There are moments in life that change everything in an instant. A phone call, a diagnosis, a loss , they can shatter the world as we know it, leaving us standing in the debris of what once was.
My guest this week, Jenny Brandemuehl, knows this truth all too well. A single phone call changed the course of her life forever, and yet, it also led her toward a deeper understanding of healing after loss, resilience, and the power of love and hope.

Jenny’s husband, Mark, was an experienced pilot and her soulmate for more than three decades. On what should have been a routine flight, his plane crashed and burst into flames. Miraculously, he survived - but with burns over 80% of his body. In the aftermath, Jenny became his voice, his advocate, and his unwavering companion through countless surgeries, painful recoveries, small victories, and heart-breaking setbacks.

From this unimaginable experience came her deeply moving memoir,
Forever Fly Free: One Woman’s Story of Resilience and the Power of Hope and Love.
It is both a love story and a story of rebirth, one woman’s journey through grief recovery and personal transformation, finding purpose in her darkest moments, rebuilding her identity from the ground up, and learning to open once more to the fullness of life.

In our heartfelt conversation, Jenny spoke with warmth and authenticity about the healing process, the courage it takes to live and love again, and how grief can become a gateway to personal growth. Her story is a reminder that even in the depths of loss, there is always a spark of life waiting to be rekindled, if we are willing to open our hearts to it.

So much of what Jenny shared resonated deeply with me. We will all, at some point, experience profound loss - moments that shift our entire perspective and quietly transform us from within. In those moments of deep emotion, something within us awakens. We begin to see, feel, and sense the world differently - perhaps more tenderly, more truthfully. It’s as though we begin to truly wake up to life again.

Even though I did not experience the same trauma as Jenny, I felt an undeniable connection to her words, the recognition that love is constant and change is inevitable.
And when we can find acceptance in this truth, we begin to move through the hardest days with a little more grace, a little more softness, and a deeper appreciation for the love that still surrounds us.

Jenny’s story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, to the healing power of hope, faith, and love.
May her courage remind us all that no matter how life may change, love will always find a way to lead us home to ourselves.

🌷 Listen to the Full Conversation

Join me on The Sharon Fitzmaurice Podcast as I sit down with Jenny Brandemuehl to explore her powerful journey of love, loss, and renewal.
Her wisdom will inspire anyone seeking emotional healing, self-discovery, and the courage to live again after heartbreak.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here

If Jenny’s story touches your heart, please share it with someone who may need a gentle reminder today that even through deep loss, hope and love can guide us back to ourselves.

Sharon Fitzmaurice

Holistic Wellness Coach, Author & Podcast Host

After my powerful conversation with my guest, Carol Look on The Sharon Fitzmaurice Podcast, I found myself deeply moved and reflective. We explored the ways in which we often sabotage our own success, whether in our careers, relationships, or simply in allowing ourselves to thrive. Carol spoke with such clarity and compassion about how unresolved trauma and limiting beliefs can keep us stuck in patterns of fear, self-doubt, and self-sabotage.

As I listened to her, I couldn't help but reflect on my own journey.

There were many moments in my past where I didn’t allow myself to even imagine what could be possible. I was so entrenched in survival mode - caught in the aftershocks of trauma, that I couldn’t see beyond the pain. It was as if I was living in a small, dimly lit room, unaware that there was a door leading out into the light. I see now that I wasn't broken; I was simply trying to stay safe in the only way I knew how.

But healing has taught me something beautiful: we are allowed to choose ourselves. In fact, that choice is the beginning of everything.

When we make the decision to no longer stay small, when we stop dimming our light to fit into places that no longer serve us - we begin to reclaim our power. That first step is often the hardest, because it requires us to believe in something we may not yet fully see: the possibility of transformation.

As Carol and I spoke, I felt an energy within me ignite - sparks of something familiar and sacred. It was that deep knowing, the quiet but powerful affirmation that this work - helping others to heal, to rise, and to reconnect with their truth - is not only purposeful, but vital.

We often get lost in trying to protect ourselves, constructing walls so high that no one, not even our true selves, can get in. And while those walls may have once felt like safety, over time, they become our cages. Instead of feeling secure, we feel more isolated, more disconnected from the world - and from our own potential.

But here’s the truth I want to share with you, from one soul to another:

There is hope.

You are not alone in feeling stuck or unsure. You are not the only one who has questioned your worth or shrunk yourself to fit into someone else's version of safety. But the beauty of this journey is that we can always choose again. We can choose to soften, to open, to trust. We can choose to remember who we are beneath the pain.

Healing isn’t about becoming someone new - it’s about coming home to yourself.

So, if you find yourself sabotaging the very things you desire, pause. Breathe. Be gentle with yourself. And know that every small act of self-love, every boundary you set, every time you say yes to your own growth, is a step toward the life you were always meant to live.

You are worthy. You are powerful. And you are never too far gone to begin again.

With love,

Sharon Fitzmaurice

Author, Holistic Wellness Coach & Podcast Host