Welcome back to The Never Alone Podcast with Iris Fisher Smith!

In Episode 10, Iris and her lifelong friend and co-host Karen Hearth Witty take a warm, honest walk down memory lane as they talk about the teen years, identity, and growing up in the 1970s.

Drawing from Chapter 12 of Iris’s book, “The Wonder Years,” Iris shares what it was like to be a young girl recovering from serious health issues, comparing herself to her beautiful older sister and silently wondering:

“Who am I, and am I really worthy of all this love?”

In this episode, they explore:

• Teen identity & self-image
  
  • Feeling “less than” next to siblings or friends
  • Hiding physical struggles behind humor and strength
  • Learning (slowly!) to accept yourself as God made you
• Family, mentors & being deeply loved
  
  • How parents, friends, and “second moms” helped Iris through
  • Why encouragement and affirmation can shape a lifetime
  • Seeing how God uses people as “cheerleaders” along the way
• Nostalgia from the 1970s
  
  • Bell bottoms, hip-hugger jeans, hula hoops & pogo sticks
  • TV shows like The Brady Bunch, The Waltons, Mary Tyler Moore & more
  • Roller skating, youth group nights, and innocent first crushes
• History woven into family life
  • Disney World soon after it opened in the early ’70s
  • Vietnam-era POW/MIA bracelets
  • Iris’s father’s powerful story as a Korean War POW and the family support that helped him heal

Through laughter, stories, and honest reflection, Iris and Karen remind us that every generation wrestles with the same question: “Who am I?” — and that the answer is found in being loved, known, and never truly alone.

Watch more episodes & show notes:
https://irisfsmith.com/podcast

Order Iris’s book Never Alone:
https://irisfsmith.com

If this episode encouraged you, please:
Like the video
Comment with a favorite 70s memory or something that resonated
Subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes

You are loved. You are seen. And you are never alone.

Welcome back to The Never Alone Podcast with Iris Fisher Smith!
In Episode 9, Iris and co-host Karen welcome a special guest — Rachel Durham, a longtime friend, mentee, and law student studying to fight human trafficking.

Together, they dive into one of the most important conversations of our time:
Why real, face-to-face communication matters more than ever — especially for our children and grandchildren in a digital world.

This heartfelt discussion covers:

• Why younger generations go to Google/ChatGPT instead of their parents
• The power of mentorship, mother–daughter bonds, and spiritual “adopted families”
• How smartphones, social media, and online culture impact kids’ mental health
• Why traffickers prey on kids through devices — Rachel’s firsthand insights
• How to keep communication open so kids feel safe coming to you
• The role of faith, prayer, and intentional connection in protecting our families
• Real stories of friendship, guidance, and God placing the right people in our lives

Rachel also shares her inspiring journey from full-time mom → to counseling student → to law school where she plans to fight human trafficking and advocate for vulnerable women and children.

This episode is deep, emotional, and eye-opening — and it beautifully reinforces Iris’s message:
We were designed for connection. God works through people, not screens.

Watch more episodes and view show notes at:
https://irisfsmith.com/podcast

Order Iris’s book Never Alone at:
https://irisfsmith.com

If today’s conversation encouraged you, please:
Like this video
Comment below with your thoughts
Subscribe to the channel

You’re never alone — and you never have to walk through life without a community to lean on.

Welcome back to The Never Alone Podcast with Iris Fisher Smith! In Episode 8, Iris and lifelong friend/co-host Karen Hearth Whitty flip the script: Karen interviews Iris about how God has used friends, illness, and big cross-country moves to shape her story.

In this heartfelt conversation, Iris shares how growing up with a very social, community-oriented family laid the foundation for friendships that have lasted decades — and how those same roots carried her through mini-strokes, life in a wheelchair, and rebuilding her health in Washington State.

You’ll hear about:

• 🌎 Moving from the East Coast to Colorado, Florida, and finally Washington State
• ♿ Iris’s years in a wheelchair after strokes — and how she learned to walk again
• 💜 Her work with Joni and Friends and the gift of friends like Gunilla who served as caregivers and sisters in Christ
• ⛪ Finding healthy church communities (and what to watch out for in unhealthy ones)
• 👩‍👧 Saying goodbye to her mom — her “best friend” — and learning to keep telling the stories
• 📖 Why Iris believes we must ask our parents, aunts, and grandparents about their lives before those stories are gone

If you love faith, family, history, and real talk about suffering and hope, this episode will feel like sitting at the kitchen table with old friends.

👉 Listen to more episodes and find photos, clips, and resources at:
https://irisfsmith.com/podcast

📕 Never Alone (the book) weaves these true stories together with major historical events and family memories.
👉 Order your copy at irisfsmith.com

If this episode encouraged you, please:
👍 Like the video
💬 Comment with a friendship or faith story of your own
🔔 Subscribe so you never miss a new episode

You’re never alone — and we’re so glad you’re here.

#NeverAlonePodcast #IrisFisherSmith #FaithAndFamily #ChristianPodcast #Friendship #ChronicIllness #DisabilityMinistry #JoniAndFriends #Testimony #FamilyStories #NewEnglandToNorthwest