‘What Matters With Liz’ Episode 9: Sheinelle Jones Opens up on Grief and Motherhood: ‘We Can’t Curate a Life—Even My Own’
The 'TODAY' co-host talks her husband’s cancer battle, new book—and the advice from famous moms that helped
Key Takeaways
- Sheinelle Jones wrote her book while her husband Uche Ojeh battled brain cancer.
- The book features motherhood wisdom from moms of Lady Gaga, Steph Curry and the Jonas Brothers.
- Jones says her goal is to squeeze the most out of every day and pour into the people she loves.
Sheinelle Jones, co-host of Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, lays her heart wide open as she shares the journey of writing her new book Through Mom’s Eyes: Simple Wisdom from Mothers Who Raised Extraordinary Humans while her husband battled brain cancer, a fight that ultimately took his life.
This episode is about what it means to be a mother, the lessons it teaches us, and how to choose joy even in the face of unimaginable grief. Vulnerable, strong, and hopeful – it’s a conversation you won’t forget.
In Through Mom’s Eyes, Jones interviews the mothers of icons like Lady Gaga, Matthew McConaughey, the Jonas Brothers, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Venus and Serena Williams, Steph Curry, Thomas Rhett and dozens of extraordinary women, to create an insightful and beautiful reflection on motherhood and celebrate the love that shapes who we become.
What started as a recurring TODAY segment asking celebrities’ mothers how they raised confident, successful children evolved into a book with a deeply personal message.
“What emerged for me that I didn’t see coming were the whispers to my soul about the power of these women,” says Jones.
Watch What Matters With Liz Episode 8 here or listen on Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Podcasts.
Watch Episode 9 right here! ‘What Matters with Sheinelle Jones: Motherhood, Grief & A Legacy of Love’
In this episode of ‘What Matters with Liz’ Sheinelle Jones shares:
- The powerful lessons she learned from celebrity moms
- The realities of motherhood—from raising infants to young adults
- The terrifying moment that forced her to slow down as a mother
- The one regret Lady Gaga’s mother holds
- The tough lesson Sonya Curry taught her son Steph Curry early on
- How the mother of Venus and Serena Williams empowered her daughters
- How “discipline wrapped in love” shapes a child
- Why self-preservation is essential to strong parenting
- How faith informs and strengthens mothers
- The untold stories of how her TODAY colleagues—Savannah Guthrie, Jenna Bush, Al Roker and Hoda Kotb—supported her through the loss of her husband, Uche Ojeh
- The one thing no one talks about when you lose a spouse
- How cancer changed her— and what she fears less now
- The surprising connection between Jones’ father and George W. Bush
- The moment she knew she was meant to be a network news anchor
- What success really means to her
- What Jones’ grandmother taught her — and how her legacy lives on in this book
- The deeply personal reason Through Mom’s Eyes matters and how she hopes to encourage mothers everywhere
Sheinelle Jones on making the most of every precious day
Throughout her conversations, Jones returned to a theme that anchors both her book and her outlook on life. It’s a message that will resonate deeply with any woman who has ever felt the tension between the life she planned and the life she’s actually living.
“We can’t curate a life—even my own,” says Jones. “What I am trying to figure out is how we can squeeze the most out of the life that we’re given and the days that we’re given. And how can we do the best we can to pour into those little beings that we love.”
Jones does not pretend to have all the answers. Instead, she offers something rarer: honesty about the questions.
What Matters With Liz airs every Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Podcasts, with highlights and behind-the-scenes clips shared on Instagram and Facebook.
Also, be sure to subscribe to the What Matters With Liz free newsletter from Woman’s World Editor-in-Chief Liz Vaccariello. Every week, you’ll get real talk about health, money and entertainment, plus uplifting stories, practical tips and exclusive updates on Vaccariello’s new video podcast.
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