logo
episode-header-image
May 2021
23m 46s

She Left Me There

The New York Times
About this episode

Kacey Vu Shap had no desire to return to the Vietnamese orphanage of his youth. As a child, whenever he told people he was adopted, he would say that he came “premade” — that he spontaneously appeared one day at the Baltimore airport, greeted by a new family bearing flowers and kisses. “It was easier to sanitize my story by speaking only of my life as Kacey, who was loved and wanted, than to tell people of my life as Vu, who was abandoned and undesired,” Kacey wrote in his Modern Love essay. Nearly 25 years later, Kacey found himself back at the orphanage with his three best friends and a newfound understanding of what form love can take.

You can find more info on today's episode here

Up next
Yesterday
Let Mel Robbins Share Her 5 Tips for a Healthy Relationship
The best-selling author and motivational podcast host Mel Robbins is known for her blunt advice and viral wisdom, from The 5-Second Rule to countless proverbs on relationships, confidence and everyday stuck-ness. Her most recent book, “The Let Them Theory,” has given her readers ... Show More
50m 21s
Jul 2
‘The Interview’: Ocean Vuong was Ready to Kill. Then a Moment of Grace Changed His Life.
This week on Modern Love, we’re bringing you a conversation we liked so much that we’re envious we didn’t get to have ourselves. In a raw but deeply heartfelt and compassionate conversation with “The Interview" host David Marchese, author and poet Ocean Vuong talks about the real ... Show More
50m 52s
Jun 25
To Share or Not to Share? How Location Sharing Is Changing Our Relationships
When we asked Modern Love listeners how location sharing is affecting their relationships, the responses we got were all over the map. Some people love this technology. Some hate it. But either way, it has changed something fundamental about how we demonstrate our love and how we ... Show More
32m 54s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2022
Stranger Love
Sarah and Eric became foster parents in the hopes of one day adopting. And when baby Coco came into their lives it looked like it could be for good. But that wasn't the case. Caring for Coco became much messier, more challenging and more difficult than Eric and Sarah ever expecte ... Show More
47m 34s
Dec 2021
Le bonheur des autres
Cette semaine dans Passages, nous voulions vous faire entendre des épisodes d'un de nos autres podcasts : Emotions. Aujourd'hui, nous nous plongeons dans des histoires d'amour avec un épisode de la journaliste Adélie Pojzman-Pontay. Tout le monde connaît la compassion. C’est, sel ... Show More
49m 16s
Jun 2021
GIVE THEM LALA with Lala Kent
On today’s episode Katie welcomes back one of her besties Lala Kent to the podcast. The two talk about what it’s been like filming the current season of Vanderpump Rules. After a year in lockdown it’s been a whirlwind of emotions, hitting the ground running and getting back into ... Show More
41m 5s
Nov 2015
Chrissy Monroe, of Love and Hip Hop New York, joins us to talk about rising up from homeless past to a makeing meaninful life now. And life on and off reality TV. And that Ericka Mena drama!!
At one time in her life, Chrissy Monroe was homeless teen on the mean streets of Baltimore. In order to survive she had to go down some paths that could have destroyed her. Being in and around strip clubs, prostitution and drugs, she managed to stay clear of all the negativity ar ... Show More
40m 36s
Nov 2023
1959: Feeling Unloved: “You Don’t Love Me, Nobody Loves Me” by Vironika Tugaleva on What We Tell Ourselves About Love
Vironika Tugaleva talks about how self-love doesn't ever rely on others.Episode 1959: Feeling Unloved: “You Don’t Love Me, Nobody Loves Me” by Vironika Tugaleva on What We Tell Ourselves About LoveVironika Tugaleva was born in Donetsk, Ukraine in 1988. Her early years as a misfit ... Show More
11m 15s
May 2023
There's a Way Out
In this episode, we take a look back at Damon’s life before SNCTM — a story that is both spectacular and harrowing. Damon and his younger sister Hadria reflect on growing up in the Bay Area in the 1970s, in an environment laced with alcohol, drugs, neglect and abuse. These early ... Show More
46m 16s
May 18
835: Children of Dave
Boen Wang has a theory that a lot of the misery in his life can be traced to a single moment that happened years before he was born. So he makes a pilgrimage to see if he’s right. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: Ira talks ... Show More
1h 1m
Nov 2020
"Ca n’a pas été simple. On veut tellement faire qu’on en fait trop"
Amélie, 50 ans et mère de 3 enfants, habite à Saint Pierre d’Oléron en Charentes Maritime. Elle est agent d’accueil à la mairie. Fin 2017, sa mère, Françoise, qui habite Narbonne se retrouve alitée à cause d’un mal au dos. En février 2019, son compagnon qui s’occupait d’elle décè ... Show More
9m 21s
Dec 2014
246: Shawn Collins: A Man Who Has Left A Legacy For The Words Unborn Children
Todays show is going to be different from the majority of the Join Up Dots shows that have been delivered to the world so far. But in many ways it has the same traits too. Strength, courage, openness, persistence, creativity and love are in abundance on this show. Todays guest ha ... Show More
50m 22s