Recently, I had the chance to interview a friend for a work project. This week, KSMU Radio aired a series of StoryCorps-style interviews ahead of The National Day of Listening. When the idea was presented to staff, I knew right away who I wanted to talk with, because we had just spent three hours catching up in a coffee shop that morning . My friend Katelyn has been a lifeline to me over the last four years, and I’ve grown to value her so much. Like many of the treasured friends I now have, we were introduced because of Gage.
My role at work has always been very much behind the scenes (my strong preference) and is even moreso in a part-time capacity. The idea of interviewing and recording a conversation with someone made me nervous, but I still felt led to do it and Katelyn was agreeable, even just days away from delivering her third baby!
What I quickly learned was how tricky it was for the two of us to keep our conversation short enough for a radio-friendly format. We ended up with a lot more audio than what made it on the air. You can listen to the shortened on-air version here. But if you’ve got the time and want to hear more of Katelyn’s God-given wisdom, I’ve included a longer version here.
Here are a few of the highlights from Katelyn’s insights for me.
- Sometimes the best way to support someone enduring pain is just being present for them…sitting through the hard parts…and not trying to convince them to feel any differently than they are feeling.
- Our children have inherent, God-given worth and value, regardless of what society defines as “normal.”
- It’s a tricky balance to parenting multiple children when their needs vary in intensity, but not in importance.
- When you have a genuine connection with someone, you don’t have to “put a bow on it” and hide your messier parts.
- God provides at every turn, and even delights us with gifts He prepared for us before we ever knew we would need them.
And, because they are too adorable not to share, here are some photos of our kiddos.
Keep up with Katelyn’s family and their journey at ForLandry.com.