Gary Haugen Archives -

Skip to content

ABOUT
- Meet Kate
  Hi, I’m Kate. I’m a Duke professor, podcaster, and author with a single mission: giving you permission to feel human. After years of being told I was incurable, I was declared cancer-free. But there’s no going back. I am forever changed by what I discovered: life is so beautiful and life is so hard. For everyone.
  ABOUT KATE
  Get to Know Me
  HUMAN
  AUTHOR
  PODCAST HOST
  SPEAKER
  How to Connect
  NEWSLETTER
  BOOKING
  EVENTS
  CONTACT
  PRESS
PODCAST
- Everything Happens.
  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.
  See All Episodes
  Ai-jen Poo
  America’s Caregiving Crisis
  Listen Now America’s Caregiving Crisis
  Jen Hatmaker
  Divorce, Deconstruction, and Rebuilding from Scratch
  Listen Now Divorce, Deconstruction, and Rebuilding from Scratch
  Becky Kenndy
  Am I Ruining My Kid?
  Listen Now Am I Ruining My Kid?
  Elizabeth Gilbert
  When Caregiving Becomes Codependency
  Listen Now When Caregiving Becomes Codependency
BOOKS
- Books
  Let’s untangle our culture’s obsession with toxic positivity and self-help, shall we? Kate studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether (or not) we’re capable of change. She is the author of seven books including three instant New York Times bestsellers.
  All Books
  
  Everything Happens for a Reason
  (And Other Lies I’ve Loved)
  
  Have a Beautiful Terrible Day!
  Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs & In-Betweens
  
  No Cure for Being Human
  (And Other Truths I Need to Hear)
RESOURCES
- Resources
  Our goal with Everything Happens is to create rich language and vibrant community that sustains us when life comes apart. Below, you’ll find categories that may be good starting points for you. Inside are a mix of podcasts, blessings, support guides, and bonus resources that we hope will be useful.
  ALL RESOURCES
  Types
  BLESSINGS
  DEVOTIONALS
  SUPPORT GUIDES
  COURSES
  FREE DOWNLOADS
  Discussion Guides
  FOR MINISTRY
  Topics
  ILLNESS
  GRIEF
  WHAT NOT TO SAY
  RESILIENT FAITH
  INSPIRING LIVES
  NUANCED HOPE
  CARING AT HOME
  CARING AT WORK
  COMPLICATED FAMILIES
  MOVING FORWARD
MERCH

Read More Joy is the Oxygen

End of content

Every week I usually forget most of the basics:
a) you are loved. b) life is absurd. c) it’s hard to be a human.

If you want some smart, kind, and funny encouragement to get you through your week, sign up for my newsletter. I’d love to be your reminder.

Follow along on socials

@katecbowler

Everyone says it takes a village—but where’s the sign-up sheet? The meal train without the awkward spreadsheet? The neighbor who just knows what kind of casserole you hate?

This one’s for the caregivers, the quietly-exhausted, and anyone wondering how to build a life that’s a little less lonely and a little more interdependent.

BECAUSE IT TURNS OUT WE REALLY DO ACTUALLY NEED EACH OTHER. (Thank you @aijpenp for the reminder.)

(Spoiler: it’s not always intuitive. Or efficient. But it is worth it.)

2137 32

Open post by katecbowler with ID 18074141426271482

Welcome to part FOUR of busting the myth of a “purpose-driven” life.

Can you have too much purpose? Oh friend. YES. YES YOU CAN. You can be so over-purposed you’re practically oozing from the squeeze of it all.

Because sometimes purpose doesn’t feel like clarity or peace—it feels like exhaustion in a thousand directions.

You’re parenting, caregiving, replying to the group chat, uncrustifying sandwiches, keeping people alive, and occasionally hydrated. This isn’t a life—it’s a purpose parade with no end in sight.

No clock-out time. No applause.

But you`re not doing anything wrong. I swear.

Follow for more truth-telling about what makes a life meaningful (especially when it doesn’t feel peaceful).

1779 50

Open post by katecbowler with ID 18079690030823143

Welcome to part FOUR of busting the myth of a “purpose-driven” life.Can you have too much purpose? Oh friend. YES. YES YOU CAN. You can be so over-purposed you’re practically oozing from the squeeze of it all.Because sometimes purpose doesn’t feel like clarity or peace—it feels like exhaustion in a thousand directions.You’re parenting, caregiving, replying to the group chat, uncrustifying sandwiches, keeping people alive, and occasionally hydrated. This isn’t a life—it’s a purpose parade with no end in sight.No clock-out time. No applause.But you're not doing anything wrong. I swear.Follow for more truth-telling about what makes a life meaningful (especially when it doesn’t feel peaceful).

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
—L.M. Montgomery

Same, girl. Just not so glad about the email backlog I brought with me into fall.

3178 93

Open post by katecbowler with ID 18521994697030045

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
—L.M. MontgomerySame, girl. Just not so glad about the email backlog I brought with me into fall.

We are in a caregiving crisis. Not enough help. Too little pay. No real safety net. And those who do the work—the diaper-changers, hand-holders, pill-counters, appointment-makers—are often running on fumes.

After spending time with @aijenp, I’ve never been more certain: this is holy work, and we need to care for the caregivers. Ai-jen is fighting like a person who knows what’s at stake (because she does). She’s organizing, educating, pushing for the kind of policies that could actually support a nation that is growing older, sicker, and more in need of care than ever before.

She’s my guest on the @everythinghappens podcast today, and I promise, if this wasn’t already the thing that broke your heart a little—you’ll feel it now.

