David Kawasaki Empathizes With Divorced Dads, Builds Forgotten Purpose Amid PTSD And Custody Wars

The episode opens with Conrad and David unpacking the difference between empathy and sympathy, a discussion that sets up everything that follows. David is a fourth generation veteran who deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 and later served in Washington DC. He came home carrying PTSD that took years to surface, while his then wife was recovering from a concussion that ended her medical school career. The marriage unraveled, and what followed was a custody battle David says exposed deep flaws in how North Dakota family courts treat fathers, especially veterans labeled unfit simply for seeking PTSD treatment. Out of that pain, David and his wife built Forgotten Purpose, helping divorcing parents and neurodivergent families through mediation and plain spoken guidance built around one question, how will this affect the kids. David explains how he started by replying to strangers in Facebook groups like Divorced Dads Need Help, fielding hundreds of messages from people burned by expensive lawyers, and turning those conversations into clients with signed agreements of service. He talks candidly about raising five kids, the prejudice fathers face in family court, his conversation with Ty Groomer about changing the system, and an AI tool he is building to help people organize their own cases. Conrad and David also trade thoughts on philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and what it really means when two people disagree. The hour closes with David sharing why he and his wife always leave a light on in their home for anyone who needs a safe place to land, the inspiration behind the closing song, Tom Walker's Leave A Light On.