“I really wanted to reach the parents who might be crying in their kitchen and feeling alone—to let them know they’re not alone in those feelings.” – Jennifer Celeste Briggs In this moving episode, Jennifer Celeste Briggs opens up about her powerful memoir Watching Sarah Rise, the story of raising her daughter Sarah, who faced developmental challenges from birth. With honesty, warmth, and resilience, Jennifer shares how she turned overwhelming fear into focused action—building a Sunrise program at home and documenting every step in a series of letters that became the foundation for her book. Tune in to hear how one mom rewrote the rules of parenting, self-compassion, and advocacy. Key Themes: Turning Guilt into Empowerment: How Jennifer shifted from feeling responsible for her daughter’s struggles to becoming her most joyful advocate. The Sunrise Program Unpacked: A deep dive into the holistic autism therapy that transformed Jennifer’s approach to parenting. The Emotional Labor of Writing: From tearful edits to loving pushback from her husband, Jennifer recounts how collaboration shaped her memoir. Every Milestone Counts: Celebrating Sarah’s smallest steps—like scooting forward—as monumental victories. Pandemic Silver Linings: How lockdown offered the time and clarity Jennifer needed to pull her story together. Sisterhood and Resilience: The unexpected bond that grew between Sarah and her younger sister during lockdown. From First Grade to First Drafts: The story of Jennifer’s early love for storytelling—and how it all started with a stick figure in a skirt. Buy Watching Sarah Rise Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cXhes4 Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9781647428242 Connect with Jennifer Website: https://www.watchingsarahrise.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferbriggsauthor/ Connect with Mike Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvS4fuG3L1JMZeOyHvfk_g Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncorkingastory/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uncorkingastory Twitter: https://twitter.com/uncorkingastory Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncorkingastory LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/ If you like this episode, please share it with a friend. If you have not done so already, please rate and review Uncorking a Story on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. #WatchingSarahRise #ParentingSpecialNeeds #SunriseProgram #MemoirWriting #AutismAwareness #MomLife #UncorkingAStory #JenniferCelesteBriggs #Neurodiversity #EmpathyInParenting Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.