Kelly Corrigan Wonders

Latest Episodes:

Thanks For Being Here - "What Makes a Home?" Jul 12, 2026

Show notes

What is it that actually makes a home? Is it four walls? A neighborhood? A partner? Or is it something far less expected?

In this week's Thanks For Being Here, Kelly reads a beautiful essay from listener Elisa Haggarty, who reflects on leaving the tiny Brooklyn apartment that quietly reshaped her understanding of love, belonging, and community.

Go To on the Unsung Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

Who's actually holding this country together? Not the people you see on cable news. Kelly delivered this talk at Montana Festival (2026) as a love letter to the hard working folks most of us will never know — the ones doing the slow, unglamorous, essential work that makes everything else in America possible. This is what kicked off our Unsung series — a good reminder of what we have and what we owe.

Thanks For Being Here - Nancy Brown's Essay "Cincinnatus" Jul 05, 2026

Show notes

Kelly shares a Marine Corps wife's essay (titled "Cincinnatus") honoring her husband's quiet retirement after 20 years of service. Instead of ceremonies, his legacy lives in small, meaningful actions like giving away his expensive uniform to help a young officer and driving a beat-up Corolla with a trunk full of first aid supplies - so he can help anyone, on a moment's notice. It's a moving reminder that true service isn't captured in plaques or uniforms but in "small private acts of dedication" and the humble wisdom to know that our real legacy is "to give it all away. (Previously aired)

Go To on The Repair Gap Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

An apology is not a transaction. Kelly learned this the hard way — and if you've ever said sorry and then immediately started asking if you're forgiven yet, this one is for you.

Deep Dive with Claire Danes and Kate Bowler - Book Clubbing with Kelly Part 3 Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

Sadly, this is the last conversation with Claire Danes and Kate Bowler about what makes life worth all the trouble, worry and suffering. In this freewheeling ride, we dig into just how inevitable personal ethical failure is and therefore, what does repair require. Like, how good are you at apologizing? Have you really accepted the people you love — as they are — or are you still trying to change them? How do you keep yourself and your choices aligned with your values? Enjoy the honesty. Share widely. We all need to stay in touch with these fundamental questions about how we live. (Previously aired)

Based on Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most from authors Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun and Ryan McAnnally-Linz.

Special thanks to the Warren Smoot Carter III and Meagan Carter Charitable Fund.

Thanks For Being Here - A Pretty Short Eulogy for a Very Tall Father Jun 28, 2026

Show notes

Some people meet old age and loss with bitterness. Dick Bolz met it with gratitude so genuine it left everyone around him a little changed. Lutheran pastor & author Nadia Bolz-Weber's eulogy for her father is short, funny, and moving — the kind of thing you'll want to listen to twice.

Kelly and Nadia will be doing another Substack Live together (this one will focus on grief) on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 7pm ET. You can find Kelly's Substack HERE.

https://kellycorriganwonders.substack.com/

Go To on Figuring Out Who You're Serving Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

Ten years ago, when Kelly's dad Greenie was nearing the end of his life, she stumbled onto a question that quietly reorganized the way she has moved through almost every interaction since. It's just a single question — which when asked early enough — and honestly enough — can change everything about how you show up for the people you love.

Deep Dive with Claire Danes and Kate Bowler - Book Clubbing with Kelly Part 2 Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

Claire Danes, Kate Bowler and I try to figure out how the hell to live lives of real meaning and discovery, how to depersonalize the slings and arrows of any season, how to remember our agency and mobility.

Based on Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most from authors Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun and Ryan McAnnally-Linz.

Special thanks to the Warren Smoot Carter III and Meagan Carter Charitable Fund. (Previously aired)

Thanks For Being Here - Cody's Eulogy for His Grandfather Pat Minitti Jun 21, 2026

Show notes

Every Sunday at 5:00 PM, the door was unlocked, the table somehow always had room for one more, and the sauce was already on the stove. Pat Minitti fed everyone who found their way to him — family, strangers from the Fry's checkout line, future in-laws — and in doing so, taught his grandson Cody about unconditional love. This is the eulogy Cody wrote and delivered at his grandfather's funeral. This episode will remind you of the incredible power of showing up for the people you love — even those you've just met.

Go To on 10 Life Tips for All of Us Jun 19, 2026

Show notes

A young friend of Kelly's, Sophie G, shared this speech that she had saved from her high school graduation week. It was given by Dr. Chris Cunningham, then at Lawrenceville, now at Whitfield, who gathered 10 takeaways for the students that are actually quite useful to every one of us. (Previously aired)

For a review of Kelly's weekly takeaways join her free Substack.