In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer Jennifer Breheny Wallace on Being Seen, Being Needed, and Mattering
Sep 25, 2026
Jennifer Breheny Wallace, an award-winning journalist and author, explores what it means to feel valued and useful. She reflects on her father’s gift for making people feel seen, parenting beyond achievement, and finding purpose through everyday connection. The conversation also examines life transitions, technology’s erosion of human closeness, and AI’s challenge to our sense of significance.
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The Father Who Made Everyone Feel Safe
- Wallace’s father played catch with her nightly, attended her games, and calmly supported her strengths and weaknesses.
- Her children later fell asleep on his chest because his steady presence made them feel safe.
Grief Reveals Who Anchored Our Worth
- After her father died, Wallace grieved not only his absence but the loss of her foundational sense of mattering.
- Friends’ stories revealed how he made everyone feel valued, from grandchildren to deli workers.
Mattering Unites Every Kind Of Worker
- Wallace discovered mattering while studying adults who felt invisible despite doing purposeful work.
- The desire to matter connects firefighters, caregivers, educators, doctors, and grandparents across social roles.
