409: What if your child’s death opened up your life’s purpose?

413: What if your hope was hanging by a thread?

"After a decade of devastating loss, and medical trauma nearly destroys his will to live, a man reaches the edge of giving up before the fragile birth of his son brings him a new hope.    Today’s episode featured Nathan Wieser. If you’d like to email Nathan, you can reach him at natelucywieser@gmail.com. Nathan is on Instagram @nathanwieser, and is on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nathan.wieser.3   Nathan’s book, a memoir, We Did It: A rare perspective from a husband and father enduring a decade of miscarriages, infant loss and the roller coaster of emotion in the NICU: https://a.co/d/0iR6km0q, and also their website for the short term rental in Turks & Caicos: www.grandturkrentals.com Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits   Content/Trigger Warnings: adoption, divorce, religious trauma, alcohol abuse, violence/fighting, pregnancy loss, termination for medical reasons, stillbirth, miscarriage, infant death, medical negligence, traumatic birth, uterine rupture, blood loss, near-death experience, PTSD, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, NICU hospitalization, premature birth, infant medical trauma, sepsis, emergency surgery, wildfire/house fire, explicit language   Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Twitter/X: @TIAHPodcast Facebook: This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group   Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com   Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.com   Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app or visit Audible.com.  Read more about Whit’s insights into each episode on Beyond The Story Substack: whitmissildine.substack.com. On the Substack, Whit will be sharing personal reflections on the deeper themes that emerge from each episode and from across the conversations he’s been immersed in for years, including the psychology of radical transformation, the power of storytelling, the lessons of trauma and healing, and how we die to an old Self and are reborn. He’ll share behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of the show and his own personal journey in creating it.  Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop.    Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com   Intro Music: “Sleep Paralysis” - Scott Velasquez Music Bed: Ambient Themes   Services If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources:   National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988  National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264 National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

412: What if you were an international drug smuggler?

After being sent out of Cuba alone as a child, a man survives exile, smuggling, prison, and devastating loss, but in the aftermath, he must face the armor that protected him from the world and separated him from the people he loves. Today’s episode featured Carlos “JC” Perez. Carlos has authored two books, a novel entitled Heisting The Beard, & a biography, Pedro Pan: The Product of a Revolution Gone Bad. Both available where books are sold.  If you’d like to reach out to Carlos, you can email him at Leidyg22222@gmail.com.  Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Content/Trigger Warnings: childhood separation, immigration trauma, political violence, drug smuggling, incarceration, gun violence, suicidal behavior, family estrangement, cancer, death of a spouse, grief, substance use, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Twitter/X: @TIAHPodcast Facebook: This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app or visit Audible.com.  Read more about Whit’s insights into each episode on Beyond The Story Substack: whitmissildine.substack.com. On the Substack, Whit will be sharing personal reflections on the deeper themes that emerge from each episode and from across the conversations he’s been immersed in for years, including the psychology of radical transformation, the power of storytelling, the lessons of trauma and healing, and how we die to an old Self and are reborn. He’ll share behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of the show and his own personal journey in creating it.  Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop.  Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com Intro Music: “Sleep Paralysis” - Scott Velasquez Music Bed: Sparse_Reflections__a__APM Services If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources: National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988  National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264 National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

411: What if you foresaw your own abduction?

After surviving a near-death experience as a young child, a woman has a vision of her own brutal kidnapping, assault and and torture, but discovers in the aftermath that everything she endured was preparing her for her life’s work.   Today’s episode featured Annette Bricca. If you’d like to email Annette, you can reach her at Book@annettebricca.com. Her website is Annettebricca.com.  Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Sara Marinelli   Content/Trigger Warnings: kidnapping, child abduction, child sexual assault, rape, gang rape, physical violence, torture, captivity, psychological abuse, near-death experience, family trauma, parental neglect, alcoholism, betrayal by a parent, death, grief, terminal illness, cancer, mentions of missing children, spiritual/psychic experiences, explicit language   Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Twitter/X: @TIAHPodcast Facebook: This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group   Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com   Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.com Website for Sara Marinelli: saramarinelli.com    Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app or visit Audible.com.  Read more about Whit’s insights into each episode on Beyond The Story Substack: whitmissildine.substack.com. On the Substack, Whit will be sharing personal reflections on the deeper themes that emerge from each episode and from across the conversations he’s been immersed in for years, including the psychology of radical transformation, the power of storytelling, the lessons of trauma and healing, and how we die to an old Self and are reborn. He’ll share behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of the show and his own personal journey in creating it.  Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop.    Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com   Intro Music: “Sleep Paralysis” - Scott Velasquez Music Bed: Salib (SAL) - Tension Underscore 33 A   Services If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources:   National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988  National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264 National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

