Soul SiStories
Soul SiStories was born out of a mutual desire to bring forward hope and healing through sharing our lived experiences. Hope is embracing life despite adversity. Hope is our reason.
Soul SiStories
Rethinking Success: Curiosity, Resilience, And The Future Our Kids Will Build
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What if the most important thing you teach a young person isn’t a formula or a checklist, but how to listen to their own curiosity? We sit with Mary—educator, consultant, and nonprofit co-founder—whose path winds from risk management to a fifth-grade classroom, then into a practice built to serve students and protect space for her family. Her story is raw and generous: an honest look at systems that narrow learning, the noise that overwhelms families, and the deeper purpose that shows up when you slow down enough to hear it.
Mary breaks down what effective educational consulting really looks like: clearing the “parking lot noise,” shifting from prestige to fit, and turning anxiety about cost and outcomes into a plan grounded in discovery. She shares practical ways to test interests—shadowing, short projects, camps, and real-world reps—so teens learn what energizes them before they choose majors or schools. We explore how to frame missteps as data, keep rigor in perspective, and build the portable skills students need for a future where many jobs don’t yet exist.
The conversation widens and deepens as Mary talks about her daughter Liz, born with a complex congenital heart defect, and the realities of balancing caregiving and career. She exposes the painful gap between pediatric and adult healthcare—especially during COVID—and how that led her to co-found Marvel Liz Hearts to support young adults in transition. Through grief, she found practices that anchored her: meditation, reflection, and a commitment to advocacy that keeps hope moving outward. Along the way you’ll hear her favorite walk-in song, the book that keeps teaching her new things, and why hope sounds like ocean waves.
If you’re a parent, educator, or student craving clarity over pressure, this one’s for you. Listen, share with someone who needs a calmer path to college, and leave a review to help more families find hope and practical guidance.
www.marvelizheart.org
www.gemsightccp.com
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Opening And Why Mary Inspires
SPEAKER_02Welcome to Soul Sisters. That was such a great talk we just had with uh Mary. That was uh, man, was that inspiring? I know that we know her, she's a friend, but man, she lit me up that uh misstep is just an experience. Boy, what a great thing to take to heart. Everybody needs to listen to this one, whether you are a young person who is just stepping into that adult world, so much to say. But those of us who are full grown adult on the old lady side, man, there's stuff for us here too. She she lit me up. I'm so excited about this one. Everybody, listen in.
Mary’s Path From Risk Management To Teaching
SPEAKER_01You won't come. Join us with Mary. Mary was driven by her deep commitment to impactful teaching and mentoring. Following that, she earned a master's degree in education. After years working in education and consulting, she founded Gemstite College and Career Planners, where she continues to serve as the managing partner. Mary is a leader in educational consulting. Her dedication to the well-being of others extends well beyond her professional endeavors, though. She has been actively involved in her community for years. And in 2021, after experiencing a loss in her family, her commitment to societal well-being took a step further when she founded a nonprofit organization, Marvelous Heart, aimed at aiding young individuals with congenital heart defects navigate from pediatric to adult care. Mary finds hope through curiosity, and I'm excited to welcome her to Soul Sistries. Yay!
SPEAKER_00Thank you. Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_02We are just thrilled to have you, Mary. And um, and so Diana's known you uh longer than I have, but since the time that I met you, so impressed and inspired by this uh tremendous um energetic outreach that you do in so many different areas. I know you personally as somebody with a huge heart, but that you've put given it feet and have put it into practice in so many ways is is inspiring, is inspiring and impressive. What do you think it is that has driven that in you? You're just born that way. Like what is what is the heart of being that gives you that?
SPEAKER_00I think um, well, I've always been a person that probably asked too many questions as a child. Um, you know, why, why, why, did that make sense? Um, as I tried to make sense of my own world in a in a pretty chaotic upbringing. Um, and then, you know, a commitment to um really just wanting a better life as I moved into adulthood and looking and asking those questions. So that curiosity is is somewhat, I guess you would say, born into me. Um, always wanting to see the world and how it really works, and then leading down into different paths um as we try to figure out ourselves. So that that's really been the key of it.
SPEAKER_02Um I'm gonna jump in with a follow-up to that because it it sort of begs the question: what then gives you the um sense of self, the wherewithal to act on that curiosity? Because a lot of people have the wondering, but then giving feet to that and the chutzpah, yeah, to follow through and make it real. What is it in you that that creates that, that does that?
