Stories from a Stranger

Hunter meets with three individuals who had less than ideal relationships with the people who raised them and discusses how those relationships have shaped their adult lives. Meet this episode's strangers:- Latoya shares the story of a distant father and the fragile, beautiful bond they finally built in the last three months before he died. She describes his health struggles and the constant childhood fear that she’d get a call saying he was gone, and how that shaped her relationships with men. Yet in the end, she chose to show up for him at his lowest moment, ending what a friend called “a cycle of abandonment” in her family and reminding her father he was still worthy of love. - Carmel opens up about how her relationship with her mother contributed to her letting go of the dream of “true love” and a soulmate, even as her friendships feel like the deepest soul connections she’s ever known. Growing up in a home where affection was transactional and physical touch was absent, she learned that love had to be earned through achievement, a pattern that persisted within her adult relationships. The most painful wound came when, during a fight, her mother told her she wished she had aborted her, words Carmel still hears in her head every day.- Leon discusses what it is like to have a narcissistic father and the pain that has been inflicted upon the family. Leon came to realize that it was impossible for his father to love and care for him the way he needed, and that the best thing was to keep his distance.Chapters:00:00:00 When parents hurt you the most 00:01:06 Lotoya: Grounded by a mother’s spiritual love00:02:55 Anxiety and the fear of a parent’s death00:11:14 Choosing to end a cycle of abandonment00:15:31 Healing through active love and a final voicemail00:26:26 Carmelle: Letting go of the dream of true love00:27:12 Why love felt like a transaction in childhood00:31:10 Walking away from a mother’s ultimate rejection00:38:35 Finding belonging through a chosen family00:41:02 Anonymous stories of words that cut deep00:42:23 Leon: Navigating life with a narcissistic parent00:46:42 Grieving the loss of a soul companionTopics:- Healing from parental wounds- Transactional love in childhood- Breaking cycles of abandonment- Coping with a narcissistic parent- Redefining family and belonging- Reconciling with an absent father- The impact of cruel parental words- Emotional neglect and self-worthStories from a Stranger is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions in partnership with Higher Ground and AND Media. Music by Jackie Miclau.FOLLOW THE SHOW ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesfromastrangerpod ►Threads: https://www.threads.com/@storiesfromastrangerpod ►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesfromastrangerpodcast FOLLOW HUNTER PROSPER►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter_prosper/ ►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterprosper See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hunter meets three people whose lives were upended by devastating illnesses. They share their stories of survival and how they refused to let sickness get in the way of living their lives.Meet this episode's strangers:- Sandra survived a catastrophic stroke and fell into a coma. Doctors told her mother that she would never wake up. Her mother refused to let doctors remove life support and proved Sandra could still hear by asking her to squeeze their fingers and move her foot. Sandra describes a visit to “paradise,” where she was told, “You have a purpose to fulfill,” before being sent back to her life. Now she walks Central Park for miles, has completed the New York City Marathon, and uses her story to show other stroke survivors that “it’s not the end.” - Cheri was a healthy 18‑year‑old dancer when a mysterious autoimmune disorder suddenly took away her ability to walk and move. Doctors told her parents to prepare for the worst as treatments failed, but Sherry—fully lucid inside a body that couldn’t respond—refused to accept that her life was over. She grieved the loss of the old version of herself, yet slowly shifted from “why me?” to “why not me?” as she rebuilt a new life.- Gil reflects on losing his closest friend, Tom, just before the pandemic and the years it took to process that grief. Then a routine blood test led him to a cancer clinic, where he spent ten days convinced he had only months to live before learning he had a chronic, slow‑moving leukemia instead. Those days staring “into the abyss” forced him to ask whether his life’s work really mattered, and then finding out he was not dying led him to not take life for granted.Topics:- Stroke recovery and near-death experiences- Power of family advocacy in hospitals- Overcoming autoimmune paralysis- Reclaiming identity through dance- Living with chronic leukemia diagnosis- Finding purpose through medical trauma- Shifting from why me to why not me- Importance of mental strength in healing- Building a legacy after a health scareChapters:00:00:00 Resilience of the human body00:03:30 Sandra’s Mother Fights For Her After Fatal Stroke Prognosis00:07:00 Returning From Paradise With a Higher Purpose00:10:30 Walking the New York City Marathon After a