Bio
Jason B. Rosenthal is an author, foundation Board Chair, public speaker and lawyer. He is also the subject of an essay written by his wife, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, called You May Want to Marry My Husband that went viral and was read by millions of readers worldwide. His first book, written in collaboration with his daughter Paris called Dear Boy, debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list at #1. His response to Amy’s piece titled, My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me was published in 2018.
Amy died of ovarian cancer just 10 days after her article appeared in the Modern Love column of the New York Times. When his bride died of ovarian cancer after 26 years of marriage, Jason got in touch with real pain. He immediately reevaluated his life’s work. Now, he speaks publicly and writes about issues related to processing grief and finding hope and joy amongst the pain.
His future is a blank space waiting to be filled.
Jason’s Story: Finding the Light
Jason Rosenthal never realized how beautiful the light was. Streaming in through the kitchen window, filtering through the trees, or dancing off the reflection of skyscrapers. It took a period of terrible darkness for him to discover how light his world actually is. For Jason, mourning his wife’s death is intrinsically wrapped in celebrating not only her life, but his future. Amy left him with a choice: to remain stagnant in sorrow or to fulfill her wish for him to fill the blank space she left with new, beautiful experiences.
Jason chose the latter—to embrace a fresh start while continuing to honor their love story. But he’s learned that it shouldn’t take a devastating loss to find joy in the small things. We are all meant to live fully, now. With his common experience of coping with loss and a unique perspective on moving forward, Jason is spreading hope on a national scale and creating a message that is meant to be shared: there are many ways to grieve, but infinite ways to heal. As Jason continues to write his story, he is honest about the pain and challenges that come with moving forward. His judgement-free truth allows him to deeply connect with and encourage the people around him. Because while Jason understands that not all grief or healing looks the same, he knows that we all experience the process of letting go and starting anew. Sometimes we just need a reminder to start writing on our blank page.
For Jason, what came after Amy’s death was unbearable grief...and undeniable light. She gave him an empty space and the opportunity to fill it. To embrace the present. To live. And now Jason is passing on this gift to as many people as he can. The light that has arisen from a dark period in his life now guides him as he enters a new world as a writer and speaker, where he shines it onto a community of people working to heal, grow, and above all, experience joy. As he navigates his new life, and continues to write on his blank page, Jason inspires others to live, love and find their light.