First Classrooms And Finding A Calling
SPEAKER_00Well, from a young age of always knowing I wanted a different adult family life than I was raised in. So I knew that education was going to be my key of getting out and doing my own um setting my own path. So, but when I went into education, when I went in, when I left high school and I went to to college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. And I really went with, oh, you're good at math, you're smart, you're this, oh, and this makes a lot of money. So go in this direction. And what I was told to do without really questioning, would I be happy doing it? I knew I would be good at doing it because I am a good problem solver, but would I be happy? Would I be fulfilled? And when I when I was in college and I studied risk management, I went and I shadowed uh a professional, my senior year. That was a little late of senior year of college. And I was like, this is so boring. I was literally like, all you do is talk and go to meetings, and this is not what I want. Um, so you know, graduating college at a time where jobs were not at a uh the best of the job market was not all that strong. So I ended up teaching in a small parochial school in Philadelphia in a low-income area with no experience. I had no business being in education at the time either. I had no experience. It was I was 22 years old, and I literally the nun opened up the classroom for me and said, the curriculum is over in that closet. And I took over a classroom that had been um taught in by another teacher for decades. And that was when I had to say, okay, now I like to ask questions, but how do I make this work? Yeah. I felt a responsibility for those students to make it work and going from there. And that kind of branched off from risk management into education, and then where I ended up uh going back for my teaching degree.
SPEAKER_02I mean, and shout out to educators, right? Because it is a profession. It isn't art. One must be trained. You should never walk in.
SPEAKER_00And I and I often joke now of I really should go back and apologize to those fifth grade students because learning on the fly, that is not what teachers should be doing. Although, fortunately, I you know, being even though family life was, you know, less than ideal, I did have a family that education was important and asking questions and learning on your own was often encouraged. It did help. Um, so I did have that, at least not going in my corner, but I do look at them and and think, why was I teaching history to fifth graders when I truly had no interest in history myself? Um so it was uh it was learn it was a learning experience for sure. And then I did take a I did take a time and go into the risk management and field a little bit and uh work in some 401ks and such, and uh realize that really was as boring as I thought it was. So then I went into education for real. Um, and so then I ended up merging the two as life progressed.
SPEAKER_01Right. So then you got a master's degree in education, I know, and somewhere along the line left teaching to go more into that consulting kind of mentoring role. How what did that look like? What was that journey?
Curiosity Versus Standardized Schooling
SPEAKER_00So our daughter was born, Liz was born, um, and she was born as a surprise with a very complex congenital heart defect. So that derailed my um professional world for a little bit. So I left and stayed home to take care of her, and subsequently we had two more children, and you know, that became a little bit um a little bit chaotic of trying to everybody knows that going into education is you it's hard to do both, especially at a time when the pay was not there to pay for nannies and such and daycare. Um, so I ended up staying home and then my husband lost his job and I went back into teaching because I had, you know, gone into that. And our our youngest was in the preschool, and we had great extended family to help. And as I went in back in, I did go into high school and teach mathematics and something that was a little bit more um to my skill set of what I went to school for. And when I was teaching, I ended up teaching in private school and doing advisory and just really getting to see it. It was actually a friend school. I did program then into a friend school and seeing how curiosity drives education on a different level instead of just pushing here's a formula, and you know, put it into this, putting information in and be done. It was more of why does this work? How does this work, etc.?
SPEAKER_02Um, which is the heart of it, right? In education, we understand. I mean, children are all born really curious. We all as human beings, we want to know why, we want to investigate, we want to explore. And sometimes in our systems, we sure beat that out of them, don't we?
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00And that is really what I found when I moved over to public school was the drive of standardized testing and hitting, you know, curriculum mile markers. And and some of these students just were not ready or felt as though they were failures because they couldn't do it exactly the way they were supposed to do it to answer a test question, a standardized test question. Right. Um and that just uh brought me to a new level. And I found out, believe it or not, about this industry when there were less than 2,000 independent educational consultants in the US. And it was also at the time where my own children were in their school years and it was juggling before care, after care, kids getting sick. I still had a child with a complex um health condition that I needed to manage. And it really got to the point where it was too much on the family, and I decided to start my own business in the educational world of outside that still could help students, and I could get both the emotional and frankly financial needs met for the family while still taking care of my own children. And what a journey it has been. It has been, it was the best decision I made at that time.
