When author Susan McCorkindale lost her husband to cancer, she knew one thing: how she did not want to handle her pain. She did not want platitudes, and she wanted more than peace. By describing her journey of what she learned from sleepless nights and being still, her talk gives both those who are grieving and those who love them the tools to get the good stuff from grief.

How is it possible to find the humor in hopeless situations? What could possibly be funny about cancer, care giving, death, the loss of a job you’ve devoted your life to? According to Susan McCorkindale, a lot. In this heartwarming, hysterical, high-energy talk, she shares her journey of discovering the healing power of humor and, more importantly, the resilience building benefits of learning to laugh at life’s curve balls.

Anne Lamott once said, “Perfection is shallow, unreal, and fatally uninteresting.” Susan McCorkindale couldn’t agree more. In this fast-paced, funny, and inspiring talk, Susan recounts her days as a people pleasing perfectionist, her recovery, and others’ frequently displeased responses to it. As one audience member said, “Flaws Are the New Black is quite possibly the perfect celebration of our perfect imperfection.”

Shortly after her husband’s death, Susan McCorkindale was asked what advice she might have for someone facing a similar situation. Her response became 5 Dos and a Do-over. In it, Susan shares five ways of living that grew out of the painful preparation for her husband’s death (and one aspect she’d really like a Do-over on!). One of her most popular keynotes, 5 Dos and a Do-over helps others find the courage and strength to believe that, while life as they know it is over, the road they’re embarking on can be beautiful, hopeful and happy, filled with sunny days, love and, yes, laughter.

In this hysterical talk/stand-up hybrid, Susan McCorkindale takes us on a tour of her adventures as a counterfeit farm girl, cancer care giver, wife, author, autism mom and widow.