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
  So Much Love, So Much to Lose
  Listen Now So Much Love, So Much to Lose
  Miriam Toews
  Naming the Silences
  Listen Now Naming the Silences
  Learning to Be Joyful, Anyway: A Big Announcement
  Listen Now Learning to Be Joyful, Anyway: A Big Announcement
  Ellen Vora
  For Those Who Feel It All
  Listen Now For Those Who Feel It All
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
  Joyful, Anyway
  
  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

limitations imposed by neck degeneration and chronic pain and the grief of losing my adult son to cancer.

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

Happy November. 🍂🍁

3751 104

Open post by katecbowler with ID 17902686387274809

Happy November. 🍂🍁

Love can crack us wide open. It brings the joy, yes—but also the fear of losing what matters most.
This one`s for when love makes you afraid.

Because somehow, joy and sorrow live together in a world in which Everything Happens.

2282 29

Open post by katecbowler with ID 18057665645252603

Love can crack us wide open. It brings the joy, yes—but also the fear of losing what matters most.
This one's for when love makes you afraid.Because somehow, joy and sorrow live together in a world in which Everything Happens.

Be the snack you wish to see in the world.

889 16

Open post by katecbowler with ID 17925778920139960

Be the snack you wish to see in the world.

🚨 NEW IN THE SHOP 🚨
It’s not technically a cure for being human... but it is coffee. So, close.

I`ve partnered with my favorite local roaster, @joevangogh, to brew up a special blend with tasting notes of vanilla and resilience. (Yes, really.)

Also? We made new mugs. Because no one should have to face their life’s calling—or inbox—without something sturdy to hold onto.

Comment "CURE" and I`ll send you a link to order.

287 66

Open post by katecbowler with ID 18082965392074668

🚨 NEW IN THE SHOP 🚨
It’s not technically a cure for being human... but it is coffee. So, close.I've partnered with my favorite local roaster, @joevangogh, to brew up a special blend with tasting notes of vanilla and resilience. (Yes, really.)Also? We made new mugs. Because no one should have to face their life’s calling—or inbox—without something sturdy to hold onto.Comment "CURE" and I'll send you a link to order.

This month’s roundup is brought to you by the chaos of October: documentaries that will wreck your soul (in a good way?), deflated disco balls, and a few survival tips for navigating the ninth circle of hell, also known as your middle-schooler’s group Halloween costume.

So grab a cup of something caffeinated or comforting—or both, if it’s one of those weeks—and dig in.

Comment "DISCO" and I`ll send over a link to read.

886 163

Open post by katecbowler with ID 17848054566590185

This month’s roundup is brought to you by the chaos of October: documentaries that will wreck your soul (in a good way?), deflated disco balls, and a few survival tips for navigating the ninth circle of hell, also known as your middle-schooler’s group Halloween costume.So grab a cup of something caffeinated or comforting—or both, if it’s one of those weeks—and dig in.Comment "DISCO" and I'll send over a link to read.

When you can’t brush your own hair. Or stand up by yourself. Or feed yourself lunch.

That’s when love becomes unbearably specific.

This week on @EverythingHappens, I talk with the wise and hilarious @catherinewman about what she’s learned from volunteering in hospice, parenting grown children, and how her gorgeous new novel Wreck (out today!) illuminates the impossible and the ordinary.

It’s a conversation about the kindness we extend when we can’t fix anything. About the way love shows up in whispers and warm washcloths. And how the smallest mercies can feel enormous when we can’t do them for ourselves.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts or comment ``WRECK" and I`ll send you a link to watch our full conversation. 📺

588 61

Open post by katecbowler with ID 18064436315121277

When you can’t brush your own hair. Or stand up by yourself. Or feed yourself lunch.That’s when love becomes unbearably specific.This week on @EverythingHappens, I talk with the wise and hilarious @catherinewman about what she’s learned from volunteering in hospice, parenting grown children, and how her gorgeous new novel Wreck (out today!) illuminates the impossible and the ordinary.It’s a conversation about the kindness we extend when we can’t fix anything. About the way love shows up in whispers and warm washcloths. And how the smallest mercies can feel enormous when we can’t do them for ourselves.Listen wherever you get your podcasts or comment ''WRECK" and I'll send you a link to watch our full conversation. 📺

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re shouting out, Amanda Doyle (@amandafdoyle), who reminds us in her episode (When Fixing Isn’t Loving) that dense breast tissue is common and tricky—and deserves follow-up.

You got your mammo? Great.
But if you`re in the “congratulations, you’re dense” club (like nearly half of us are!), you might also need an ultrasound or MRI. It’s not extra. It’s necessary.

Amanda’s moment of fierce self-advocacy is your reminder: You are not being too much. You are being wise. Brave. Slightly annoying to your doctor, perhaps—but alive.

✨ So schedule the scan.
✨ Ask the follow-up question.
✨ Say “dense” like it’s a superpower.

604 17

Open post by katecbowler with ID 18136110340458192

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re shouting out, Amanda Doyle (@amandafdoyle), who reminds us in her episode (When Fixing Isn’t Loving) that dense breast tissue is common and tricky—and deserves follow-up.You got your mammo? Great.
But if you're in the “congratulations, you’re dense” club (like nearly half of us are!), you might also need an ultrasound or MRI. It’s not extra. It’s necessary.Amanda’s moment of fierce self-advocacy is your reminder: You are not being too much. You are being wise. Brave. Slightly annoying to your doctor, perhaps—but alive.✨ So schedule the scan.
✨ Ask the follow-up question.
✨ Say “dense” like it’s a superpower.

It means so much to stay. With the pain, the sorrow, the confusion—all of it.
Bless you who keep showing up, especially in a world where Everything Happens.

3988 32

Open post by katecbowler with ID 18346805218163602

It means so much to stay. With the pain, the sorrow, the confusion—all of it.
Bless you who keep showing up, especially in a world where Everything Happens.

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.

© 2025
Development by Penner Web Design

About
Resources
Contact
Podcasts
Books
MERCH
Mural
Upcoming Events
Newsletter
Blessings

Everything Happens.

Browse by topic

Complicated Families

grief

resilient faith

what not to say

moving forward

Illness

nuanced hope

caring at home

inspiring lives

caring at work

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
  So Much Love, So Much to Lose
  Listen Now So Much Love, So Much to Lose
  Miriam Toews
  Naming the Silences
  Listen Now Naming the Silences
  Learning to Be Joyful, Anyway: A Big Announcement
  Listen Now Learning to Be Joyful, Anyway: A Big Announcement
  Ellen Vora
  For Those Who Feel It All
  Listen Now For Those Who Feel It All
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
  Joyful, Anyway
  
  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