Building A Flexible Practice For Family
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So and you know, Mary, just when you tell your story of kind of like this chaos and then getting thrown into teaching, even though that's not what you really thought you were going to do when you went to school, and then kind of fumbling around there a while, then becoming more comfortable with it, and now finally into this profession that you really created for yourself. And what you do now as an educational consultant is really much more structured and much more guided for young people instead of the, hey, just go out into the world that's chaotic and figure it out yourself. So maybe you could share with us a little bit about what that looks like as you guide children and I guess really kind of families in this process that, you know, you didn't have that guidance, but what do you provide?
What Educational Consulting Looks Like
SPEAKER_00Right. I definitely did not have this guidance. Um, most of us did not of our generation have that guidance. Um, and really what it comes down to is I always call it settling the parking lot noise. Stop worrying about what everybody tells you that you should do. And it starts with conversations and what do students what do they want? What do they like? What you know, they're I often ask a student what their parents do for a living. And they don't always understand what their parents do. They just know that they're supposed to go to college, get a degree, and then get a job. But they don't really understand what is out there for them, what different opportunities are out there for them. Um and parents are worried because they're afraid I'm about ready to make this huge investment into this education. I mean, we can't deny the fact that higher ed is super expensive right now. And there are ways, obviously, that they can do that. That's part of the conversations that we have to make it more affordable. But more importantly, they're afraid to waste that money that they're going to go to college, get a degree, and not get a job. So to kind of reduce the stress and anxiety around that idea, and then lead students into, well, what are you interested in? Are you interested in humanities? And what does that mean? And where does that lead you? I mean, I had a conversation earlier this morning, and the mother's like, she doesn't have career goals. I'm like, she's in 10th grade, and she can't have career goals yet. How about we figure out if she likes physics first or what you can do with that? Or if you don't like physics and you want to be a writer, what does that look like? Uh and it really is a sense of I guess I would put it as they get to do a path of discovery with me, which allows them to understand why they're going to college and maybe quiet that parking lot noise a little bit. Of course, we still have to look at academics and rigor. There are things that we can't change, academic rigors, we need test scores. And we have to keep it all in perspective, though, and not hyper focus on one only be all end-all in this process.
SPEAKER_01And I love, I mean, that goes back to your being curious about what makes the kids tick and what do they like and getting them to focus on that because you said it yourself. And I've seen it, you know, in my own family and and with people around me, where it's like, I'm good at this, this is what I'm supposed to do. And then they're miserable doing it, or they feel forced into kind of that funnel. And just because you're good at something doesn't mean that's what you have to do. What are you really interested in and what are you passionate about is an important piece of it too, I think.
SPEAKER_00Here and I think here, yeah. And then um encouraging them to go out and have experiences, because we all know that experiences drive interest. And if they are just overscheduled and I can only go to school, there's only so many hours in a day. I have to go to school and I have to play sports because if I don't play the sports, I won't get into this college. And I try to bring it back a little bit. And and there are benefits to all of that, right? Please don't sit on a video game and play video games all day. That's not going to work either. So, but helping them to say, well, what does that mean to have these experiences? And there's I I think that families are so afraid that a misstep is going to ruin their future. Where I keep saying, no, a misstep is just an experience in a different way.
SPEAKER_02Right. That is beautiful. Like, let's even repeat that, let's put a pen in that. That is exquisite because we hear that from the very beginning. We hear that down in preschool, we hear that in kinder in elementary, that this you know, we need to have this, we need to do this, we need this extracurricular, we need this sports path, we need this coursework, we need these grades, or it's all over. It's all shot. And um, that is not at all true. As you said, there are there are things that do help and support us on our journey, but there are always ways and paths and opportunities. I certainly know that from my own experience. New doors open, we create new things. Something doesn't even exist in the road right now because there are experiences yet to have that are going to open those doors. And then we see the possibility down the way. Anyway, this is not about me, but you're just inspiring me so much.
