What happens when someone walks into your life and helps rebuild the very foundation grief once tore apart?

Nearly 30 years ago, Katie (Hines) Thomas entered our lives not to replace what had been lost—but to hold space for all of it. In this deeply personal Mother’s Day episode, we sit down with our stepmom, Katie, and reflect on the three decades of love, loss, and legacy that have shaped our big, beautiful “family bush.”

From the sudden loss of her in-laws and the death of her first child to the heartbreak of divorce, navigating a radical mastectomy, and raising four children on her own, Katie’s story is one of extraordinary resilience. When she met our dad shortly after our mom's passing, neither of them were looking for love—but what they found was something transformative. Together, they blended their adult families with intentional love, grace, and a shared commitment to showing up for each other, no matter what.

This episode explores:

• The unexpected love story that brought Katie and our dad together
• The complexities and gifts of blending families as adults
• Katie’s remarkable career in education and counseling
• Her personal losses and the legacy she’s building through it all
• What it means to be mothered in different seasons of life
• How aging with love, humor, and purpose is its own form of legacy

Whether you're navigating your own blended family, grieving the loss of a parent, or reflecting on the relationships that shaped you—this story is a reminder that family is about more than blood. It’s about who stays, who loves, and who grows with us.

Recorded just before Mother's Day, this conversation honors not only one extraordinary woman—but the resilience and tenderness that shape the families we choose and create.

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Hearing the stories of others helps us create a more meaningful connection to our own—because legacy isn’t just what we leave behind, it’s how we live right now.

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