{"podcast":{"title":"#epicStories: Stories of Dreams, Detours, and What Comes Next","slug":"epic-stories-6367889","podcast_index_feed_id":6367889,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/epic-stories/","website_url":"https://epic-stories.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/284ee534-19d1-4b66-a5a5-5958508ba142/epicStories-Cover.jpg","author":"Jean Tillery","episode_count":71,"summary":"When was the last time you really listened to someone’s story… or your own? Hi, I’m Jean Tillery, Certified Dream Manager and founder of Epic Living with Jean, and I believe it’s all about the story. Every one of us is living a story. Some chapters we planned. Others we never saw coming. There are dreams we’ve chased, dreams we’ve forgotten, challenges that changed us, people who shaped us, and moments when life took us somewhere completely unexpected. That’s what #epicStories: Stories of Dreams, Detours, and What Comes Next is all about. Through inspiring stories, honest conversations, and personal reflections, we’ll explore the moments that shape who we are and who we’re becoming—from pursuing big dreams and navigating unexpected life transitions to overcoming challenges, finding purpose, and figuring out what comes next. Sometimes I’ll share a story from my own life. Sometimes I’ll sit down with someone whose story I think you need to hear. Some stories will inspire you. Some might challenge you. Some may make you laugh or cry. And some may help you see your own story—and what might still be possible—in a completely new way. Because sometimes hearing someone else’s story is exa…","last_synced_at":"2026-09-10T16:18:20.856098+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/epic-stories-6367889"},"episode":{"title":"The Second Goodbye: A Birth Mother's Journey of Love, Loss, and Letting Go","slug":"the-second-goodbye-a-birth-mother-s-journey-of-love-loss-and-letting-go","published_at":"2026-05-14T08:15:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/epic-stories-6367889/the-second-goodbye-a-birth-mother-s-journey-of-love-loss-and-letting-go","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/epic-stories-6367889","url":"https://epic-stories.captivate.fm/episode/the-second-goodbye-a-birth-mothers-journey-of-love-loss-and-letting-go","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/3acc39b9-d835-46a1-8ebf-e26e13b40f9a.mp3","summary":"Have you ever lived a story that doesn’t have an ending? Hi, I’m Jean Tillery, and in this episode of Epic Stories, I invite you to sit with me in the discomfort, hope, and beauty of an unfinished story—my story. This week, as Mother’s Day just passed, I share what it means to carry an experience that offers no perfect closure, a story that has shaped me in ways I’m still discovering. Last year, I told the story of being adopted and becoming a birth mom. But I’m not the same person I was then, and my story keeps shifting. Today, I open up about what has changed since I first shared that part of my heart—and about how I’m still learning to live in the tension of love, longing, and letting go. What’s Inside This Episode I begin by reflecting on my journey, starting from my adoption as a baby and the loving home I was raised in. Decades later, I found myself looking at things from the other side, navigating the emotional and complex terrain of being a birth mom who chose adoption for my own son. I talk about the ache that comes from unanswered questions and what it was like the day my son found me after 37 years of silence. For four incredible days, I got to reconnect—even just through texts—and fill in the blanks in each other’s lives. And then, just as suddenly, he was gone again. I haven’t heard from him since August 11, 2021, and that silence is a wound I’m learning to live with. A few weeks ago, an unexpected moment at the movies cracked open these old feelings in a raw new way. I realized I needed to let go of the hope of reunion, not because I stopped caring, but because hope itself was becoming too painful to carry. Letting go was as hard as it was the first time—and even heavier, because now I know him. Throughout this episode, I’m honest about my grief, my hope,…","meta_description":"Have you ever lived a story that doesn’t have an ending? Hi, I’m Jean Tillery, and in this episode of Epic Stories, I invite you to sit with me in the dis…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":514,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/epic-stories-6367889/episodes/the-second-goodbye-a-birth-mother-s-journey-of-love-loss-and-letting-go/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/epic-stories-6367889/the-second-goodbye-a-birth-mother-s-journey-of-love-loss-and-letting-go.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}