Rebecca Nurse hauntingly accepted her fate at the gallows with little objection. She was 71 years old — frail, devout, and undeserving of the cruelty that met her. Her story is one of the saddest and most human of all the Salem Witch Trials.
In this episode, we focus on one life lost amid the hysteria — and in doing so, the conversation goes somewhere I never expected. Yes, we talk about who Rebecca was, the circumstances surrounding her conviction, and how Kathryn Rutkowski, President of the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, works to preserve and share her story. But about twenty minutes in, the discussion takes a deeply moving turn.
By speaking about a woman she knows so well — someone who lived more than 300 years ago — Kathryn helps us touch something timeless. Through Rebecca's story, we explore not only what it means to be human, but what it would look like if we truly showed up for each other with compassion in real time, rather than centuries later.
This moment wasn't planned. It unfolded naturally, and I feel deeply honored to have been part of it.
If you want to understand more about the Salem Witch Trials, I encourage you to listen to the full episode — it offers rich context, even if you're not already drawn to the subject. But if you want to hear one of the most powerful and heartfelt conversations I've ever had, start around the 18-minute mark.