Stroke00:14:00 Anonymous Stories of Loyalty and Heartbreak00:17:30 Waking Up Paralyzed From an Autoimmune Disorder at 1800:21:00 Finding the Internal Fire to Survive a Crisis00:24:30 Grieving the Loss of Dance and a Former Identity00:28:00 Shifting From Why Me to Why Not Me00:31:30 Creating an Online Community for Chronic Illness00:35:00 How to Process the Death of a Close Friend00:38:30 Staring Into the Abyss and Assessing Life’s LegacyStories from a Stranger is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions in partnership with Higher Ground and AND Media. Music by Jackie Miclau.FOLLOW THE SHOW►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesfromastrangerpod►Threads: https://www.threads.com/@storiesfromastrangerpod►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesfromastrangerpodcastFOLLOW HUNTER PROSPER►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter_prosper/►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterprosperLISTEN►Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-from-a-stranger/id1895174119►Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/23b37bdf-ce71-4dad-9d25-9900b5d25d7c/stories-from-a-stranger►Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2naQZkPOvSgMzUMh9Z5ivs#OvercomingIllness #StrokeSurvivor #NearDeathExperience #MedicalMiracle #Resilience #FindingPurpose #HealingJourney #SurvivorStories #LifeAfterDiagnosisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hunter speaks with two strangers about their painful upbringings.Meet this episode's strangers:- Lisa Marie shares what it was like to hear the words, “We are going to have to put you into foster care,” at sixteen, and to be separated from her much younger brother, David. She talks about the memory holes trauma left behind, the rage that followed years later, and how she kept people at a distance for most of her early adulthood. Lisa Marie reflects on the shame of feeling marked by foster care, poverty, and her parents’ substance use, and how writing her story helped her reclaim it and let go of the “scarlet letter” she felt she wore.- Adriana, who became a mother at seventeen and found herself raising her baby in a women's shelter after being rejected by her family. She describes the shelter as an unexpected village of women supporting each other through crisis, and how that experience cemented her resolve never to ask for help again.Topics:- Childhood trauma and its impact on identity- Navigating the foster care system as a teen- Survival and sibling bonds after separation- Healing from parental abandonment and neglect- Transforming destructive rage into radical empathy- Reclaiming personal stories through writing- Teen motherhood and the NYC shelter system- Finding community and support in shelters- Breaking generational cycles of hardship- Building resilience and strength for childrenChapters:00:00:00 The parents we didn't choose00:01:24 Entering the foster care system at sixteen00:02:55 How childhood trauma creates memory holes00:04:13 The pain of being separated from my brother00:07:30 Using rage to protect myself from abandonment00:12:11 Shedding the scarlet letter through writing00:19:12 Choosing peace and forgiveness over rage00:20:43 Anonymous notes on parental regret and support00:22:10 Raising a child in a New York City shelter00:26:38 Finding a supportive village in the Bronx00:32:07 Using the shelter as a bridge to a career00:44:16 Breaking the cycle and shaping the futureStories from a Stranger is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions in partnership with Higher Ground and AND Media. Music by Jackie Miclau.FOLLOW THE SHOW►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesfromastrangerpod►Threads: https://www.threads.com/@storiesfromastrangerpod►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesfromastrangerpodcastFOLLOW HUNTER PROSPER►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter_prosper/►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterprosperLISTEN►Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-from-a-stranger/id1895174119►Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/23b37bdf-ce71-4dad-9d25-9900b5d25d7c/stories-from-a-stranger►Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2naQZkPOvSgMzUMh9Z5ivs#FosterCare #TeenMotherhoodNYC #Healing #ShelterToStability #ChoosingForgiveness #ItTakesAVillage #Homelessness #SuperMomSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hunter Prosper meets two strangers who found inspiration in their hardest moments, and learns how one woman's cancer journey led her to find the love of her life.Meet this episode's strangers: - Marco shares the story of the man he knew instantly was the love of his life, the sudden disappearances that shattered him, and the cancer diagnosis that followed their final breakup. As a former dancer, he came to see his illness as his body mourning alongside his heart, and eventually transformed that grief into a three-part choreography, Safe from Sleep—bliss, loss, and journey—that brought him back to the stage after 20 years and all the way to Carnegie Hall.