A journey through Motherhood

Life doesn’t always unfold as we imagine it will - especially in motherhood. Often, it takes us on a journey that cracks us open, reshapes us, and ultimately reveals the depth of our inner strength. On this week’s episode of The Sharon Fitzmaurice Podcast, I’m honoured to sit with Tracy Holmes - a devoted mother of three and wife to Andrew, living in the beautiful surroundings of Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

Tracy’s story is a profound and heartfelt reflection of what it means to grow through motherhood, especially when faced with challenges that shake us to our core. In her raw and beautifully written memoir Raising Resilience, published by Orla Kelly Publishing, she shares the emotionally charged experience of the premature birth of her twin boys, the diagnosis of Down Syndrome for one of her sons, and the early separation of the twins during that tender first year.

But at the heart of Tracy’s story lies something even more universal - the often unspoken reality of maternal mental health.

So many women, as Tracy so vulnerably shares, suffer in silence. Afraid of being judged, of not being seen as a "good enough" mother, they carry their pain alone. But Tracy’s message is one of deep compassion and truth: to be the kind of mother - or father - our children need, we must first care for ourselves. Looking after our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing is not a luxury; it is a necessity. When we tend to ourselves, we model to our children the power of self-love, resilience, and emotional integrity.

Tracy's healing journey included finding time for herself, reclaiming small yet powerful moments of peace and connection. One of her greatest sources of strength came from sea swimming - an act that brought her not only clarity and calm, but connection to a tribe of supportive women. She also found solace and understanding among other parents raising children with Down Syndrome, discovering that shared experience creates a sacred space where vulnerability is met with empathy rather than judgement.

This conversation is a call to all mothers and parents: you are not alone. Your struggles do not make you less - they are part of the courageous path you walk. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness; it is a profound act of love - for yourself, and for your children.

Tracy's story is a gentle yet powerful reminder that motherhood is not about doing it all perfectly, but about being real, being supported, and being kind to ourselves through the ever-evolving journey. In sharing her truth, she offers a guiding light for others to follow—out of isolation and into connection, out of fear and into trust.

Tune in to this soulful and healing episode. Let Tracy's voice and vulnerability remind you of your own strength, and the sacredness of tending to your own heart as you care for the hearts of those you love.

Sharon Fitzmaurice

Author, Wellbeing Coach & Podcast Host

The Garden of Life

The Garden of Your Life
By Sharon Fitzmaurice

Recently, I had the pleasure of being a guest on Your Time with James Sweetman, for a heartfelt conversation. While I absolutely love hosting my own podcast and holding space for others to share their stories, being the one asked the questions this time offered me a powerful moment of reflection, a pause to appreciate just how far I’ve come on my own healing and personal development journey.

I spoke about the little girl within me, the one who once had no voice. Today, she not only speaks, but shares the airwaves with others, celebrating their resilience and truth. In sharing my story with James, I felt a deep wave of gratitude for all the opportunities I’ve been given, the ones I’ve bravely stepped into, and the ones I’ve consciously created for myself.

It reminded me - and I hope reminds you, that no matter what your past holds, you can create a new chapter, each and every day.

During our conversation, James asked a profound question that many are asking these days: “What’s the difference between wellness and well-being?” And is the language becoming overused or diluted in today’s wellness industry?

It’s a valid question. These terms are often tossed around, but to me, their essence is sacred, and their meaning deeply personal.

Wellness, to me, is more than self-care rituals or ticking boxes for health. It's the active pursuit of vitality on every level - physical, emotional, mental, and beyond. Wellness becomes a lifestyle, one that requires conscious engagement and a willingness to ask ourselves:

• Am I living in alignment with what nourishes me?

• Do my habits support the life I want to create?

• Am I listening to my body’s whispers before they become cries?

Wellness is a daily devotion. It's how we show up for ourselves with care, presence, and intention. It’s the gardener within us, tending lovingly to the soil of our life.

Well-being, on the other hand, is the feeling state that arises when we walk that path with heart. It’s not just about how we feel in our bodies or minds—though that's part of it. Well-being reaches deeper, into our connection with life itself.

It encompasses:

• Emotional resilience

• Spiritual connection

• A sense of peace with who we are

Well-being is not something we chase, but something we cultivate, moment by moment. It’s the gentle bloom that unfolds when we’ve been lovingly tending to the soil.

So if wellness is the gardener, well-being is the garden in bloom.
Wellness is the effort—conscious, attentive, sacred.
Well-being is the result—the soft breezes, the joy, the wholeness.

