This week's episode was recorded shortly after news broke of the Covenant School Shooting tragedy. Not mentioning it while recording this week wasn't an option but talking about it also felt too raw. It took reading a poem by Langston Hughes for it to all click....

HOPE.

Hope began to take shape as this week’s topic, inspired by the person who posted it, Suleika Jaouad.

As you’ll hear in this week’s episode, Suleika was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at the tender age of 22 — and beat it by 27. She wrote a book about her experience, Between Two Kingdoms and she also gave a TED talk about her recovery — which has been viewed almost 5 million times.

In her TED talk, she says…

“You can be held hostage by the worst thing that’s ever happened to you, and allow to hijack your remaining days — or — you can find a way forward.”

Finding our way forward is an expression of hope. It’s in having all the facts, and all the reasons we should be scared — and doing it anyway.

This episode was hard to record in many ways, we were both crying at certain points. But we — hope — that it encourages you, dear listener, to find your way forward.

Check out our Substack for ways you can help the victims and let your voice be heard for change.