- Heather once abandoned her art because it felt “inconvenient” and too vulnerable to share. A sudden cervical cancer diagnosis and a hysterectomy at 35 shattered her dream of carrying a child and left her feeling “broken”. In the quiet of recovery at her parents’ home, she picked up old art supplies and rediscovered a talent that now brings her peace. Over time, she came to see her experience as a strange kind of gift that stripped her down to her “bare bones,” led her to meet her future husband.- Ismael is Heather's husband. He wasn’t looking for love when he moved to London and joined a group bike ride—only to realize, on that first ride, that he’d just met his future wife.Support Our Sponsors:If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/storiesTopics: Turning personal suffering into art and purpose Reclaiming identity after a medical crisis Returning to professional dance at age 50 Grieving fertility and the path to motherhood Finding peace through art during recovery Healing family ties through unexpected love Navigating surrogacy and embryo preservationChapters:00:00:00 Introduction to transforming pain into purpose00:01:10 Marco on meeting the love of his life in New York00:05:04 Dealing with ghosting and emotional grief in 200100:07:35 Reconnecting with a lost love after 11 years apart00:09:50 Facing a cancer diagnosis after a second heartbreak00:13:48 Creating the dance piece Safe From Sleep to process trauma00:19:22 Reclaiming freedom and performing at Carnegie Hall at age 5000:29:18 Heather on letting go of dreams and reconnecting with art00:31:53 Surviving a cervical cancer diagnosis and a hysterectomy00:33:48 Using art and the gift of grief to find inner peace00:43:47 Navigating surrogacy and 13 embryos with husband Ismael00:52:01 Ismael on finding unexpected love and healing family tiesStories from a Stranger is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions in partnership with Higher Ground and AND Media. Music by Jackie Miclau.FOLLOW THE SHOW►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesfromastrangerpod►Threads: https://www.threads.com/@storiesfromastrangerpod►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesfromastrangerpodcastFOLLOW HUNTER PROSPER►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter_prosper/►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterprosperLISTEN►Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-from-a-stranger/id1895174119►Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/23b37bdf-ce71-4dad-9d25-9900b5d25d7c/stories-from-a-stranger►Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2naQZkPOvSgMzUMh9Z5ivs#TurningPainIntoArt #TheGiftOfGrief #Harships #HumanConnection #Resilience #StrangerStories See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hunter Prosper talks to three strangers who have experienced the death of someone they love to understand how loss reshaped their lives—and how they continue to honor those who are gone.Meet this episode's strangers:- Jen, whose younger sister Christie was murdered along with her dog Hunter, and how that single phone call split her life into “before” and “after.” She describes the shock of an unexpected, violent death, the feeling of becoming “untethered,” and the help she’s found through a sibling-loss support group. Jen now says her sister’s name every day to honor her memory.- Arielle reflects on losing both of her grandfathers, and how learning their stories after their deaths revealed the ways their paths mirror her own. She also explains why asking older adults about their lives is one of the most powerful ways to keep their legacies alive after they are gone.- Isabel opens up about the night a police officer rang the doorbell at 4 a.m. to tell her family her older brother Jack was in the hospital after a car accident. Jack did not make it. Years after his death, she still feels his presence, and reflects on how even though she is now older than he ever was, he still feels like her older brother. Topics:- Sibling bonds and "first best friends"- Preserving intergenerational legacies through storytelling- Spiritual signs and synchronicity - Grief support groups and community- Fostering dogs and giving back - How grief transforms over time- Radical vulnerability as survival- Living in honor of loved ones- The power of narrative- Intuition vs. Anxiety Chapters:00:00:00 How memories live on after death00:03:15 Jennifer’s Story: Coping with an unexpected sibling loss00:07:39 Daily rituals: The importance of saying their name00:11:35 Honoring a legacy through proactive acts of kindness00:15:21 Reflections on the most beautiful things ever told00:16:51 Ariel’s Story: The regret of unasked family questions00:21:30 Preserving family history and carrying on a legacy00:24:56 Isabel’s Story: Facing tragedy and growing up overnight00:27:17 Seeing signs: Finding comfort in spiritual connections00:34:20 Receiving the news: A family’s response to crisis00:41:11 The evolution of grief and building self-awareness00:47:34 Radical vulnerability and finding peace in the unknownStories from a Stranger is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions in partnership with Higher Ground and AND Media. Music by Jackie Miclau.FOLLOW THE SHOW►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesfromastrangerpod►Threads: https://www.threads.com/@storiesfromastrangerpod►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesfromastrangerpodcastFOLLOW