In this episode, I share a church lesson I gave based on Emily Belle Freeman’s talk “Best Days and Worst Days,” which teaches that mortality includes both best and worst days as a place for growth as we walk with Christ.
I relate this to my son Devon’s traumatic birth with rapid swings between fear and relief, and to a difficult year marked by postpartum depression.
I share two tools for handling life’s extremes: the “75% Okay or Better” perspective (most of life is neutral/okay, with small portions that are awful or amazing), and a “stay anchored” tool—stay calm, stay present (“eyes on Jesus”), and stay flexible—using Peter’s experiences as examples.
I also describe practicing this when Bryson’s mission return date changed, choosing calm, presence, and flexibility to support him.
Link to President Freeman’s talk – https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2026/04/42freeman?lang=eng