410: What if your mother tried to kill you?

After surviving a childhood where love meant saving his mother from the ravages of schizophrenia, a man spends decades trying to outrun the self he lost, until one final visit forces him to face what was never his to fix.    Today’s episode featured Johnathan Koller. Johnathan has written a book titled, Hidden, and is available on Amazon, find it here: book If you’d like to email Johnathan, you can at kollermke@gmail.com.  Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits    Content/Trigger Warnings: child abuse, childhood neglect, child sexual abuse, coercive parenting, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, parentification, mental illness, schizophrenia, paranoid delusions, PTSD, alcoholism, suicidal threats, staged suicide, self-harm, body shaming, family estrangement, grief, death of a parent., explicit language   Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Twitter/X: @TIAHPodcast Facebook: This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group   Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com   Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.com   Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app or visit Audible.com.  Read more about Whit’s insights into each episode on Beyond The Story Substack: whitmissildine.substack.com. On the Substack, Whit will be sharing personal reflections on the deeper themes that emerge from each episode and from across the conversations he’s been immersed in for years, including the psychology of radical transformation, the power of storytelling, the lessons of trauma and healing, and how we die to an old Self and are reborn. He’ll share behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of the show and his own personal journey in creating it.  Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop.    Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com   Intro Music: “Sleep Paralysis” - Scott Velasquez Music Bed: Pure_Ambience_APM   Services If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources:   National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988  National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264 National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

409: What if your child’s death opened up your life’s purpose?

After building the loving family she always wanted, a woman loses her youngest son to an unsecured gun, and turns her grief into a fight to protect other children.   Today’s episode featured Kristin Song. Kristin Miller Song is a writer and speaker whose work examines what it means to live through a profound before-and-after moment, and how a life is reshaped when certainty disappears. Her writing centers on loss, endurance, family, and moral reckoning, and is grounded in lived experience rather than instruction or argument. She has a memoir coming out next year. You can email Kristin at kristins1021@gmail.com. Kristin is on Substack @KristinMillerSong1, on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kristin.song.58 On LinkedIn @Kristin Song Kristin’s website where you can learn more about Ethan’s law and donate: https://songstrong.org/   Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Sara Marinelli   Content/Trigger Warnings: child death, gun violence, death by gunshot, unsecured firearms, traumatic grief, loss of a child, descriptions of a child’s fatal injury, parental guilt, suicidal ideation/depression, cancer and death of a parent, alcoholism, infidelity, divorce/family estrangement, financial insecurity, criminal/legal proceedings, and references to the Holocaust, explicit language   Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Twitter/X: @TIAHPodcast Facebook: This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group   Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com   Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.com Website for Sara Marinelli: saramarinelli.com   Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app or visit Audible.com.  Read more about Whit’s insights into each episode on Beyond The Story Substack: whitmissildine.substack.com. On the Substack, Whit will be sharing personal reflections on the deeper themes that emerge from each episode and from across the conversations he’s been immersed in for years, including the psychology of radical transformation, the power of storytelling, the lessons of trauma and healing, and how we die to an old Self and are reborn. He’ll share behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of the show and his own personal journey in creating it.  Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop.    Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com   Intro Music: “Sleep Paralysis” - Scott Velasquez Music Bed: Uncertain Outcomes   Services If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources:   National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988  National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264 National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].