Episode 161: A Mom’s Unexpected Journey Through The Cicada Cycles, with Anna Whiston-Donaldson

Anna Whiston-Donaldson is a popular author and speaker whose New York Times bestselling book, Rare Bird: A Memoir of Loss and Love chronicles the raw, early grief of losing her 12 year old son in a freak accident. Selected one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2014, Rare Bird resonates with readers looking for hope in impossible circumstances. 

She also has a children’s book, A Hug from Heaven, that speaks to grieving children from the point of view of a loved one who died. Anna has been featured in The Washington Post, Ladies Home Journal, Woman’s Day, Time Magazine, and other publications both print and online. She lives with her family in the Virginia suburbs, has a blog titled “An Inch of Gray,” and is launching a podcast late 2021.

In this episode, we talked about:

• The crazy parallels between her life and mine, in 17 year intervals (aka cicada time), our kids traversed the same experiences.
• How she channeled her grief about losing her son into writing her first book ‘Rare bird’
• The reality and feelings that come with child loss and the sudden change to the happy life you had
• Common misconceptions about grief
• Adjusting to another unexpected life turn by finding herself pregnant at 46

Anna’s journey moved her from abject grief to helping others heal through her writing, then getting a surprise second chance at parenting with an unplanned pregnancy at age 46. She hopes to inspire people, through sharing her story, to embrace the life you have versus the life you thought you’d have.

CLICK HERE to read the article that compelled me to reach out to her for this interview. (Warning! Get out a tissue!!!)

Click on any of the links below to learn more about Anna and connect with her:

Website: annawhistondonaldson.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annawhistondonaldson/ 

FB: http://facebook.com/aninchofgray 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aninchofgray?lang=en

If you'd like to connect or reach out to ME, you can find me at:

Website: www.notyouraveragegrandma.com  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LaurieColvinWright  

Instagram: www.instagram.com/not_your_average_grandma  

Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/NotYourAverageGrandma   

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