Molly Shannon on her kids' names and motherhood

Molly Shannon got some help when it came time to naming her two kids with husband Fritz Chestnut, daughter Stella, 3 1/2, and son Nolan, 2. Will & Grace star Megan Mullally was drumming up monikers for Molly down to the last minute.

Megan Mullally is a really good friend of mine who helped me choose the names; she has very strong opinions. I was e-mailing her when I was in labor. I’d have a contraction — ‘uhhhhhh,’ then finish writing her an e-mail.

Being a mom has been a great joy for Molly, who, at the age of 4, lost her own mother in a car crash that she herself survived.

Losing my mom at such a young age had a profound effect on my life. For many years I just avoided it. But then I spent a lot of years dealing with it, so by the time I had kids, I could just enjoy being a mom. I’m not like, ‘Why isn’t she here?’ If anything, it’s made me appreciate that I at least got four years with her. I feel like I had to work so hard to catch up after what I went through. I didn’t know if it would all fall into place, but now I can take a deep breath and enjoy it.

Source: USA Today