63. Dontaira Terrell: Navigating Grief and Finding Light After a Tragic Accident by Happiness through Hardship

Wise beyond her years, today's guest talks grief and life lessons learned from her mother on "Happiness through Hardship" - The Podcast. Dontaira Terrell, managing editor for 21Ninety, has a talent for seeking out, reporting and showcasing lifestyle content. One of her first big breaks was a feature about her mother in Ebony. On this episode she shares that heartwarming and heart-wrenching story about a tragic car accident that showcases love between a family and lessons learned through hardship.

I first met Dontaira while we worked together at Disney and ESPN Media Networks and knew then - what the world sees now - that she’s a superstar professionally and personally. Her love for documenting the world around her has landed her some huge interviews with big names such as Michael B. Jordan, Tyra Banks, and Russell Westbrook. She has been featured in the New York Times and Forbes, as well as had bylines in countless national mediums including BET, MTV, VH1, and more. Her mother was her biggest fan and often mentor, providing love and feedback even from the depths of her hospital bed.

Today's episode is deeply sad, but also full of love and light. Dontaira shares her mother's devastating accident and the aftermath that changed her family's life. Please check out this episode and others as well as rate, review and subscribe...your efforts truly help this podcast inspire more people and share the message that we can all find a little joy during whatever hard journey we are going through in life.

SHOW NOTES
5:09 - Admiring Dontaira’s mother's empathy for others
8:06 - The accident
11:16 - Dontaira realizes the extremity of what had happened
12:17 - Dontaira becomes her mother’s caretaker
12:52 - Dontaira’s father fights for his wife
15:45 - Trauma
16:51 - Special moments Dontaira shared with her mom in the hospital
21:27 - One of Dontaira’s proudest moments in her journalism career
22:55 - The range of emotions Dontaira felt after her mom’s passing
24:48 - Being physically present, but having her mind elsewhere
26:27 - Dontaira opens up and keeps her mom’s legacy alive
37:43 - The ways Dontaira continues to remember her mom in everyday life
45:19 - Dontaira appreciating the support system around her
46:47 - Caryn and Dontaira play The Grateful Game

Ebony Feature on Dontaira's mother, Ellen Terrell - https://www.ebony.com/life/what-nearly-losing-my-mom-taught-me-about-life-033/

21Ninety - https://21ninety.com/author/Dontaira%20Terrell

CONNECT with Dontaira
Website - https://dontairaterrell.contently.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontairaterrell/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dontaira
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dontairaterrell

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To Buy the Book:

Happiness through Hardship - The Book:
amzn.to/39PAjuT