☀️ Hidden Chapters Summer Replay Series | Laura Engel Part 1

☀️ Hidden Chapters Summer Replay Series | Laura Engel Part 1

Send me a message via text or voicemail! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463085/fan_mail/new] ☀️ As part of the Hidden Chapters Summer Replay Series, we’re revisiting conversations that shaped the heart of this podcast,  stories that continue to reflect the themes introduced in the Season 3 bridge trailer. ☀️ 🎙️  Episode Summary PART 1:  Laura Engel was seventeen when she got pregnant, unmarried, in Mississippi in 1967.  Her family sent her to an unwed mothers' home in New Orleans for five months.  She signed papers she didn't want to sign. She then came back home to her parents house and was expected to just keep going on with her life.    She did that...for fifty years. 🎧  In Part 1 of our conversation,  Laura shares what her experience of being pregnant, the months living at the home, and what the next fifty years looked like carrying a child she never forgot.  We end on a cliffhanger: the son she had to give away, Jamie, now named Richard, finally found her!   📖 Laura's Hidden Chapter Moment:  The pregnancy, the unwed mother home, and giving up her baby, are all parts people can only imagine.  The hidden chapter is what came after.  Laura walked back into her life and nobody every spoke of it again. Not because she'd healed, but because that was how it was supposed to be.  🔗 Resources & Links Include these in your episode show notes so listeners who connect with Laura’s story can find support and community: Laura’s Links • Website: lauralengel.com (includes a Starter Guide for finding a lost loved one) • Book: You’ll Forget This Ever Happened available on Amazon and through She Writes Press • First podcast appearance: Dani Shapiro’s Family Secrets — available on Laura’s website Adoption & Birth Parent Resources • CUB (Concerned United Birthparents): cubirthparents.org — support for birth parents • Adoption Knowledge Affiliates: adoptionknowledge.org — education and advocacy across the adoption triad • ISRR (International Soundex Reunion Registry): isrr.org — mutual consent reunion registry • DNA Detectives (Facebook group) — volunteer search angels to help adoptees and birth parents connect • Adoptee Rights Law Center: adopteerightslaw.com — advocacy for open original birth certificates For Adoptees Seeking Records • Many states are gradually opening access — check your state’s current law at adopteerightslaw.com/map • Ancestry.com and 23andMe DNA testing remain powerful tools for connection Grief & Suicide Loss Resources • Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors: allianceofhope.org • American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsp.org  |  Crisis line: 988 Podmatch.com [https://www.joinpodmatch.com/genevievekruger] Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463085/support] 🌐  Visit my website: https://hiddenchapterspodcast.com/  [https://hiddenchapterspodcast.com/]and stay connected!  🎙️  Want to be a guest on Hidden Chapters: Real Stories that Bring Light to the Hidden Parts of Life? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/genevievekruger [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/genevievekruger]  🎵 Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay

☀️ Hidden Chapters Summer Replay Series | Melissa Thicklin

Send me a message via text or voicemail! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463085/fan_mail/new] ☀️ As part of the Hidden Chapters Summer Replay Series, we’re revisiting conversations that shaped the heart of this podcast,  stories that continue to reflect the themes introduced in the Season 3 bridge trailer. ☀️ This week's episode is a tender conversation.  It explores grief and joy existing side by side and what it looks like to carry both at the same time.  It's a reminder that healing is not linear.  Melissa's joy resonates through her interview! Original Shownotes: In this heartfelt episode of Hidden Chapters, Melissa shares her journey through grief after losing her twin brother, Grant, and the unexpected way his loss transformed her life. Grant was the bubbly one, the encourager, the light in every room. Melissa often called herself “the mean one,” the twin who got them into trouble. But when Grant passed, something shifted. His joy became her legacy. Melissa opens up about their unbreakable twin bond, the devastation of sudden loss, and how faith, grief, and love have shaped the way she now lives with intention, joy, and an open heart to serve others. This isn’t just a story about loss. It’s a story about choosing joy alongside grief, honoring the people we love, and learning how to carry their light forward in our own lives. Contact Melissa:  📧 Email:  thicklinm@yahoo.com  📖 Theme:  Grief + joy coexisting 🔗 Affiliates: Podmatch.com [https://www.joinpodmatch.com/genevievekruger] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463085/support] 🌐  Visit my website: https://hiddenchapterspodcast.com/  [https://hiddenchapterspodcast.com/]and stay connected!  🎙️  Want to be a guest on Hidden Chapters: Real Stories that Bring Light to the Hidden Parts of Life? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/genevievekruger [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/genevievekruger]  🎵 Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay

