Grief is a part of the plan, not a glitch in your story. Many people see grief as an inconvenience to be endured or avoided, but as Sister Kim Patton shares in her story, it can actually become a powerful force that helps you grow. In this episode, she sets the tone for a tender and insightful conversation about resilience, faith, and healing after loss.
Growing Up in Connecticut: Faith, Family & Foundations (00:03:29 – 00:08:50)
· Kim takes us back to 1960s New England, a world shaped by politeness, community tradition, and immigrant and colonial pride.
· She shares how her parents joined the Church after visiting the 1965 World’s Fair, and how faith became a central part of her life at just four years old.
· In a tiny branch where everyone felt like family, Kim learned music, belonging, and early leadership instinctively.
Tragedy & Triumph: Her Father’s Accident (00:08:50 – 00:15:39)
· At age eight, Kim’s father was catastrophically injured while serving on a welfare farm.
· Originally quadriplegic, he fought his way back to partial mobility.
· His courage and stubborn faith became the foundation of a family culture built on endurance, determination, and never giving up even when outcomes are uncertain.
Birth Order, Caretaking & Not Resenting the Weight (00:15:40 – 00:19:13)
· As the oldest of eight, Kim had immense responsibility. Yet she never saw it as a burden.
· She reflects on why she never developed the resentment many firstborns have, and how service inside her own family shaped her sense of stewardship, loyalty, and resilience.
A New World: Moving from Connecticut to the Deep South (00:19:14 – 00:23:01)
· At 13, Kim is uprooted to South Carolina and steps into a cultural shock she never saw coming.
· Different speech, different manners, different expectations, and an entirely different racial landscape.
Integration, Identity & Learning Diversity Up Close (00:23:02 – 00:28:34)
· Kim shares how living in the South, not the North, is what taught her the deepest lessons about diversity, empathy, and race.
· She saw integration not as a historical movement but as a lived reality, and it changed the trajectory of her worldview for life.
BYU, Homesickness & a Relationship That Grew Slowly (00:28:35 – 00:34:55)
· College brings independence and loneliness. Homesick and worried her youngest siblings would forget her, Kim worked intentionally to stay connected to home.
· And then there’s Robes, her future husband, whose courtship with her was as slow and unromantic as they come until persistence turned friendship into something lasting.
Marriage, Adventure & Becoming a Mother (00:34:56 – 00:44:07)
· The early years of marriage are filled with discovery, travel, maps, and curiosity.
· Motherhood eventually follows and humbles Kim in unexpected ways.
· She learns that parenting is not about control but about truth-telling, grit, and allowing children to build their own resilience.
Florida Years & Robes’ Journalism Career (00:44:08 – 00:49:13)
· A move to Florida opens the door for Robes’ dream career covering professional sports writing during a golden era for the region.
· His unique voice and integrity earned him deep respect, and the family enjoyed a front-row seat to history in the making.
Illness, Loss & the Sacredness of Grief (00:49:14 – 00:55:39)
· Kim walks us through Robes’ illness and passing with...
