#129 Blessings in the Unexpected with Kay Dodd

In this week's show, I’m honored to bring you a deeply personal and moving conversation with Kay Dodd, who shares her journey through motherhood when life’s curveballs test our faith and strength in ways we never imagined. Kay opens up about her experience discovering her daughter Hannah’s Down syndrome diagnosis, and how she navigated the waves of grief, fear, and ultimately profound gratitude. She takes us along on the journey from her initial heartbreak to the miraculous moment of holding her daughter, realizing that Down syndrome didn’t define her, but instead, added new layers of love and faith to their family. I think so many of us, especially in midlife, will relate to her journey of letting go of expectations and trusting God’s hand in life’s unexpected paths.

Kay’s story reminds us that sometimes God’s greatest gifts come wrapped in situations we don’t expect and even initially resist. Facing this challenge, Kay instead embraced the faith that her daughter’s life was filled with purpose and beauty as designed by God. It’s powerful to hear how Hannah grew into the little “shining light” in her family, teaching all of them — and now, us — the beauty of childlike faith and pure joy.

This episode is not just about Kay’s journey but a call to each of us who have been shaken by life’s unexpected changes. As Catholic mothers, many of us have experienced times when we planned for one outcome, only to find life leading us somewhere else. It’s in these moments of surrender, as Kay so beautifully illustrates, that our faith and trust in God become the anchors that hold us. I hope you’ll join me in this episode to hear how embracing life’s surprises with faith and courage can transform our hearts and bring us closer to God’s true gifts.

Jennie Guinn is a Catholic speaker, Life Coach, Podcaster, Weekly Radio Show Host on Nashville Catholic Radio and Radio Maria USA, and the founder of Catholic Moms in the Middle. After 26 years of working in Catholic education, Jennie felt God calling her "to step out of the boat" to serve in a new way. In her new ministry, she equips and encourages middle-life women to encounter the love of the Father and to be transformed and healed by the power of the Holy Spirit so they can MAGNIFY Christ in their corner of the world.