And here’s the beautiful truth:
Without the gardener, the garden becomes overgrown or forgotten.
Without the garden, the gardener loses their purpose.

Wellness and well-being are not separate - they are sacred partners.
Each gives meaning and purpose to the other.

As I continue to walk my own path and share space with others on theirs, I am reminded that every one of us has a garden within—a place waiting to bloom. You are the gardener of your life. Your hands hold the power to clear, plant, nourish, and awaken what longs to thrive.

Tend it with love.
Walk with intention.
Let your well-being bloom.
Sharon 🌸

Breath by Breath: Reconnecting with Life

This week on The Sharon Fitzmaurice Podcast, I had the honour of speaking with Jade Horton, a woman whose story touched me in ways I’m still processing. On the 10th of December 2020, Jade experienced the kind of tragedy no parent could ever imagine -losing both of her precious children, Sienna (7) and Isaac (3), in a devastating house fire.

In an attempt to escape the flames, Jade jumped thirty feet from the burning building. Her injuries were life-threatening. She was told she would never walk again. She spent four long weeks in intensive care, underwent several operations, and faced a mountain of physical pain -but even greater was the pain in her heart.

Yet somehow, in the depths of that pain, something stirred within her. A quiet, unwavering strength. A love so powerful that it refused to give in. Jade chose to honour her children by choosing life. Through holistic healing, sheer determination, and an unshakable bond with her little ones in spirit, Jade took her first steps just twelve weeks later.

Everything she has done since that day -every breath, every step -has been for them. And now, through her healing and her work, she walks alongside other parents who are trying to survive the impossible.

After our conversation, I found myself sitting in stillness, my heart wide open. I kept returning to one thought: how do we go on after something so soul-shattering? And deeper still: do we really need to come close to death to fully reconnect with life?

Jade’s story reminded me that sometimes, it is through our most painful experiences that we come to see life differently - not with our eyes, but with our soul. It’s not always about surviving… sometimes it’s about remembering why we want to keep living at all. And when that reason is love - pure, unconditional love, it becomes our guide through the darkest of nights.

I often reflect on the paths we each walk. Some are straight and smooth, while others twist and turn with heartbreak and hope. I know in my own life, it wasn’t one grand act of bravery that kept me going - it was the small, quiet choices. The decision to keep showing up for life, even when I didn’t know what the next day would bring. The choice to meet myself in the moment, without judgement. To simply say: this is who I am today, and that is enough.

We’re all on a journey that takes us in unexpected directions. We set out aiming for one destination, only to discover we’re meant to arrive somewhere entirely different. And yet, that’s where the beauty lies. Not in the outcome, but in the becoming.

Life will always hold moments that take our breath away - some with wonder, some with sorrow. And there are times when we feel we may never breathe again. But eventually, we do. We take that next breath. And with it, we find a strength we didn’t know we had.

We carry on. Sometimes slowly, sometimes shakily. But we move forward - not because it’s easy, but because there is something, or someone, worth living for, may that someone is You.  Because in each step, no matter how small, we are reclaiming life. Not as it once was, but as it is now. Raw. Real. Sacred.

And that, to me, is the very essence of healing.

Sharon Fitzmaurice

Author, Holistic Wellness Coach, Podcast Host 

Reflecting on Loss and Growth

Rings of Time

Last week, I had the privilege of sitting down with Byddi Lee – Author, Playwright, and Screenwriter on my podcast - after reading her profoundly moving book Barren. It tells the story of a grieving woman who connects with the spirit of her miscarried child, unveiling the story of an ancient Irish woman navigating a climate catastrophe. As I turned the pages of Byddi’s story, I found myself deeply touched, not only by her beautiful writing but also by the tenderness with which she brought the unseen into the light.

Her story stirred something within me. It opened a quiet space in my heart where I reflected on my own journey through baby loss and miscarriage - two precious souls who came briefly into my life and who now live on in Spirit. I feel their presence with me every day. Though not here in the physical world, they are part of my story - woven into the fabric of my past and my present, guiding me in gentle ways I cannot always explain but deeply feel. They remind me daily of the love that never leaves and the connections that transcend form.

As Byddi and I spoke, our conversation flowed into the wisdom of trees and the stories they hold in their rings. We explored how the natural world mirrors our inner landscapes -how each tree ring, like each experience, tells a chapter of growth, struggle, resilience, and renewal.

When I reflect on the inner rings of a tree, I see the echoes of my own life. Each ring, a year lived. Each ring, a layer of who I’ve become. There are wide rings, representing times of flourishing, times when I stood rooted in purpose, sharing my heart’s work as a wellness coach, Reiki master, and clinical hypnotherapist. These were the seasons when healing felt expansive, and I witnessed both myself and others blossom.

