There’s a lot going on in the world. For me, it’s both personal and professional. April represents a relentless month of training, educating professionals, supporting my team, and a great deal of personal upheavals. People keep asking me, “How do you do it?” “Are you ok?” And so, I’m going to tell you exactly how […]

I’m sitting here on this beautiful, sunny day, thinking about all the ways helpers and professionals in human-facing organizations need more support. They need hope, tools, and accessible ways to help children and families NOW! So, today, it’s all about CONNECTION! I want to give you updates on how to get certified or re-certified in our signature certification program, […]

Last week, my partners at Head Start lost federal funding for their regional sites. In the Pacific Northwest, that’s Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Idaho. It’s heartbreaking news. These are my friends. My colleagues. These are children that I see playing joyfully with dedicated adults in their lives when I visit centers. If you want to […]

As I return from a much-needed break, I’m offering you this poem as we wrap up 4 weeks of a discussion on loneliness. It’s a poem that has centered me during times when I felt alone. When I felt the pressure of making tough decisions. When I felt that my course of action might mean losing […]

As we enter week four of our discussion of loneliness, I want to offer a reflection and a prescription to combat loneliness. As Vivek Murthy, MD, our previous US Surgeon General points out, loneliness has become an epidemic. Please check out his parting prescription!  Here are two things you can do right now to address […]

This week, my family and I venture off to Mexico. One thing that will be different and exciting is that both of my kids are adults now and they’re each bringing a friend or partner with us. I continue to love every stage of my children’s development for different reasons, but this year will be […]

In March, we’re talking about less aloneness. Last week, I shared a sweet story about my sweet friend, Ann. This week, I’m offering 5 examples of offering less aloneness to others. I’d love to hear from you about how you offer space to others so they feel less alone. Here are mine: Friends, I hope this […]

This month, I’m writing about loneliness and how to create less aloneness for ourselves and others. This week, I thought I would kick us off by offering a short story.  Years ago, while chatting with my friend, Ann, on my way home from work, she some shared sadness she was experiencing about one of her […]

Last week, we celebrated my son’s 18th birthday. It was a bittersweet day for me as a mama. Now, I have two grown, adult children. It’s hard to believe. I still see their sweet baby faces, their chubby toddler hands, their lanky limbs, and their teenage grins. Here are the big feelings that came up […]

Can you find Dr. Amy as a wrestling cheerleader? I grew up in Iowa. Iowa, the Hawkeye State, is known for corn, kind people, the state fair, RAGBRAI, and wrestling. We raise wrestling champions! I grew up as a wrestling cheerleader (yes, there is such a thing) and sat through thousands of hours of wrestling meets. I […]