What do you learn standing so close to the edge with so many people? Listen for wisdom on mortality and hope—like how the habits of love are hard to break and what makes a ‘good funeral’ directly from a thoughtful and funny funeral director himself.

In this episode, Kate and Thomas discuss: 
How the habits of love are hard to break, no matter how old the person died who you grieve
How those we grieve know our hearts and our love more fully
What elements make up a good funeral

This episode originally aired in 2022, but we’re revisiting it because I think it might be the best conversation I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to hear what you think.

CW: suicide, death



Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.

Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

What do you learn standing so close to the edge with so many people? Listen for wisdom on mortality and hope—like how the habits of love are hard to break and what makes a ‘good funeral’ directly from a thoughtful and funny funeral director himself.
In this episode, Kate and Thomas discuss: 
<ul>
<li>How the habits of love are hard to break, no matter how old the person died who you grieve</li>
<li>How those we grieve know our hearts and our love more fully</li>
<li>What elements make up a good funeral</li>
</ul>
This episode originally aired in 2022, but we’re revisiting it because I think it might be the best conversation I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to hear what you think.
CW: suicide, death
 
<hr>
Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by <a href="https://katebowler.com/podcast/">clicking here</a> or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.
Follow Kate on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/katecbowler/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katecbowler">Facebook</a>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/KatecBowler">X</a> (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens.  Find her online at @katecbowler.

Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/

Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens.  Find her online at @katecbowler.
Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media <a href="https://lemonadamedia.com/" data-stringify-link="https://lemonadamedia.com/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://lemonadamedia.com/</a>

Honest conversation about life's less-shiny moments.

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

Thomas Lynch: Good Grief

Our most precious relationships are often our most complicated, aren’t they? Poet and bestselling author Kwame Alexander wrote an honest book of poems and essays that name the difficult and beautiful and heart-wrenching conversations we have (or should be having) with the people we love and with the ones who love us. 

In this conversation, Kwame and Kate discuss: 
How we can’t outrun our grief
How our own parents love us in the ways they want to be loved, but maybe not in the ways we need—and how we find our ways back to each other
The desire to share with our kids how we love, where we fail, where we tried, and who we were before we were their parent

CW: death of parent, divorce

***

Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.

Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

Our most precious relationships are often our most complicated, aren’t they? Poet and bestselling author Kwame Alexander wrote an honest book of poems and essays that name the difficult and beautiful and heart-wrenching conversations we have (or should be having) with the people we love and with the ones who love us. 
In this conversation, Kwame and Kate discuss: 
<ul>
<li>How we can’t outrun our grief</li>
<li>How our own parents love us in the ways they want to be loved, but maybe not in the ways we need—and how we find our ways back to each other</li>
<li>The desire to share with our kids how we love, where we fail, where we tried, and who we were before we were their parent</li>
</ul>
CW: death of parent, divorce
***
<hr>
Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by <a href="https://katebowler.com/podcast/">clicking here</a> or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.
Follow Kate on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/katecbowler/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katecbowler">Facebook</a>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/KatecBowler">X</a> (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

Listen Again: Kwame Alexander—To Be Loved Like That

There is a strange tension when we want so badly for the people we love to support us, but want to shield them from the pain at the same time. This is a beautiful, terrible kind of love. 

In this conversation, Kate and bestselling writer Suleika Jaouad discuss:
What it is like to be the one suffering—all the guilt and shame and rage and mercy and grace 
How we can create better economies of love around those who need it
The toll illness takes on those around us

This episode originally aired in 2021, but is one of our all-time favorites for an honest conversation on being a cancer patient and how to support people in your lives who are undergoing treatment. Kate ends with a blessing for those who feel like their problem is too much to handle—a blessing if you feel like "the bad thing."

