Everything Happens with Kate Bowler Through the Lens of Love with Tim Shriver
Nov 18, 2025
Tim Shriver, an educator and longtime chairman of Special Olympics, shares powerful insights on the importance of dignity in our lives. He reflects on how his family's legacy, from Rosemary Kennedy to Eunice Kennedy Shriver, has shaped his advocacy. Tim emphasizes that real learning happens through relationships and service should stem from joy, not obligation. His Dignity Index provides tools for healthier disagreements, urging us to build communities based on compassion and authenticity, where love fosters true connection.
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Learning Happens Through Relationships
- Teaching is primarily relational, not informational, and learning flows through relationships.
- Tim credits social and emotional learning for building a science around empathy, listening, and self-regulation.
Family Story That Sparked A Movement
- Tim Shriver traces Special Olympics back to his aunt Rosemary, who had an intellectual disability and was kept at home by his grandparents.
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver turned that family story into a public movement to prove the world wrong about people with disabilities.
Vulnerability Reveals The Divine
- Vulnerable settings strip distractions and make love and suffering clearer, providing deep spiritual clarity.
- Volunteers consistently report they receive more back than they give because they reconnect to connection and purpose.
