47: Survival & Forgiveness: Powerful Lessons with Dylan Pryor & Cory Spain

On today’s episode of Respect Circles, we are honored to be joined by guests Dylan Pryor and Cory Spain, as they share their perspectives of a tragic incident that happened 5 years ago in Lone Tree, Colorado.

March 22nd, 2018 is a day that neither Cory or Dylan will forget, and in this episode, they share the events of that day and the powerful lessons they have learned from it, including the power of forgiveness, what true friendship really is, why adversity does not need to define you, and how to become better, not bitter, in the face of challenging times. You’ll also hear what matters most to them after experiencing an act of gun violence, which we think is timely due to the rising incidents of gun violence in this country.

We are so grateful that Cory and Dylan stopped by and were so open and vulnerable in sharing their story, and if this beautiful conversation has impacted you as it did for us, please reach out and let us know your biggest takeaways from the episode.

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In this episode you’ll hear:

How Cory and Dylan first met and started their friendship, and what this friendship really means to them today [5:05]
The day in 2018 that changed both of their lives forever [8:51]
The way that Cory responded after realizing that his friend had been shot twice [15:01]
What happened in those moments after Dylan got shot, and what the recovery journey was like for him [19:21]
What they’ve learned about the choice to be bitter or better, along with the power of forgiveness [26:33]
A look at the justice path and how the sentencing process unfolded from their perspectives [32:31]
Cory shares an actual part of his testimony from court [38:18]]
Dylan’s thoughts on the increasing amount of guns in the United States and how he feels about gun ownership [43:34]
The importance of mental health care and support, plus why prioritizing your mental health is truly a gift to yourself and the ones you love [48:45]
How Dylan is moving forward from what he experienced that night in the bowling alley [54:12]