Jeannie Gaffigan is a writer, producer, mother to five children, and wife of comedian Jim Gaffigan. A few years ago, her world was rocked when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor that needed immediate surgery. Jeannie shares her story of faith and family in her book, When Life Gives You Pears: The Healing Power of Family, Faith, and Funny People.
Key Questions for Jeannie Gaffigan
-How did you initially respond to your brain tumor diagnosis?
-Did your time in the ICU change your experience of motherhood?
-What role has humor played in your family during difficult times?
-What have you learned over the years through collaborating with your husband?
Key Quotes from Jeannie Gaffigan
“There was something about my faith that has carried me through the most difficult times of my life, and I can’t imagine what it would be like for someone who didn’t have faith.”
“There is such a lot of suffering going on right now, and I feel really connected to those people in the ICU.”
“The ICU for me was very traumatic. And it wasn’t just the fact that I couldn’t eat or drink or enjoy the comforts of being a human being. It was that I couldn’t see my children, and I couldn’t experience touch. People weren’t touching me unless they were sticking a needle in my arm.”
“All of sudden it hit me that when Jesus was suffering on the cross and his mother was looking up at him on that cross, I’m sure that he wanted a hug, he wanted touch, he wanted contact. And so there’s also deprivation and suffering in not being able to have that human interaction that we so desperately need.”
“I am praying, and I invite all of you to pray for not only an end to this awful pandemic…I ask everyone to pray that God can touch the hearts of the people who are suffering.”
“I was getting caught up in the drudgery of motherhood [before I went to the ICU]. I wasn’t experiencing the joys of motherhood.”
“Take a moment today to really experience the moments of joy, even when you are cleaning up someone who wet the bed.”