If you liked this episode, you might also love: 
Suleika Jaouad on living between the kingdom of the well and the kingdom of the sick
Tig Notaro on being the luckiest unlucky person
For When You’ve Been Diagnosed Support Guide
You are Not the Bad Thing Printable + Phone Background
A blessing for the lives we didn’t choose
A blessing for keeping our hearts soft when everything is broken


Don’t miss an episode. Sign up here to be the first to know about upcoming events near you, podcast guests, and more.



Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.

Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

There is a strange tension when we want so badly for the people we love to support us, but want to shield them from the pain at the same time. This is a beautiful, terrible kind of love. 
In this conversation, Kate and bestselling writer Suleika Jaouad discuss:
<ul>
<li>What it is like to be the one suffering—all the guilt and shame and rage and mercy and grace </li>
<li>How we can create better economies of love around those who need it</li>
<li>The toll illness takes on those around us</li>
</ul>
This episode originally aired in 2021, but is one of our all-time favorites for an honest conversation on being a cancer patient and how to support people in your lives who are undergoing treatment. Kate ends with a blessing for those who feel like their problem is too much to handle—a blessing if you feel like "the bad thing."
If you liked this episode, you might also love: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://katebowler.com/podcasts/suleika-jaouad-the-kingdom-of-the-sick/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">Suleika Jaouad on living between the kingdom of the well and the kingdom of the sick</a></li>
<li><a href="https://katebowler.com/podcasts/the-luckiest-unlucky-person/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">Tig Notaro on being the luckiest unlucky person</a></li>
<li><a href="https://katebowler.com/guide/illness-happens/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">For When You’ve Been Diagnosed Support Guide</a></li>
<li><a href="https://katebowler.com/download/you-are-not-the-bad-thing/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">You are Not the Bad Thing Printable</a> + Phone Background</li>
<li><a href="https://katebowler.com/blessings/a-blessing-for-the-lives-we-didnt-choose/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="5">A blessing for the lives we didn’t choose</a></li>
<li><a href="https://katebowler.com/blessings/a-blessing-for-keeping-your-heart-soft-when-everything-is-broken/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="6">A blessing for keeping our hearts soft when everything is broken</a></li>
</ul>
 Don’t miss an episode. <a href="https://katebowler.com/newsletter/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="7">Sign up here</a> to be the first to know about upcoming events near you, podcast guests, and more.
 
<hr>
Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by <a href="https://katebowler.com/podcast/">clicking here</a> or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.
Follow Kate on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/katecbowler/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katecbowler">Facebook</a>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/KatecBowler">X</a> (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

Suleika Jaouad: You Are Not The Bad Thing

Are some people more empathetic than others? By studying those on the opposite end of the compassion spectrum–those with psychopathy–researcher Dr. Abigail Marsh discovered something surprising. 

In this conversation, Kate and Abigail discuss: 
The usefulness of fear
What it means to be “brave”
How we can all learn to belong to one another
The power of empathy (and why it actually feels good to give to others)

This conversation originally aired in 2020, but is one we return to again and again as we think about how empathy expands our capacity for others. Listen for an update from Abigail on what her recent research is exploring.



Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.

Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

Are some people more empathetic than others? By studying those on the opposite end of the compassion spectrum–those with psychopathy–researcher Dr. Abigail Marsh discovered something surprising. 
In this conversation, Kate and Abigail discuss: 
<ul>
<li>The usefulness of fear</li>
<li>What it means to be “brave”</li>
<li>How we can all learn to belong to one another</li>
<li>The power of empathy (and why it actually feels good to give to others)</li>
</ul>
This conversation originally aired in 2020, but is one we return to again and again as we think about how empathy expands our capacity for others. Listen for an update from Abigail on what her recent research is exploring.
 
<hr>
Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by <a href="https://katebowler.com/podcast/">clicking here</a> or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.
Follow Kate on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/katecbowler/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katecbowler">Facebook</a>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/KatecBowler">X</a> (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

Thomas Lynch: Good Grief

In 1 playlist(s)

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips