Kimberly Williams-Paisley: Where The Light (Still) Gets In
Everything Happens with Kate Bowler
Everything Happens Studios
4.8 • 4.7K Ratings
🗓️ 20 May 2025
⏱️ 37 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
When Kimberly Williams-Paisley’s mother was diagnosed with a rare form of dementia, life became a long stretch of uncertainty, grief, and surprising moments of delight. There were dinners to make. Kids to raise. A thousand tiny losses tucked inside ordinary days.
In this tender and funny conversation, Kimberly reflects on the long goodbye of her mother’s illness, what she regrets, and what she’s still learning. She shares how her father’s openness to his own diagnosis reshaped the way she wants to live now—with more transparency, more humor, and more love. Together, Kate and Kimberly explore how love and loss keep unfolding, long after the moment you thought goodbye had already come.
In this conversation, Kate and Kimberly discuss:
- How secrecy during illness can isolate the people who need connection most
- The absurd moments that helped their family survive the hardest days
- What it means to keep finding someone, even after they’re gone
- Parenting teenagers with more curiosity and less control
If you liked this episode, you might also like:
- Rabbi Steve Leder on showing up for people in grief
- John Swinton on the art of presence
Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.
Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, I'm Megan, and I've got a new podcast I think you're going to love. It's called Confessions of a |
| 0:07.3 | female founder, a show where I chat with female entrepreneurs and friends about the sleepless nights, |
| 0:12.8 | the lessons learned, and the laser focus that got them to where they are today. And through it all, |
| 0:18.8 | I'm building a business of my own and getting all sorts of practical |
| 0:21.9 | advice along the way that I'm so excited to share with you. Confessions of a female founder |
| 0:28.0 | is out now. Listen, wherever you get your podcast. |
| 0:43.9 | Tired of the same old political shouty matches and talking points looking for thoughtful conversations that go beyond the headlines and help you understand issues that matter i'm sarah |
| 0:48.6 | and i'm bet together we host pantsuit politics a podcast where we bring grace nuance and |
| 0:53.7 | perspective to the news, |
| 0:54.9 | because democracy deserves more than hot takes. Join us as we approach politics and current events |
| 0:59.7 | with curiosity, empathy, and a commitment to understanding the bigger picture. If you want to stay |
| 1:03.9 | informed without the anxiety, we're the show for you. New episodes drop on Tuesdays and Fridays. |
| 1:08.7 | Subscribe to Pantsuit Politics wherever you get your podcast. |
| 1:20.3 | This is Everything Happens. And I'm Kate Bowler. If you grew up in the 90s, there is a good chance my guest today is very familiar to you. |
| 1:29.8 | Maybe she's forever blushing at the kitchen table across from Steve Martin and Father of the Bride, |
| 1:35.5 | or maybe you know and love her from according to Jim. |
| 1:39.1 | But behind all that charisma is someone who has lived through the things that you only talk about in a whisper, |
| 1:45.5 | caring for a parent with dementia, raising kids while untangling grief, and because life isn't |
| 1:51.9 | always convenient or kind, losing her ability to speak for over two years because of a rare vocal |
| 1:57.8 | cord injury. Kimberly Williams-Paisley radiates joy and levity and humor, |
| 2:04.6 | and given everything I know about the way she has managed grief in her life, I really wanted a chance to lean in and ask, |
| 2:11.1 | Hey, how? Even after everything, what's your secret? |
... |
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