Quieting The “Parking Lot Noise”
SPEAKER_00It's uh we hear many stats thrown around on a on a regular basis. And um these students, a current generation that's coming up right now, their careers haven't even been developed yet. We don't even know what they are yet. And they're it's no longer are you going to work for a company for 35 years and retire. So there's so many skills that need to be strengthened. And in a way, in many ways, and I I'm not, I mean, in some ways, our education system is fantastic, and other ways it's a little antiquated, and it is up to the families to say, well, what else can I add and supplement to for those that can that can.
SPEAKER_01Um you've got three of us in this uh call today that all work in education in different capacities, and I think we all agree with that. And for me, it's just I mean, I'm amazed at the opportunities that my kids have, and then you know, younger kids have for the future. I mean, the jobs that are out there today, I did not ever think was a possibility. I mean, you know, I I go back to the Jetsons and things that we used to watch on TV and think like that's never gonna happen. And we've got door dashers delivering our food now, and you know, we push a button and it's here. So it's pretty crazy.
SPEAKER_02We're talking on a screen right now for our phone, yes. Yeah, crazy, crazy. Yeah, that's so true. So, Mary, let me ask you, though, along this, and this is all just wonderfully fascinating, but all of this that you managed with that very real and extensive and extensive and potent um medical challenge with your girl navigating all of this for yourself. Um with I mean, that's all that all I know all that you experienced with your beautiful girl um could be enough to fill your days in and of itself, right? Just those needs. And that that journey was a beautiful one and a heartbreaking one, and a beautiful one again, yes. Yes. And I'm wondering if you could speak a little to that, your journey in um what am I asking? I don't want to put words in your mouth, but just how you managed and flourished and are where you are with that journey today, with all else that had to be handled in life. It really is just a super woman story and also a very real woman story.
Experience Over Perfection And Missteps
Fast-Changing Careers And Needed Skills
SPEAKER_00It is, it is a balancing that and that professional and personal life balance is always a challenge. So, and that is why I started. So originally I started as a sole practitioner back in 2007, and then in 2021, 22, um, I merged my practice with a friend and who has the same philosophy and such. And that's how GemSeat came up. But originally the practice started was that balance between doctor's appointments and being a mom and showing up to do a field trip or whatever that was gonna look like for that we wanted for our family. And that was definitely a privilege that I had to do, and I recognized that. Um, but ultimately Liz was the driver because I never had any intention of being a stay-at-home mom. When I, I mean, I was coming out of college and I was gonna she was gonna go to daycare and I was gonna go back to work, and I was gonna go on the superintendent's track and I was I was ready. Um and then obviously life throws you something and you're like, okay, I changed my mind. And that was important to me to be able to do that. So, um, and I like to say that she taught me how to be flexible, which if I look at that um as not something I obviously expected to do going into motherhood. I had this idea of what that was gonna look like, and it was gonna be very different than how I was raised, of course. Um, but uh that changed. And then she got through, she had three different surgeries um before the age of two, and then we, you know, obviously uh had two other children. Um that still created the balance of going to the doctor's appointments, having specialists, and having my own business allowed me to schedule a day off and not ask anybody for that permission. I didn't have to ask permission to do the care that I needed to do for my children and my family. Yeah, it was important. It wasn't always perfect, but it was definitely important. Um, and then um fast forward it obviously of managing her health and the other two, they also had, you know, having a complex health issue in your family impacts everybody in the family. It's not just the parents or just the child that has it, but having to deal with making sure that they were cared for and loved and shepherded through their childhood, as healthy as we could get them to be, was also key. So that was uh the joy of having my own practice with being able to still have a positive impact, I believe, in other people's lives. So I often say that um I'm probably one of the luckiest people to have a job that gives me hope. So that when you know we had the unexpected happen, I didn't have a job I dreaded to have to go back to. I was like, oh, I don't want to go back to work. Whereas my husband on the other, not that he dreaded, he loves being his professional world, but he had a much more office corporate type job where I could take the time I needed and I could scale back for a little bit and make sure the family was okay. So um again, it was not something I intended to do when I was young, and then saying, what do you want to be when you grow up, but how much it has truly impacted in a positive way our life.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. And and so, Mary, you and I met in 2020 when both of our worlds kind of like exploded that year. Um, both of us with our own losses and kind of went on this journey together. And um, I'll let you share what you want if if you want to share anything, but I know from that experience you were pulled to co-found an amazing nonprofit. And I know you're not doing a whole lot with the nonprofit right now, today, but for a few years you were doing a lot of really amazing things. And I wonder if you can kind of share, because to me that's very hopeful. And you know, Donna has started a uh uh scholarship in her son's name, and that's pretty incredible. And we've both talked about, like, you know, this nonprofit world in honoring our loved ones. And so I'm wondering if you this very podcast comes out of our this journey for us. Sure.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so we started Marvel Liz Hearts, yes, and um we called it Marvel Liz because Liz was an absolute um super fan, I guess you call it, of Marvel uh movies. And she wrote, I think it's called fan fiction. And I've been reading her fan fiction for Marvel. Um, and it's all hers is all about hope and such. And um, so we live we we named it Marvel Liz, using her name, and then hearts, obviously, for um congenital heart defects. And really what we found was there's this huge disconnect, at least in our experience, between pediatric care and adult care for complex um conditions. And it may expand more than just cardiac, but you turn 18, 21, whatever that may be, and you're an adult.
