138: Living Through This: Kristen McGuiness on Motherhood, Gun Violence, and Creative Healing

Rewrite the Mother Code with Dr. Gertrude Lyons

In this episode, Dr. Gertrude speaks with Kristen McGuiness, author of ‘Live Through This’ and founder of Rise Writers, about being an entrepreneur mom, being honest about the parenting experience, and working with transformational healing opportunities.

While Kristen wasn’t always sure she wanted to be a mother, she knew she would never sacrifice her work or parenting life. Both can exist side by side! She shares her joy with having two “really short friends she loves taking care of.” As entrepreneurs, she and her husband are able to integrate their children into their lives much more than when they worked traditional office jobs. We discuss being a good role model for your children, prioritizing fun even when life feels stressful, and deciding to have children later in life.

Kristen’s experiences of fearing for her children’s future and the realities of gun violence inspired her critically acclaimed novel, ‘Live Through This.’ She speaks to how she wrote her way through the pain, anxiety, and fear with her book as a transformational healing opportunity. There’s a lot of creation energy that comes from being a mother and being a writer. Learning to create boundaries around those wellsprings is vital.

You’ll also hear about:

• (02:19) Welcome Kristen McGuiness!
• (06:03) Uncertainty about becoming a mother
• (13:56) Inviting your children into your life
• (16:54) Benefits of entrepreneurship for parents
• (23:50) Intentionally having kids later in life
• (29:39) How motherhood and gun violence inspired ‘Live Through This’
• (39:09) Movement to end gun violence
• (44:39) Transformational healing opportunity
• (59:00) Motherhood as an act of freedom

Kristen’s work is so potent, and there are many gems to take away from this episode!

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