In 2020, we were all going through a lot. But Cristina Bernardo was really going through a lot. In November of that year, her 10-month-old daughter’s heart gave out at a hospital in San Diego, leaving her and her husband in shock and grief, with questions that went unanswered as to why. To this day, they and doctors cannot explain why their beautiful daughter, who was full of love and life, fell exceptionally ill several times in her short life and eventually died. They still have no answers. And during that year, Cristina also lost other people who were very close to her - including her cousin Patrick, with whom she was very close - leaving her heart not just broken, but shredded. Cristina heard from others the phrase we all say when tragedies strike, but is often said when we can’t think of a clear “why” - and that is, “everything happens for a reason.” At first, she was angry when she heard that phrase, but she came to know that things happen. Terrible, unimaginable things. The reason is something we have to find for ourselves, she discovered. We need a reason to go on, and to honor those we lose. Alongside this outward, difficult journey, Cristina started to take an inward journey and discovered she wasn’t kind to herself. At all. She was not kind in basically every part of her life - career, aspirations, appearance - you name it. But becoming a mother really put a fine point on it. As she says, “It was just one more thing I was bad at.” Cristina’s choice was one of self-acceptance and self-love, so profound that it will bring a tear to your eye (fair warning - bring a tissue to this episode)! But born from her commitment to herself was something powerful and beautiful - the company she co-founded with her husband - Avocado Health - which offers text-based parent coaching and resources designed to help parents feel more confident in child rearing - from pregnancy to the teen years. And it’s caught fire - growing rapidly and expanding through organic growth and partnerships. Most important, it’s empowering parents to make good decisions for themselves and their children. It’s giving parents the confidence to believe they can be good at parenting, and at life. And that’s a powerful notion that can change the world. Following our interview with Cristina, she decided to publish a newsletter that had been in the works for about three years - waiting for her to hit “send.” You can read it on LinkedIn here: Yes, Everything Happens, and we need a Reason to keep living. You don’t want to miss this amazing, uplifting and insightful episode! And you can check out all Choice Wisdom episodes on our website at https://choicewisdompodcast.com.
