Episode 25 - RECLAIM YOUR HERO: Overcoming PTS Through Love and God with Matt Grace

EMBRACING THE SUCK DOESN'T WORK OUT.

Welcome to another inspiring episode of The Resilient Dad Show. Today we welcome Matt Grace, a former Navy rescue swimmer, professional firefighter, author of Reclaim Your Hero, and father to 2 beautiful girls. He shares the trauma that began in his childhood and how he experienced substance abuse, neglect, and at times physical abuse.

Matt discusses his later realization that his parents didn't have the tools to deal with their emotions growing up and how this led to him taking it upon himself to change that for their own children. And lacking a father figure growing up, Matt also shares how the land of Maui provided for him, and eventually, the military taught him a solid foundation for life.

However, Matt also talks about his struggle with PTSD after his deployment to Afghanistan and how this almost became the end for him and his daughter. Through God and his love for his daughter, he decided right then and there to be the father that he never had. 

WORDS OF RESILIENCE

Almost taking his daughter’s life was the wake-up call Matt needed - Matt: "I just embraced the suck the whole time until I had my youngest daughter and I nearly killed her. Yep, that's really hard to accept that you nearly killed your child, my five-month-old daughter, because she was crying and I couldn't take it. I didn't know what to do and that, for me, was the change. I said, God, no, no, no. Not today. My daughter's going to have the dad that I never had. And that was the catalyst for me."

You need to be vulnerable to be brave - Matt: "You can't be brave without being vulnerable. Think about it. Everybody knows the Medal of Honor winners in the US. Each one of them put themselves up and risked taking live fire. Many of them got shot and killed and were awarded posthumously, but each one of them put themselves out there and said, here I am. Here I am for my brother, here I am for my sister. They made themselves absolutely vulnerable but we award them for their what? Their bravery."

Connect with Matt and get your copy of Reclaim Your Hero:

LinkedIn | Website | Amazon

Connect with Pat:

Pat Di Domenico | About Resilient Dad

If you liked this episode and were inspired by the journeys it shares, or you have suggestions or your own stories to share, subscribe to the Resilient Dad podcast now and leave us a comment!