And there are the narrower rings - those tender, more difficult years shaped by grief, uncertainty, and personal healing. The times when I had to pause, listen deeply, and gather strength from within. Losing those babies, moving through that silent grief, was part of those rings. Yet, even in sorrow, growth found a way. Like the tree that keeps reaching for light despite harsh seasons, I, too, found resilience I didn’t know I possessed. These sacred, quiet rings became the soil of my deepest empathy and the foundation of the support I now offer others on their healing paths.

The passage of time becomes visible in the rings of a tree, and in the same way, I see how the unfolding of my life has shaped me. Healing is not linear, it spirals, circles, and returns, just like those rings. And in each return, I gain new understanding, not only of myself but of the strength that comes from loving deeply, even when that love is carried in Spirit rather than in arms.

As I continue to reflect, I honour the stories of those I’ve worked with and walked beside. Their journeys, their trust, and their healing are woven into my own rings, just as mine are woven into theirs. We are all part of a greater forest, each tree individual, yet deeply interconnected. Our roots meet beneath the surface, where compassion and shared experience grow.

The resilience of the tree through storm and drought reminds me of the strength within all of us. Every challenge, every joy, every soul we’ve loved and lost adds to the layers of who we are. And just as the tree stands tall, its story etched in every ring, I, too, stand with my story - proud, grounded, and ever-growing.

In the end, I hope that my journey, my words, and the love I carry will encourage others to honour their own rings, to recognise the beauty in their growth, the sacredness of their pain, and the unbreakable bonds that endure beyond time. Like the tree, may we all leave behind a legacy of resilience, wisdom, and love.

You can watch my beautiful conversation with Byddi HERE on YouTube

Sharon Fitzmaurice

Author, Wellness Coach & Podcast Host

Reflecting on change - Retreat

This past weekend I spent another wonderful retreat weekend with people from all over Ireland and the Uk,  in The Boghill Centre  . Every time I arrive to the centre in the beautiful rural setting of Kilfenora, Co. Clare, I am embraced by the peace and welcoming natural beauty of its surroundings. This is my home away from home for two weekends every year and I get to share it with the most amazing people each time. 

The theme of the retreat this month was Transforming with Spirit, it is not about changing who you are, but gently and compassionately acknowledging, accepting and loving yourself for who you are right now. It is changing the way you see yourself and how you feel about you from this moment on. It was a deeply emotional and life changing weekend for many of us including me. 

Many of the retreat participants were new to our little weekend getaway, but there were many familiar faces that have returned for the 4th and 5th time to further acknowledge where they are on their journey in life and to reconnect with themselves and a beautiful network of unconditional support and love from the group and from their new friends. It is amazing to see the bonds that are made on a soul level between people on the retreat, it is like we are stripped back of all ego, masks and pretense. We open our hearts to each other to reveal a beautiful but sometimes vulnerable side to ourselves that we are unable to do until now.

On this retreat I was joined by fellow Spiritual Medium Teachers Bronia West  & Wayne McHugh who shared so much of their beautiful energy with us all in imparting their learned skills from years of experience in helping others to connect on a deeper level to themselves and to Spirit. It was a such a joy to work in the energy of these two amazing people. In the evening we invited Bev Shiplee up to join them for an evening of Mediumship, beautiful messages of love, forgiveness and support were channelled from Spirit to the groups. There were even a few surprise guests invited to debut their abilities. Amazing to watch the courage shining through when we just allow ourselves to stand in our power. 

This was my 13th group to bring on retreat and each time is completely different. I know I am guided in my work and no matter what the plan in my head is, I have to just go with my heart. The flow of the retreat is all depending on the energy of the group and I always go with that. I know that with each exercise we partake in we are deepening our love and understanding to ourselves and the world. I truly believe that there are miracles occurring right in front of us everyday and sometimes we just need to stop and accept them, but first we must accept ourselves.

I felt deeply grateful to lead this retreat with so many amazing and talented people all waiting to shine their light even brighter. I was honoured on the Sunday closing ceremony by each person with a thank you from their heart and a special message from each, I felt it very deeply and it moved my soul into a new state of gratitude for life and for learning. 

We are all learning and growing, no matter who we are, where we are in our journey, we have so much more to experience. And whilst doing so you can have loads of fun along the way, well in our retreats we certainly know how to throw an after party.

Love to all. 

Our September retreat is nearly fully booked, so I may have a surprise retreat in May 26th to 28th, please let me know if you are interested.