The Accidental Caregiver
August 26, 2020
Hosted by Cheryl Espinosa-Jones
[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]
Guest Information
Episode Description
Needing a job to make ends meet, Gregor Collins stumbled into one of the most meaningful three years of his life. With absolutely no experience as a personal caregiver, his friend begged him to work for Maria Altmann, the inspiration for the film Woman in Gold. Having survived the holocaust she went on to live a life filled with meaning and depth, and also great love. She then pursued what many thought would be a hopeless lawsuit, fighting to having the art stolen from her family returned to them, including Woman in Gold, a Klimt painting of her aunt. Defying expectation, she won. And getting to know her Gregor could see how her tenacity, charm and sheer lovability must have contributed to the result. His initial reluctance to take on the job turned into three years of adventure, learning and love. At the end of her life and the start of his, their deep affection saw them both through and helped them towards the next steps; the end of her life and the fulfillment of his.
Good Grief with Cheryl Espinosa Jones
Wednesday at 2 PM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel
On Good Grief we explore the losses that define our lives. Each week, we talk
with people who have transformed themselves through the profound act of
grieving. Why settle for surviving? Say yes to the many experiences that embody
loss! Grief can teach you where your strengths are, and ignite your courage. It
can heighten your awareness of what is important to you and help you let go of
what is not.
On Good Grief, we are inspired by people who have made something miraculous
out of their deepest heartaches! We listen as they share how they have walked
through their own exquisite pain and what they have gained as a result. We
come away ready to follow our own dreams to a deeper, more meaningful time
on this beautiful earth! Listen for Good Grief, broadcast live every Wednesday at
2 PM Pacific Time on the VoiceAmerica Health and Wellness Channel.
Cheryl Espinosa-Jones
Cheryl Jones is a grief counselor. During her education as a Marriage and Family
Therapist, her first wife was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, which was at the
time a uniformly terminal illness with a six month to one year prognosis. In the
eight years that followed, Cheryl engaged daily in the work of preparing for her
death. She received training during this period from Stephen and Ondrea Levine
(Who Dies and Grieving Into Life and Death) and Richard Olney (founder of Self-Acceptance Training). After her wife’s death, Cheryl immersed herself in her own multifaceted grief, surprised by frequent moments of joy.
Cheryl is a consultant and group leader at the Free Therapy Program of the Women’s Cancer Resource Center. She has trained extensively with Erving Polster, leader in the field of gestalt therapy and author of Everybody’s Life is
worth a Novel. She was Clinical Director at the Alternative Family Project, which served the therapeutic needs of LGBTQ families in San Francisco. She also wrote a column called Motherlines for the San Francisco Bay Times and ran Considering Parenthood groups for the LGBT community.
Before becoming a therapist, Cheryl enjoyed careers as a musician, a restaurant owner and a carpenter. She still enjoys singing with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, eating food in outstanding Bay Area locations and remodeling her Craftsman. She lives with her wife in Oakland, California and especially savors
time with her family and friends.
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