unknownYeah.
Parenting, Caregiving, And Work Balance
SPEAKER_00See you later. We're not gonna see you anymore where you they she's gotten the best care. And this is a kid that just I mean, she was a rock star. So she was told, um, I guess when she was born, we're like, you'll be lucky if she makes it to five. And she made it to five, playing. I mean, she made it to five with flying colors. She just had this amazing normal, and I say normal because it's in quotes as I say that in air quotes, because you know, how normal can it be when you're poked and prodded and moved along your whole life? But she really did. She she went to school, she played sports, she was in theater, she traveled. I mean, she just we didn't define her from her defect. And um, we tried to empower her to care, but it's how much can you expect a young adult to really understand why she takes her medications and she just wants to be normal and she doesn't want to have those conversations. So when she transitioned out of college and left her pediatric care, um we just did not get the same. I mean, we actually had a cardiologist that told her don't bring your parents, don't bring your mom or dad to your appointments anymore. And I think now looking back at that, I think you wouldn't tell a cancer patient not to bring an advocate with them. So there was this disconnect between this wonderful care that she got and these relationships we had built her whole life to transitioning to adult care. And part of that is about educating healthcare workers, yes. Um, and I get some parents are very difficult. I mean, we can all attest to that. Being in education, sometimes we get that, and we're like, but if you really take it from that perspective of we all need a helping hand and we all need someone to help us manage life. And um, she didn't get that, which you know she probably should have been, you know, the the decline in her health that ultimately caused her to pass away in 2020 was they didn't listen to her because she also didn't know how to advocate as hard as she probably should have. So she took the trust of a doctor saying, You're fine, even though she was having symptoms, as to really that she wasn't fine. And then we put COVID on top of that, and uh that did not help because healthcare shut down and nobody was there to help her. But she did have a doctor that said that to her, and she took that to heart because doctors to her knew everything. So I'm supposed to handle this, mom, step out of the way. Well, at 21 and 22, maybe that's not quite. I don't actually think she should have ever had that done. So anybody with complex heart conditions or any condition should have someone with an extra pair of ears helping them because you don't always hear what you're supposed to hear during stress. So that's kind of where Marvelous Heart came from. And then um we're trying to build that that right now. We we did take a little bit of a break as the boys. We we wanted it to be a family foundation, and our boys are in the midst of going back to grad school, getting settled in new cities and such. So we said, let's pause this for a year and then we can go back to it. Um, but scholarships, we've donated for research, uh, we've donated to the camp for kids with congenital heart defects where they are they can go to camp, and this camp actually serves many complex health conditions where kids can just go be kids for the summer, and that's important and such.
Marvel Liz Hearts: Purpose From Loss
SPEAKER_01So yeah, and I love that. And I I remember reading about the camp um, you know, after you told me about it. And I I wished that there were things that continued for adults, at least for young adults, because how do we have this silly idea that at 18 or when you graduate from high school, you're supposed to be taking care of yourself? That's just absolutely insane.
SPEAKER_02And what we know about brain development, right? But we're not even fully formed until well into our 20s.
