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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
  Suleika Jaouad
  Survival Is a Creative Act
  Listen Now Survival Is a Creative Act
  Erin & Ben Napier
  Everyone’s From Somewhere
  Listen Now Everyone’s From Somewhere
  Stacey Heale
  The Aftermath of the Aftermath
  Listen Now The Aftermath of the Aftermath
  Kimberly Williams-Paisley
  Where The Light (Still) Gets In
  Listen Now Where The Light (Still) Gets In
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

My 57 year old husband, a father of 17 and 18 year old daughters, dying 5 months after he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Esophageal 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.

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Follow along on socials

@katecbowler

Here`s your reminder that good things aren`t extinct. They`re just shy. But you found some.

Let`s keep this going: TELL ME SOMETHING (ELSE) GOOD.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 17900976222232749

Here's your reminder that good things aren't extinct. They're just shy. But you found some.Let's keep this going: TELL ME SOMETHING (ELSE) GOOD.

Does everything we do—every job, every hobby, every mildly traumatic Tuesday—have to be redeemed for some grand purpose? When did existing become a group project? One that needed monetization and commodification?

I’ve been spiraling (academically), so I WROTE A SUBSTACK ESSAY to sort through our collective Purpose Panic™. Featuring a cameo from @elizabeth_gilbert_writer, who kindly dismantles the myth that we are what we do.

Link to join me in stories. Let’s be purposeless together. 💫

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18512633218035508

Does everything we do—every job, every hobby, every mildly traumatic Tuesday—have to be redeemed for some grand purpose? When did existing become a group project? One that needed monetization and commodification?I’ve been spiraling (academically), so I WROTE A SUBSTACK ESSAY to sort through our collective Purpose Panic™. Featuring a cameo from @elizabeth_gilbert_writer, who kindly dismantles the myth that we are what we do.Link to join me in stories. Let’s be purposeless together. 💫

In a world where Everything Happens...

...including the unthinkable.

God, meet us here.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18074360011782042

In a world where Everything Happens......including the unthinkable.God, meet us here.

It never hurts to check. 🥔

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18090942070630264

It never hurts to check. 🥔

It never hurts to check. 🥔

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18071414143983127

It never hurts to check. 🥔

Not all heroes wear capes.

Some wear compression socks. Or yesterday`s makeup.

We made some Very Official Awards™ for the perpetually exhausted, the low-key saints, and the ones still showing up when that is a whole miracle.

✨ Tap through. Tag your people. Claim your ribbon. You’ve earned it (and maybe a nap too).

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 17918330520108686

Not all heroes wear capes.Some wear compression socks. Or yesterday's makeup.We made some Very Official Awards™ for the perpetually exhausted, the low-key saints, and the ones still showing up when that is a whole miracle.✨ Tap through. Tag your people. Claim your ribbon. You’ve earned it (and maybe a nap too).

Camera crumbs. 🍪

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 17901536295214087

Camera crumbs. 🍪

Like so many of you, my heart is heavy for Texas and my neighbors here in North Carolina. The images feel surreal, and like the suffering just never ends. When the waters rise, literally and figuratively, it`s the helpers, the neighbors, and the doers who remind us that we belong to each other.

When I feel overwhelmed by the state of the world, I often think about what @sharonsaysso and @andy_stanley remind us - that we should do for one person what we wish we could do for all.

It reminds me that small acts of care still matter, that love scaled down is still love.

Here are some organizations and ways to help if you`re able.

DONATE (in Texas)
- @convoyofhope
- @wckitchen
- @hpumcdallas
- @austinpetsalive
- @cftexashillcountry
- @southernoakschurch

DONATE (in North Carolina)
- @americanredcross
- NCCF Disaster Relief Fund
- NC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NCVOAD)

DO
- Donate blood: Hospitals often face urgent needs for blood following large-scale emergencies.
- Volunteer: Local shelters, food banks, or cleanup crews may need extra hands.
- Offer Housing or Transportation: If you`re in a nearby area, consider opening your home or offering rides to those displaced.
- Organize Supply Drives: Collect and distribute essentials like toiletries, diapers, and nonperishables.
- Reach Out: Sometimes the most overlooked gift is presence. Reach out to neighbors, especially the elderly or isolated.

If I`ve left anything out, please drop any other ways to help in the comments.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 17855959563464673

Like so many of you, my heart is heavy for Texas and my neighbors here in North Carolina. The images feel surreal, and like the suffering just never ends. When the waters rise, literally and figuratively, it's the helpers, the neighbors, and the doers who remind us that we belong to each other.When I feel overwhelmed by the state of the world, I often think about what @sharonsaysso and @andy_stanley remind us - that we should do for one person what we wish we could do for all.It reminds me that small acts of care still matter, that love scaled down is still love.Here are some organizations and ways to help if you're able.DONATE (in Texas)
- @convoyofhope
- @wckitchen
- @hpumcdallas
- @austinpetsalive
- @cftexashillcountry
- @southernoakschurchDONATE (in North Carolina)
- @americanredcross
- NCCF Disaster Relief Fund
- NC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NCVOAD)DO
- Donate blood: Hospitals often face urgent needs for blood following large-scale emergencies.
- Volunteer: Local shelters, food banks, or cleanup crews may need extra hands.
- Offer Housing or Transportation: If you're in a nearby area, consider opening your home or offering rides to those displaced.
- Organize Supply Drives: Collect and distribute essentials like toiletries, diapers, and nonperishables.
- Reach Out: Sometimes the most overlooked gift is presence. Reach out to neighbors, especially the elderly or isolated.If I've left anything out, please drop any other ways to help in the comments.

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.

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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
  Suleika Jaouad
  Survival Is a Creative Act
  Listen Now Survival Is a Creative Act
  Erin & Ben Napier
  Everyone’s From Somewhere
  Listen Now Everyone’s From Somewhere
  Stacey Heale
  The Aftermath of the Aftermath
  Listen Now The Aftermath of the Aftermath
  Kimberly Williams-Paisley
  Where The Light (Still) Gets In
  Listen Now Where The Light (Still) Gets In
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