In Her Voice Ep. 18: Speak Your Truth with Kate D. Mahoney
/Kate D. Mahoney is a miracle and she wants you to know you are, too. Even if that’s not what you’d call it.
She’s named after the feisty, independent character in William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, and was born in Washington, D.C., to educators and activists. Sporting purple feet pajamas as a munchkin in the Wizard of Oz, Kate didn’t know her role of a lifetime would ultimately be that of just being herself.
Kate spent her formative years in Alexandria, Virginia, and then the Republic of Ireland. While on summer vacation in her parent’s birthplace of Central New York, she was diagnosed with stage four germ cell ovarian cancer and later experienced multi system organ failure. She was 14.
International and nondenominational prayer requests were directed to a deceased nun by the name of Mother Marianne Cope. Kate’s discharge papers state her recovery from the organ failure could not be explained medically. Her case led to the canonization of Mother Cope, and an adventure that was as sacred as it was side-splittingly funny to Vatican City.
Kate holds a B.A. in drama from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, as well as certificates from iO Chicago and Second City. She is an international speaker and activist who travels the globe to share honest and humorous anecdotes from her life as patient and caregiver.
Here are a few of the big topics we talked about:
Her journey through becoming a “miracle” and what that taught her about who she really is.
How to find and use your voice to speak for those who can't
The balance of taking care of others and taking care of ourselves and how we need both as women
The difference between doing and being.
Kate's practices of staying grounded in her breath to remember the importance of letting go of all the things she needs to do.
The importance of asking for support and having accountability built into your day.
How to maintain perspective in regards to our health.
The freedom that comes with realizing we don't have to fit into just one mold.
In Kate's Voice:
“There's a perception that a lot of women have that they convince themselves their voice doesn't matter.”
“There's taking care of others and taking care of ourselves, and we can't have one without the other and have a sustainable life.”
“We discount our happiness because we think we have to be do-ers and not be-ers.”
“You're not these separate fragments, but your body, mind and heart are all together.”
“I'm the one who sets the tone for the day.”
“I alone can give myself permission.”
“Who cares if what you do doesn't look like what your friend does?”