Terrible, Thanks for Asking
Nora Needs a New Dad
Nora's dad died in 2014 from pretty much all of the cancers, leaving her mom Margaret without her life partner of almost 50 years ... and leaving Nora without a dad. Does a 40-year-old married woman with four children of her own need a father figure in her life? Nora thinks so! But what does Margaret have to say about dating as a widow in your 70s?
Debt, Lies and Other Things Our Parents Leave Us
Identity theft is something many of us are familiar with, but we have a specific image of what this looks like – our data being stolen online, or someone getting a hold of our social security number. But almost a third of identity theft crimes are committed by a family member. This episode tells the story of two people who experienced financial abuse at the hands of their parents.
Imagine That
Brandie and Cathy are two strangers who have something unusual in common. They both suffer from a literal lack of imagination – a condition called aphantasia. In this episode, they talk with Nora and Marcel about what it means to grieve the loss of something they never had to begin with.
How to Lose Your Name
Cheval spent her entire life trying to be a wedding dress designer (she started sewing at 7 years old and studied fashion design in college). In her mid 20’s, she got her big break when a large fashion house hired her to design a wedding dress collection named after herself. But that dream only lasted eight years. She found herself in the middle of a legal battle that would take away her collection, her job as a designer, and eventually her name.
Into the Void
One thing we know about grief is that it needs a witness. That inside every griever is a nearly uncontrollable urge to make the people around us understand what we had and what we have now. In this episode, we are all David’s witnesses.
Blocked and Reported
When Natalie Weaver stepped into the media spotlight to advocate for her 8-year-old daughter Sophia’s right to health care, she expected some pushback. She didn’t expect the flood of online hate and death threats that came her way … or for images of Sophia to end up on the wrong, hurtful, abusive side of the Internet.
Army Wife
Death by suicide has long been a problem within the U.S. military, and not just among veterans: In 2020, suicide rates among active duty service members hit a six-year high.
On August 28th, 2015, Heather’s husband Tyler became one of those statistics.
Theirs is a story of friendship, of love, of family, of service and duty … and of trauma, domestic abuse and mental illness.
After The Headlines
In the early morning hours of June 24th, 2021, an apartment complex in Surfside, Florida collapsed out of nowhere, killing 98 people – including Patty’s mom, Maggie. It’s difficult enough to lose a loved one to an unthinkable tragedy. It’s exceptionally awful when you’re forced to watch them die over and over again on national television.
Update: The Beautiful Ones
Four years ago, Nora sat down with her friend Gigi to tell the story of … Gigi’s face. It was a story about confidence and beauty (and beauty standards) and chronic illness, and it has touched so many people since we first aired it. Today, you’ll hear that first conversation with Gigi, plus an important update on what’s going on with Gigi’s health … and with her face.
Para-mom
When Leah Nixon woke up in the hospital after a construction accident and learned she was paralyzed from the chest down, she wondered how she’d go about starting a family someday. In this episode, she gives us a glimpse into her daily life as a “para-mom” to her 9-month-old daughter, Ellie.