SPEAKER_00And yeah, that goes to show just even how fast medicine has changed.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00That we have to catch up, and we and our healthcare system can't do it all. So we do need things like marvelous heart to say, here's some money to help with that, or here's a commitment to mentor, or scholarship, or whatever that may be to help that move along. We can't, I mean, this is somebody that they really did not expect. I mean, they told us don't expect her to be able to play on sports teams, or she's gonna have severe learning differences. Maybe she just had the typical not wanting to go to school someday, but she was able to manage and did quite well and went to college and succeeded.
SPEAKER_02Lived on her own, right?
SPEAKER_00Lived on her own, moved to a new city. I mean, she adulted really well. Yeah, but the healthcare system, I can't, I mean, COVID definitely did not make it help, did not help, but the healthcare system definitely did not help with that transition as strongly as I would like to see.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. I'm so sorry, Liz. And at the same time, I um am, I want to um honor you, uh, woman to woman, mother to mother, for this, what you've done with this journey of yours, and that it hasn't turned you inward, but it's instead you are harder and deeper outward in your advocacy and your support in making a difference and taking your own experience and um and holding up others in these beautiful ways. I mean, it's just a powerful and beautiful and wonderful thing. So Bravo you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And Mary, you you've maintained that curiosity, that spark of curiosity that you've always had through this, because you know, when you and I met, it was on this like curiosity, you know, where where are they now? Right? They they they couldn't be in our lives today and not here tomorrow. So where are they? And and you've continued in that kind of mindset in the years that I've known you since.
The Pediatric-To-Adult Care Gap
SPEAKER_00We have well, and I mean, you know, I I share with you know, having um experienced loss of a sibling and stuff, you know, and having experiences, I always wondered, like, well, wait a second, you just don't disappear. So that did drive that, you know, thing. And and Liz, believe it or not, had, as I shared, she had three open heart surgeries. And when she was quite young, she did share about her experience. And we kind of poo-pooed her when she was little. Like, what are you talking about? You didn't go to heaven. And, you know, and so now obviously we've done more research and and explored a little more and asked more questions. And what we've come to realize is she probably did have an experience during her open heart surgery that she came back with great detail on. And we all kind of say, shake our head. And I don't know if we have the exact answers, but I know we have some answers, and that is their spirits are always with us, and um you know, we we we laugh, and I think that uh her time when she transitioned it made me wonder like, okay, wait a second, I love this kid, I still feel her. Where did she go? And in reality, uh she's always gonna be with us. She's I hear it all the time. I hear her. We I mean the whole family laughs and stuff. We're like, that's a Liz thing, or the rest of whatever. And we keep that spirit going that way, and we take the time to reflect and meditate now. And you would have never caught me the meditate, which is Diana, how we started 10 years ago, I would have been like, You're nuts. I'm not meditating, I have things to do. Yeah, I have books to balance, kids to see, dinner to make, whatever. And I was running so hard that I never stopped to say, slow down and listen to the world around you.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00And that's really what it's come down to.
SPEAKER_02So oh, that's gorgeous. That just that last minute right there is worth everything, I think, of this discussion. Bravo. So we've been keeping you for a while, and um, I could talk to you endlessly, but we probably need to come in now, yeah, and and get to our our rapid fire, yeah, sis, and just to jump in and see your uh let's unpack who you are on uh spur of the moment answer, yeah?
SPEAKER_01I think you know, Mary, that we we ask we ask these questions and it really is like whatever comes to mind. And if you don't have an answer, that's okay. But okay, sis, you want to start or sure.
SPEAKER_02But I'm gonna I'm gonna add into the rapid fire of question that is normally in the other, but we're gonna do it um to see quick and easy. Who inspires you, Mary?
SPEAKER_00Oh who inspires me? My right now I would say my boys inspire me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, love it. Amazing. Yeah. Okay, so walk it up to stage. What would be your walk-in song?
SPEAKER_00I'm going to go. Oh, two songs pop in too. I'm gonna say don't stop believing by Journey because that was the first concert I'd ever went to. There you go. That's the great song. You said you had two. What's the other one? I was gonna go unstoppable, but uh, everybody says unstoppable. So I'm gonna say let's let's go with Don't Stop Believe It. Okay, cool, cool. All right, what book changed you? I'm terrible with actually okay. I will say James and the Giant Peach. Oh my gosh, what a great book that is.
SPEAKER_02Such a good one.
