Skip to content
  • ABOUTExpand

    • 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
      Kate Bowler sitting in front of books

  • PODCASTExpand

    • 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
      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
      Amanda Doyle

      When Fixing Isn’t Loving

      Listen Now When Fixing Isn’t Loving
  • BOOKSExpand

    • 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)

  • RESOURCESExpand

    • 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

visitor

Top 10 Gifts I Want in the Hospital
Uncategorized

Top 10 Gifts I Want in the Hospital

Bykatebowler October 2, 2017August 17, 2023

Spending days in a hospital bed can be downright miserable. Want to be an Awesome Hospital VisitorFriend™? Sneak one of these ten things through security.

Read More Top 10 Gifts I Want in the HospitalContinue

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. 
 

Name

Follow along on socials

@katecbowler

“Be interested. Be interesting.” That’s the advice my parents gave me about how to care. Foster a costly mind and spend it lavishly on others. My mom and dad, Karen and Gerry Bowler, spent a combined 60 YEARS OF THEIR LIVES at the University of Manitoba teaching students to be interested and interesting. To be curious and then to transform that curiosity into empathy, knowledge, and service.

So when the U of M gave me an honorary doctorate over the weekend, it wasn’t just for me. It was for us. (I`ve added their precious old faculty photos!) My parents sat behind me on the stage with the faculty in their fluffy robes and they were HONORED. We just heaped praise right all over them. Because their teaching and research and love for students and quiet service is what makes higher education so ESSENTIAL. Teachers, you are NECESSARY. You are the builders of democratic, empathic, hate-resistant minds.

The @umanitoba is the university that raised me. I grew up on the edge of the campus and their faculty and staff have been my babysitters, librarians, summer camp counselors, and Sick Day blanket-getters. I adore them. And thank you to the President and Chancellor and all the staff who made that event one of the best days of my Canadian life. 🇨🇦 I’m so very proud to be a bison today, and forever.

When I got off stage, my parents gathered around me and we straight up cried like the saps that we are….total fools for higher education. It is more than a place. It’s what we believe in.

Right now, universities are under threat. And so is the open-mindedness that it represents. So in a world in which *everything happens,* let’s take a little advice from my adorable parents. Be interested. Be interesting. Let`s spend our lives fostering our minds and care deeply about this beautiful, terrible world.

1204 24
Open post by katecbowler with ID 18010932662576752
“Be interested. Be interesting.” That’s the advice my parents gave me about how to care. Foster a costly mind and spend it lavishly on others. My mom and dad, Karen and Gerry Bowler, spent a combined 60 YEARS OF THEIR LIVES at the University of Manitoba teaching students to be interested and interesting. To be curious and then to transform that curiosity into empathy, knowledge, and service.So when the U of M gave me an honorary doctorate over the weekend, it wasn’t just for me. It was for us. (I've added their precious old faculty photos!) My parents sat behind me on the stage with the faculty in their fluffy robes and they were HONORED. We just heaped praise right all over them. Because their teaching and research and love for students and quiet service is what makes higher education so ESSENTIAL. Teachers, you are NECESSARY. You are the builders of democratic, empathic, hate-resistant minds.The @umanitoba is the university that raised me. I grew up on the edge of the campus and their faculty and staff have been my babysitters, librarians, summer camp counselors, and Sick Day blanket-getters. I adore them. And thank you to the President and Chancellor and all the staff who made that event one of the best days of my Canadian life. 🇨🇦 I’m so very proud to be a bison today, and forever.When I got off stage, my parents gathered around me and we straight up cried like the saps that we are….total fools for higher education. It is more than a place. It’s what we believe in.Right now, universities are under threat. And so is the open-mindedness that it represents. So in a world in which *everything happens,* let’s take a little advice from my adorable parents. Be interested. Be interesting. Let's spend our lives fostering our minds and care deeply about this beautiful, terrible world.

For a world where Everything Happens...

May this home be:

a resting place for the weary,
a soft landing for the returning,
a launching pad for the brave.

Today`s blessing is inspired by @erinapier and @scotsman.co, who remind us daily that home is where you are.

3422 44
Open post by katecbowler with ID 18317507134224117
For a world where Everything Happens...May this home be:a resting place for the weary, a soft landing for the returning, a launching pad for the brave.Today's blessing is inspired by @erinapier and @scotsman.co, who remind us daily that home is where you are.

You’ve asked, and I have answered. This is the video you can send to the next person who tells you that your loved one is in a “better place.”

24 0
Open post by katecbowler with ID 17960378735941586
You’ve asked, and I have answered. This is the video you can send to the next person who tells you that your loved one is in a “better place.”

Trust me when I tell you I wanted mushroom coffee to change my life. 🍄‍🟫☕️

#everythinghappens #propagandaimnotfallingfor

3181 121
Open post by katecbowler with ID 18463769311076677
Trust me when I tell you I wanted mushroom coffee to change my life. 🍄‍🟫☕️#everythinghappens #propagandaimnotfallingfor

Anyone else just need a nap and lower expectations??? 🍋💤☀️

3742 43
Open post by katecbowler with ID 17867839170390676
Anyone else just need a nap and lower expectations??? 🍋💤☀️

What if the American Dream wasn’t somewhere "out there"… but right here, in your own backyard?

Today on Everything Happens, I sit down with the hosts of the @hgtv hit show "Home Town," @scotsman.co and @erinapier, and we chat about how they’re reimagining home—not as a status symbol or a five-year plan, but as a place to belong.

They talk about small towns, big feelings, and why slow-building a life you love might just be the most radical thing you can do.

Comment "SMALL" and I`ll send you a link to watch the whole thing!

#everythinghappens #benanderinnapier #smalltownliving #smalltownsacred

10923 1970
Open post by katecbowler with ID 18498944242053469
What if the American Dream wasn’t somewhere "out there"… but right here, in your own backyard?Today on Everything Happens, I sit down with the hosts of the @hgtv hit show "Home Town," @scotsman.co and @erinapier, and we chat about how they’re reimagining home—not as a status symbol or a five-year plan, but as a place to belong.They talk about small towns, big feelings, and why slow-building a life you love might just be the most radical thing you can do.Comment "SMALL" and I'll send you a link to watch the whole thing!#everythinghappens #benanderinnapier #smalltownliving #smalltownsacred

I have more notes about how to not pretend you like camping, because then people will actually want you to camp. 🏕️

Stay tuned.

1966 11
Open post by katecbowler with ID 18056999654244405
I have more notes about how to not pretend you like camping, because then people will actually want you to camp. 🏕️Stay tuned.

Bless you who ask, "What now?"

May this summer be a series of small recoveries.

5003 44
Open post by katecbowler with ID 18080760886758974
Bless you who ask, "What now?"May this summer be a series of small recoveries.

 

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

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Goodreads iconTikTok Pinterest
  • About
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Podcasts
  • Books
  • 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.

Sign up below to receive a weekly email from Kate Bowler every Wednesday.

Name
  • 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
      Kate Bowler sitting in front of books

  • 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
      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
      Amanda Doyle

      When Fixing Isn’t Loving

      Listen Now When Fixing Isn’t Loving
  • 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