org/
Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76