Love, loss, and transformation converge in this deeply moving conversation with Kathryn Henry, whose memoir “A Dime to Say I Love You” chronicles one of life’s most profound journeys – walking through terminal illness with a beloved partner and emerging spiritually transformed.

After building a successful corporate career leading global teams at major companies like Lululemon, Gap, and Levi Strauss, Kathryn made a life-altering decision to step away from the corporate world. This wasn’t a typical career pivot – it was fulfilling a promise to her late wife Lisa to live fully, love deeply, and tell the truth of their experience together.

The conversation begins with Kathryn’s reflection on how facing death head-on became a spiritual awakening: “The profound nature of that and what ensued beyond that opened my aperture of life so much more that it just changed me forever.” Rather than avoiding the reality of Lisa’s illness, they chose to explore fundamental questions about death, love, and what lies beyond our physical existence.

One of the most compelling aspects of their journey was the development of AFGO – Another F*cking Growth Opportunity. What started as a coping mechanism became a powerful tool for transformation. “It was a healing tool for us,” Kathryn explains. “It helped us to recontextualize something and shift ourselves from a perspective of victim to a perspective of owning what was happening or accepting and leaning into it.”

This reframing represents a crucial shift from asking “Why me?” to “How am I going to turn this into a growth opportunity?” It’s not about spiritual bypassing or pretending pain doesn’t exist – it’s about reclaiming power in the face of circumstances beyond our control.

The conversation explores Kathryn’s rich spiritual foundation, built through years of studying Buddhism, Zen, Hinduism, and various philosophical traditions. This curiosity-driven approach to spirituality provided the framework for navigating their most challenging moments. “I was always just curious, looking for in work, in life, in relationships, what’s gonna help me to see things more broadly,” she shares.

Central to the memoir are “dime moments” – unexpected appearances of dimes that serve as profound reminders of presence and connection. These aren’t simple coincidences but moments that “capture me and bring me back to the present because it’s a message that I’m receiving.” Kathryn describes how these experiences teach us that “nothing happens in life outside of the present moment.”

We delve deeply into forgiveness as a pathway to freedom. Kathryn’s perspective is both practical and profound: “Forgiveness and letting go of those emotions, of those feelings, of the anger was freedom. When it really is freeing yourself from these things that clog you up that just don’t produce anything positive.”

The discussion includes valuable insights for anyone navigating grief. Kathryn offers a powerful reframe: “We don’t have the grief if we didn’t love so much.” She describes grief as a labyrinthine path that transforms rather than ends, emphasizing the importance of allowing both love and grief to coexist.

Perhaps most importantly, Kathryn and Lisa’s story demonstrates the profound gift of conscious dying – having the difficult conversations that many avoid. “When she transitioned, there was nothing left unsaid. So I lived with no regret,” Kathryn shares. This experience has shaped how she approaches all relationships, asking herself what she would want to say if it were the last conversation.

The episode concludes with practical wisdom about meditation practices, including contemplative meditation where one sits with a concept or idea to develop deeper understanding. Kathryn’s approach to golf as a mindfulness practice and her continued use of physical expression (like her punching bag) remind us that healing involves the whole person – mind, body, and spirit.

This conversation speaks to anyone who has loved deeply, lost profoundly, or seeks to understand how our most challenging experiences can become doorways to transformation. It’s a testament to the enduring power of love and proof that even in the darkness of grief, profound light can be found.

About Kathryn Henry
Kathryn Henry is a writer, speaker, spiritual seeker, and business leader whose life has been shaped by blue-collar beginnings, executive success, and profound personal challenges and loss. After a dedicated career leading global teams at lululemon, Gap, and Levi Strauss & Co., she stepped away from corporate life to honor a promise made to her late wife: to live fully, love deeply, and tell the truth of her experience.

Her debut memoir, A Dime to Say I Love You, is an unflinching account of heartbreak, abuse, and grief —and the transformative journey into hope, compassion and spiritual awakening that follows. Drawing on meditation, mindfulness, and wisdom from diverse traditions, her work resonates with those seeking meaning beyond the visible world. She now serves as an advisor, mentor, and independent board director while continuing her journey of self-realization.

When not traveling, writing or reading, she can be found golfing, connecting with family and friends, meditating under the California sun, or walking with her beloved dog through the beauty of the Napa Valley—eyes and heart open for the next dime.

Kathryn’s Website and Links:
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Kathryn’s Memoir – A Dime to Say I Love You
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