Loss, Love, and Barbie Cakes [Part 1] | Alison Donnelly

Today Jonathan is joined by Alison Donnelly. Alison is a stay-at-home mom living in Brooklyn and is married to one of Jonathan’s long-time friends Dan. Alison talks about her blog Formerly Fat Mom, which chronicled her journey of getting back into shape with a dose of humor and self-deprecation. She and Jonathan also talk about what it is like to lose a parent, give a eulogy, compare end-of-life stories of their parents and any regrets they may still have, the mixed emotions of watching your children grow up and even slip in the best Barbie cake story you may ever hear!

Key Takeaways:

[:31] Jonathan’s guest today is Alison Donnelly. Alison is married to one of Jonathan’s oldest friends, Dan, whom he met and befriended at a tennis and surf club. She is a stay-at-home mom to their 10-year-old son, Thomas.

[1:59] Alison’s father Aubert passed away in May 2016, when he was 86. Jonathan had a similar loss, as his father passed away 13 years ago at age 67.

[7:28] One of the messages in Jonathan’s writing that touched Alison is: ask your parents all the questions you can about their life, philosophies, and stories, and share as many stories about yourself as you possibly can with your children for them to remember you by.

[8:29] Alison and her husband Dan have been married for 14 years, and together since 1999.

[23:09] Alison shares her experience of working with her dad on his eulogy, and recounts some stories she wishes she shared at his funeral.

[42:09] Although letting the kids go to camp can be tough for the parents, it gives them a sense of identity and opportunity to just be a kid and make new friends and connections.

[47:44] For a lot of people, as their parents age and need more help, the roles of child and parent change and we find ourselves having almost to parent them.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Formerly Fat Mom - blog

Formerly Fat Mom on Facebook

Formerly Fat Mom on Twitter

Formerly Fat Mom on Instagram

Jonathan Greene Medium Page

Quotes:

• “We always knew we wanted to give our kids better than we had.”
• “You don’t have to wait until your parents are sick to investigate and ask