300: Letting Go of the Life You Thought You’d Have: Grief, Truth, and Rebuilding Connection w/ Mary Fisher - podcast episode cover

300: Letting Go of the Life You Thought You’d Have: Grief, Truth, and Rebuilding Connection w/ Mary Fisher

Love Life With Matthew Hussey
Jun 11, 2025•1 hr 3 min
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Episode description

In this episode, Matthew sits down with artist, activist, and author Mary Fisher (@maryfisher), whose landmark 1992 speech at the Republican National Convention changed the face of AIDS awareness and made her a global icon of truth-telling and compassion.

Now in a new chapter of her life, Mary reflects on what it means to grieve not just people, but old lives, family, identity, and the loss of a place in the world. Together, she and Matthew explore how we rebuild, find chosen family, use creativity to heal, and speak up after a lifetime of being told to stay quiet.

This conversation is for anyone feeling disconnected, disempowered, or unsure of how to move forward when life has drastically changed. Mary’s words are a reminder that it’s never too late to reinvent your life, speak your truth, and create beauty from pain.

 

Topics Covered:

  • The distinction between grief and depression—and how naming grief gave Mary her life back

  • What it feels like to lose family who are still alive, and how to navigate that emotional terrain

  • How to build a chosen family when your biological one isn’t safe or supportive

  • The courage behind Mary’s 1992 speech and how mortality shifted her priorities

  • Why radical honesty can be the foundation for deep connection

  • Finding the right level of vulnerability early in relationships

  • How to let go of the fantasy of who someone was “supposed to be”

  • Creating through pain—how art and creativity became her medicine

  • Learning to speak up after a lifetime of silence, guilt, and being told to “be a good girl”

  • How to rewire your inner voice and create safety to be heard

  • Understanding the difference between connection and one-sided emotional dependence in relationships

  Resources & Links:

 

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300: Letting Go of the Life You Thought You’d Have: Grief, Truth, and Rebuilding Connection w/ Mary Fisher | Love Life With Matthew Hussey podcast - Listen or read transcript on Metacast