You can listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the whole conversation on YouTube.

P.S. A warm and grateful shout-out to @aspenideas. Thank you for making this episode possible. Truly.

963 24

Open post by katecbowler with ID 18080241248054393

We are in a caregiving crisis. Not enough help. Too little pay. No real safety net. And those who do the work—the diaper-changers, hand-holders, pill-counters, appointment-makers—are often running on fumes.After spending time with @aijenp, I’ve never been more certain: this is holy work, and we need to care for the caregivers. Ai-jen is fighting like a person who knows what’s at stake (because she does). She’s organizing, educating, pushing for the kind of policies that could actually support a nation that is growing older, sicker, and more in need of care than ever before.She’s my guest on the @everythinghappens podcast today, and I promise, if this wasn’t already the thing that broke your heart a little—you’ll feel it now.You can listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the whole conversation on YouTube.P.S. A warm and grateful shout-out to @aspenideas. Thank you for making this episode possible. Truly.

A tale in three acts: Read. Ruminate. Rewrite six times.

387 7

Open post by katecbowler with ID 17973865013774421

A tale in three acts: Read. Ruminate. Rewrite six times.

May you feel held even when life bends toward chaos and you`re feeling small in a world in which everything happens.

2047 26

Open post by katecbowler with ID 17885634165365208

May you feel held even when life bends toward chaos and you're feeling small in a world in which everything happens.

Oh, just some September screenshots. 📸

1. @sunlightafterdark
2. @peopleiveloved
3. @wordsarevibrations/slitthroatz
4. @lila.rules via @newyorkermag
5. @prettypainfulgriefbook
6. @futureearth
7. @writers

3452 17

Open post by katecbowler with ID 17900575998269953

Oh, just some September screenshots. 📸1. @sunlightafterdark
2. @peopleiveloved
3. @wordsarevibrations/slitthroatz
4. @lila.rules via @newyorkermag
5. @prettypainfulgriefbook
6. @futureearth
7. @writers

At this point, I might be on a pilgrimage. Or maybe just trying to find something bigger than my feelings...

2488 50

Open post by katecbowler with ID 18074197739111661

At this point, I might be on a pilgrimage. Or maybe just trying to find something bigger than my feelings...

If you are reading this you have great eyesight. But also, thanks for being a person with me. The world is strange and hard for soft-hearted humans, but I think you’re a delight.

About
Resources
Contact
Podcasts
Books
MERCH
Mural
Upcoming Events
Newsletter
Blessings

Everything Happens.

Make your inbox a little more human.

ABOUT
- Meet Kate
  Hi, I’m Kate. I’m a Duke professor, podcaster, and author with a single mission: giving you permission to feel human. After years of being told I was incurable, I was declared cancer-free. But there’s no going back. I am forever changed by what I discovered: life is so beautiful and life is so hard. For everyone.
  ABOUT KATE
  Get to Know Me
  HUMAN
  AUTHOR
  PODCAST HOST
  SPEAKER
  How to Connect
  NEWSLETTER
  BOOKING
  EVENTS
  CONTACT
  PRESS
PODCAST
- Everything Happens.
  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.
  See All Episodes
  Ai-jen Poo
  America’s Caregiving Crisis
  Listen Now America’s Caregiving Crisis
  Jen Hatmaker
  Divorce, Deconstruction, and Rebuilding from Scratch
  Listen Now Divorce, Deconstruction, and Rebuilding from Scratch
  Becky Kenndy
  Am I Ruining My Kid?
  Listen Now Am I Ruining My Kid?
  Elizabeth Gilbert
  When Caregiving Becomes Codependency
  Listen Now When Caregiving Becomes Codependency
BOOKS
- Books
  Let’s untangle our culture’s obsession with toxic positivity and self-help, shall we? Kate studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether (or not) we’re capable of change. She is the author of seven books including three instant New York Times bestsellers.
  All Books
  
  Everything Happens for a Reason
  (And Other Lies I’ve Loved)
  
  Have a Beautiful Terrible Day!
  Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs & In-Betweens
  
  No Cure for Being Human
  (And Other Truths I Need to Hear)
RESOURCES
- Resources
  Our goal with Everything Happens is to create rich language and vibrant community that sustains us when life comes apart. Below, you’ll find categories that may be good starting points for you. Inside are a mix of podcasts, blessings, support guides, and bonus resources that we hope will be useful.
  ALL RESOURCES
  Types
  BLESSINGS
  DEVOTIONALS
  SUPPORT GUIDES
  COURSES
  FREE DOWNLOADS
  Discussion Guides
  FOR MINISTRY
  Topics
  ILLNESS
  GRIEF
  WHAT NOT TO SAY
  RESILIENT FAITH
  INSPIRING LIVES
  NUANCED HOPE
  CARING AT HOME
  CARING AT WORK
  COMPLICATED FAMILIES
  MOVING FORWARD
MERCH

Meet Kate

Get to Know Me

How to Connect

Everything Happens.

Books

Everything Happens for a Reason

Have a Beautiful Terrible Day!

No Cure for Being Human

Resources

Types

Topics

Every week I usually forget most of the basics: a) you are loved. b) life is absurd. c) it’s hard to be a human.

Follow along on socials

Everything Happens.

Browse by topic

Make your inbox a little more human.

Meet Kate

Get to Know Me

How to Connect

Everything Happens.

Books

Everything Happens for a Reason

Have a Beautiful Terrible Day!

No Cure for Being Human

Resources

Types

Topics

Every week I usually forget most of the basics:
a) you are loved. b) life is absurd. c) it’s hard to be a human.