HUNTER PROSPER►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter_prosper/►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterprosperLISTEN►Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-from-a-stranger/id1895174119►Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/23b37bdf-ce71-4dad-9d25-9900b5d25d7c/stories-from-a-stranger►Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2naQZkPOvSgMzUMh9Z5ivs#StoriesFromAStranger #LifeAfterLoss #ActsOfKindness #SiblingLoss #HealingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hunter Prosper meets three strangers at three different stages of life and asks them what love means to them. In this episode of Stories from a Stranger, we explore how love looks and feels different at every age—from the dizzying rush of a first crush to the quiet comfort of a lifelong partner, and the ache of wondering if love will ever come at all. Today, yesterday, and tomorrow, love is in the air.Meet this episode's strangers:- Sally, 96, who calls a college boy who gave her "a tingle" the love of her life, remembers the man who massaged her frozen feet on a ski trip and became her husband, and recalls the shock of being told she’d never have children, only to get pregnant on her honeymoon and become the matriarch of a sprawling family. She talks about losing her husband Joe, letting go of lovemaking, and living by her motto: “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”- Ella, 18, has never been in love or in a long-term relationship and wonders if that makes her unlovable. After a string of talking stages that go nowhere, she’s left asking, “Am I the problem?” even as she still believes in love and tries to learn how to be happy on her own.- Tish, an artist who makes slice‑of‑life comics, had nearly given up on dating in New York when a quiet, gentle follower named Akeem messaged to say he loved her sense of humor and the way she sees the world. A first dinner turned into skating dates, Comic-Con cosplay, and a second date where she knew she’d marry him. Now married, they go to couples therapy even when things are good, determined to keep choosing each other and to grow together. For Tish, love is an anchor in a world where everything else changes.Their stories remind us that love isn't one thing. It evolves, it disappoints, it surprises us, and sometimes it finds us when we least expect it.Topics Covered:- How love changes at every age- Different experiences of romantic connection- Infertility and unexpected pregnancy- Family legacy and martriarchy- Aging and letting go of sexual love- Self-worth and self-doubt- Intentional partnership and couples therapy- Modern dating versus old-fashioned, lifelong loveChapters:00:00:00 Love Isn't One Thing00:01:02 Sally's Greatest Love: Bob Brown at Syracuse00:05:07 Meeting Joe: The Vermont Ski Story00:08:51 Fertility Struggles and Medical Trauma00:11:25 Joe's Proposal and Unexpected Pregnancy00:18:42 Life Philosophy and Letting Go of Dreams00:24:17 Ella's Story: Young and Searching for Love00:29:09 Tish's Love Story: Meeting Through Art00:34:11 First "I Love You" at Comic-Con & Proposal at Pine Bank Arch00:39:26 Understanding Love and Commitment00:44:55 Say Yes When It HappensStories from a Stranger is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions in partnership with Higher Ground and AND Media. Music by Jackie Miclau.FOLLOW THE SHOW►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesfromastrangerpod►Threads: https://www.threads.com/@storiesfromastrangerpod►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesfromastrangerpodcastFOLLOW HUNTER PROSPER►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter_prosper/►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterprosper#StoriesFromAStranger #LifeAfterLoss #ActsOfKindness #SiblingLoss #HealingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“Every stranger has a story.” This is what Hunter Prosper realized when he began posting man-on-the-street interviews with real-life strangers to his social media accounts. Now, Hunter is expanding his social media series into a new weekly video and audio podcast, Stories from a Stranger, featuring portraits of multiple strangers connected by themes of love, loss, regret, inspiration, illness, family connections, and more.In each episode, Hunter brings his innate warmth, curiosity, and charm, interviewing people from all walks of life and sharing anonymously submitted confessions. Interviews start with a question and then grow in unexpected ways as strangers open up and share their most defining moments. From the deaths of loved ones to using their most painful moments as inspiration, to finding their greatest loves, no subject is off-limits. Their stories are raw, intimate, and bursting with humanity.Right now, it is easy to feel like the world is irrevocably divided. Stories from a Stranger is a warm reminder that we are all human and more connected than we realize. It’s an invitation to empathy. Every stranger has a story. Let’s start listening.New episodes every Monday, starting May 11th! Subscribe now on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming Soon See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.