SPEAKER_00Everything lives in that book. Everything that's just one of those books that it was read to me as a child. I read it to my actually, I don't know if I read it to my children. Maybe my husband did, but we did it with our children. I read it to my classes, and now I reread in every the every phase it changes the meaning of it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it really does.
SPEAKER_02And Diana, what is your David's favorite book?
SPEAKER_01His was James and the Giant Peach. That's what he would always read to the kids. I mean, that's the one book that he read from beginning to end to the kids. It's what is that one book? That's so funny. Yeah. Okay. Well, what movie lives rent-free in your brain?
SPEAKER_00All right. This is gonna be. I don't remember titles. Actually, you know what movie that's living in my brain right now? I just watched it recently. Eleanor the Great. Oh, it's on my list. I'm I'm going to watch it soon. Okay. And that's the only reason I can remember the title. And it's about there's just so many different things in there that I sit there on a regular basis and go, huh. I wonder what if you had done that differently, etc. So it's about friendship, but it's also about lying and what that causes you. And then it's about not recognizing grief, how that impacted that. I think that's the movie right now that's living in my brain right now.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Right, okay. We'll be watching it soon. What um what did you love doing as a kid that you love doing to this day?
SPEAKER_00Putting my toes in the sand. Putting my toes in the sand. Like that wet sand by the water's edge.
Advocacy, COVID, And Hard Lessons
SPEAKER_02And they just like you sink deeper into it and you just become one with yes, and just looking at that big, whether it's Lake Ontario or the ocean, wherever we are.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I can see that. Um, what in the world is lighting you up right now?
SPEAKER_03Exploring and traveling.
SPEAKER_01And I think you have some plans for that coming, right? So exploring and traveling.
SPEAKER_02Because isn't the answer always to all the ailes and ills to go outward, to expand, to to explore, to just open up. Always the answer.
SPEAKER_00Look and see what's around you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, for sure. Okay, Mary, what color is hope? I'm gonna go with green.
SPEAKER_00As we look at your green nails right now. Actually, like teal, I think, or whatever. Yeah. I like it.
SPEAKER_01I think green for growth. Okay. I like that. I like that. What does hope sound like?
SPEAKER_00Waves, ocean waves.
SPEAKER_01While your toes are in the sand.
SPEAKER_00But it's because it's always changing and mixing it up and changing.
SPEAKER_02Perfect. What in your world is giving you hope right now?
SPEAKER_00I would go back to my voice or to the youth of working and hearing what they're doing and what they're excited about and their ideas. Snaps to that. Snaps to that for sure.
SPEAKER_02All right, Mary. This has been, I mean, an utter joy talking with you. And I wish we had hours, but you know, I know you, so we can just keep talking some more. We don't need to, we don't need to record it. We can just talk, right?
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much for having me. And I love what you guys are doing. I love the hope that you're giving.
SPEAKER_01Yay, we're so glad you're here. Because I do get a lot of hope from you, Mary. And I know we meet regularly, and I always feel hopeful after talking with you.
SPEAKER_00Feeling is the same.
SPEAKER_02So, how if people um how can they find um how can they find you? Where can they find you?
SPEAKER_00If you want them to find would like to find me professionally, it is gemsite, which is g-m-s- i-g-h t c dot com. If they want to learn more about Marvel is heart, it would be marvelousheart.org.
SPEAKER_02I love it. And that's Marvel, like the Marvel Comics, Liz, Marvel Liz Heart. Yeah, love that. Perfect, perfect. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Hey everybody listening. Um, we love you following this journey with us. Go ahead and like, follow, review, share if you like. We'd um appreciate that. Keep this hope going, Mary. Thank you for uh fueling us today. You definitely fueled me. And uh thank you all for listening. We love you.
SPEAKER_01Thanks, Mary. Thank you. Thanks for joining us today on Soul Sistories.
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SPEAKER_02And thanks for sharing stories with us. We'd love to hear your stories as well and keep the conversation going, absolutely keeping the hope going. So we're really hopeful that you'll connect with our guests as well who have great stories to share. Go ahead and follow them in various social media platforms or live venues, wherever it is that they're performing and uh sharing what they do.
SPEAKER_01We would love to have you follow us on all of our social media platforms, subscribe and rate, as that will help us get our message of hope out to others.
SPEAKER_02Thanks for listening to Soul Sisters.
