Surviving A Tsunami of Grief: A Conversation with Andrea Maher
Remember playing in the sand, your back to the ocean, oblivious of the huge waves heading toward you? Suddenly, a mountain of raging water crashes over your body, and slams your body into the sand. Before you can catch a breath, another huge wave pulls you out to sea and into a riptide. Similarly, Andrea Maher experienced tumultuous life events that threatened to pull her under a raging ocean of grief, shattered dreams, and hopelessness. Her oldest son’s battle with drug addiction ended when drug induced hypothermia took his life. Several years later, her youngest son made a decision that would forever change his life and resulted in imprisonment. How does a mother not just survive, but find hope and joy when a tsunami of grief repeatedly slams her deeper into an abyss of sorrow? In this transparent conversation, Andrea shares her story as a means of offering help and hope to others slammed by life, who are holding on by just their fingernails. There is hope.
Andrea Maher's Bio
Andrea Maher is the former editor-in-chief of PARENT ABC’S a monthly magazine. Her writings have been featured in local newspapers and parenting publications nationwide. She writes a monthly blog, Women Arise, for Soldiers for Faith Ministries. She is the author of SLAMMED: Overcoming Tragedy in the Wave of Grief, and her newly released book, “LETTERS TO MY SON: Solely a God-Story” is available through Amazon.
She is the executive director of the Be Still Foundation, a ministry that disseminates hope and encouragement to families in crisis. She has been married to her husband John for 44 years and has four children and 10 grandchildren. You can listen to Andrea’s MARKINC Help & Hope story: Surviving a Tsunami of Grief, and her son, Matt’s Help & Hope Story: One Wrong Decision Can Change Everything.
From pro soccer player to ex-convict Matt Maher’s story is a call to young people to think carefully before making impulsive decisions. Matt was born and raised in a strong Christian family, and for most of his life he was a good reflection of that upbringing. He was extremely successful in academia and sports, attended Temple University on a scholarship and was contracted to play professional soccer. Then one night, he made one choice that changed everything. On March 7, 2009 he made the decision to drink and drive–causing a fatal accident. Charged with aggravated manslaughter and sentenced to 5 ½ years in prison, Matt faced choices he never imagined possible.