☀️ Hidden Chapters Summer Replay Series | Liz Davis

Send me a message via text or voicemail! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463085/fan_mail/new] ☀️As part of the Hidden Chapters Summer Replay Series, we’re revisiting conversations that shaped the heart of this podcast,  stories that continue to reflect the themes introduced in the Season 3 bridge trailer. Original Shownotes: What happens when the life you built starts to slowly unravel, not with a crash, but with quiet, unseen shifts? In this episode of Hidden Chapters, Liz Davis shares her journey as a military spouse navigating identity loss, the emotional weight of constant change, and the courageous decision to choose herself and begin again. Liz shares the hidden realities of military family life, the sacrifices, silent struggles, and honest conversations with her kids about what was really happening at home. Beyond the challenges, she invites us into her story of rediscovering self-worth, creating a peaceful home, and launching a new career in financial planning. This isn’t just a story about divorce, it’s about growth, clarity, and hope. Whether or not you’re connected to military life, Liz’s honesty about reinvention, parenting, and reclaiming identity will resonate with anyone facing a season of deep change. A Personal Note from Genevieve: This episode feels a little different, more of a real conversation about struggles Liz and I have both walked through. Having traveled a similar path in my own military marriage, I found myself adding more to this conversation not just as a host, but as someone who truly understands the quiet struggles and hidden chapters many military spouses face. Liz’s story reminded me why it’s so important to speak these truths out loud and choose ourselves, even when it’s hard. This episode is for anyone facing a season of reinvention, questioning who they are outside the roles they’ve carried, and learning that choosing yourself can be the beginning of a more peaceful life. 💻 Connect with Liz: 📧 Email: elizabetherindavis@hotmail.com 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/liz-davis-finance [https://linkedin.com/in/liz-davis-finance] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463085/support] 🌐  Visit my website: https://hiddenchapterspodcast.com/  [https://hiddenchapterspodcast.com/]and stay connected!  🎙️  Want to be a guest on Hidden Chapters: Real Stories that Bring Light to the Hidden Parts of Life? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/genevievekruger [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/genevievekruger]  🎵 Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay

☀️Hidden Chapters Summer Replay Series | Meg McGlynn

Send me a message via text or voicemail! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463085/fan_mail/new] ☀️  As part of the Hidden Chapters Summer Replay Series, we’re revisiting conversations that shaped the heart of this podcast,  stories that continue to reflect the themes introduced in the Season 3 bridge trailer. This week's episode is a deeply relatable conversation about motherhood, expectations, and the emotional weight so many women carry quietly.  It's honest, raw, and unfiltered in a way that makes you feel less alone.  For anyone navigating motherhood and everything it brings with it, this one is for you.  Original Shownotes: In this powerful episode of Hidden Chapters, Meg opens up about the unexpected journey of early motherhood. From birth trauma and postpartum depression to parenting a neurodivergent child, she shares the chapters she never saw coming. Meg reflects on how her own childhood shaped the way she parents today and the healing that’s come through therapy, honesty, and doing the hard inner work. We talk openly about unmet expectations, isolation, resentment, and the emotional weight many mothers carry in silence. This conversation is full of truth, hope, and Meg’s deep belief that healing is possible. Even when motherhood looks nothing like you imagined. If you’ve ever felt alone in motherhood, struggled with postpartum mental health, or found yourself grieving the version of parenting you expected, this episode is for you. Connect with Megan:   Want to stay in touch with Meg or learn more about her work and her greeting card company? Check out all of her links and socials.  Portia and Pete Greeting Card Company:   www.portiaandpete.etsy.com [https://www.portiaandpete.etsy.com/] Megan’s LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/meganmcglynn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmcglynn] Email:  megan.c.mcglynn@gmail.com [megan.c.mcglynn@gmail.com] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463085/support] 🌐  Visit my website: https://hiddenchapterspodcast.com/  [https://hiddenchapterspodcast.com/]and stay connected!  🎙️  Want to be a guest on Hidden Chapters: Real Stories that Bring Light to the Hidden Parts of Life? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/genevievekruger [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/genevievekruger]  🎵 Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay

☀️ Hidden Chapters Summer Replay Series | Chris Kruger

Send me a message via text or voicemail! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463085/fan_mail/new] ☀️ As part of the Hidden Chapters Summer Replay Series, we’re revisiting conversations that shaped the heart of this podcast,  stories that continue to reflect the themes introduced in the Season 3 bridge trailer.☀️ This week's Summer Replay conversation explores identity, transition, and what happens when one chapter of life closes and another one begins.  If these topics are something that resonates with your life, this episode with my husband is worth the listen.  Original shownotes: In this episode, my husband, Chris joins me to share his journey from Army life to author. We explore the highs and lows of deployments, the challenges of reintegrating into civilian life, and the emotional impact of the Afghanistan withdrawal on veterans. We explore the hidden struggles that service members face: deployments, mental health challenges, and the transition to civilian life.  Chris opens up about the lessons he’s learned, the power of sharing personal stories, and how storytelling can build connection and understanding for both veterans and their families All the links to connect with Chris:  📚 Purchase "Walking Away From the Ledge" on Amazon:  https://a.co/d/aIIhZxm [https://a.co/d/aIIhZxm] 🔗 FB: Chris Kruger  [https://www.facebook.com/chris.kruger.927758] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463085/support] 🌐  Visit my website: https://hiddenchapterspodcast.com/  [https://hiddenchapterspodcast.com/]and stay connected!  🎙️  Want to be a guest on Hidden Chapters: Real Stories that Bring Light to the Hidden Parts of Life? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/genevievekruger [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/genevievekruger]  🎵 Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay