Episode 20 - I Can Do This With Her!: Jim & Cheryl Hastings’ Story of Transcending Stress and Grief

When married couples face traumatic events or grief, it can be devastating. Many relationships crumble under such intense pressure and hardship. However, with mutual commitment, intimacy, and support, spouses can actually develop greater resilience and closeness in their bond.

This was demonstrated profoundly in the powerful story of Jim and Cheryl Hastings, our guests on this episode of Marriage IQ. Over their nearly 30 years of marriage, Jim and Cheryl endured severe trauma yet grew stronger in their unity along the way. Early on they had to adjust to caring for a daughter born with major disabilities requiring extensive medical treatment. Later, they experienced the wrenching loss of another daughter, who died a tragic and sudden death at age 19. 

In a cultural landscape filled with fractured relationships, Jim and Cheryl stand as beacons - not of perfect endurance, but of the profound reservoirs available when two choose to suffer together rather than apart. May we likewise tap into the power of intimacy and transcendent purpose to carry our partnerships through life's crushing blows, hand in hand.