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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Where the light gets in

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