Jule Kucera: Reflections

Bethan had an illness that shrunk her world—on good days, to her home. On bad days, to her bed.  But Bethan brought her curiosity to her backyard and what she found there brought her wonder, joy, and healing.

This episode with Kevin Wright is an experiment. I wanted to see if there are commonalities between people and places in how they experience hard times and how to navigate them, to come out the other side a better place (or a better person).

When Rob was 14, his father was diagnosed with a brain tumor and given two weeks to live. The hospital was ready to send Rob's father home to die, but that isn't what happened.

Thomas' friends and family—especially his grandmother—told him that one day he would fall in love and it would hit him like a lightning bolt. He never believed them, could never see himself settling down with one person... until he met Her. But her mind held a thunderstorm that nearly drowned them both.

Kelly is an exceptionally creative person and was an exceptionally creative child. But that creativity led to an 'art wound' that took 35 years to heal.

We started by talking about the passing of Ginger's husband, and then mine. This led to a conversation about how the nature of the departure can impact those left behind.

Michael was engaged to the mother of his young son. Then things started to fall apart. And then they got worse.

Laurie is a Ph.D. psychologist who raised two sons mostly on her own. When the second one heads off to college she is left with an empty home, a deep depression, and a burdensome thought—this isn't supposed to happen to psychologists.