My favorite chats often begin the same way, coffee in hand, easy laughter, and no real agenda beyond showing up. That was exactly the vibe a few weeks ago when I sat down with Michele Gates, mom of two kiddos, founder of Mae’s Way Foundation, author, journaling mentor, and contemplative photographer. We met at one of my favorite coffee shops; of course, these days that’s almost always a given. Michele arrived with a friendly smile and an easy presence that made our conversation feel familiar from the start.
Before long, our discussion found its own rhythm, shifting naturally, never reaching for emotion but allowing room for it. Having done my homework, I knew the topic would be heavy. That said, I have also learned that the most meaningful stories rarely announce themselves right away. It was in that space where Michele’s story began in a most unexpected way.
“Meet Mae,” she smiled, pulling out a large, brightly colored children’s book and a cuddly green caterpillar. Instantly, I was drawn in. She explained that Mae carries a very real story, one rooted in courage. Mae’s journey is a deeply personal story of understanding, hope, and survival. Mae the Courageous Caterpillar connects with any child navigating loss, grief, or a difficult season, gently reinforcing the message: You Matter and You Are Not Alone! After forming Mae's Way Foundation, profits from the book were redirected toward supporting that mission.
As Michele spoke, it became clear that Mae’s story was Michele's story. Hard truths can be difficult to discuss, but silence can be even more damaging. Long before Mae’s Way Foundation had a name, before the books, the camps, or the comfort bags, Michele’s story began with a loss no five-year-old is prepared to understand. Just days after her fifth birthday, Michele lost her mother to suicide. At an age when most children are only beginning to understand the world around them, Michele was left trying to make sense of an absence no one knew how to explain. Her world didn’t just change, it grew quiet. Questions went unanswered. Feelings went unnamed. Like so many children who experience profound loss, Michele grew up learning how to survive without acknowledging her pain or having words to define it.
For years, Michele’s grief remained tucked away, unnamed, and unresolved. As she grew up and built a life of her own, what was never spoken didn’t disappear; it simply waited. Then, between 2014 and 2017, that quiet heartache resurfaced in a new wave of losses, including the deaths of her grandfather, grandmother, and aunt, alongside the pain of a divorce and the emotional shift of her children leaving for college. Each change carried its own weight, but together they deepened the hush, leaving her home, and her heart noticeably quieter. Still, beneath it all, there remained a quiet resilience, a growing sense that this silence did not have to become her permanent story. It was in that stillness, surrounded by so much change and absence, that Michele found herself facing a question she had never fully voiced before: “Who am I now?” Although the path ahead felt unclear, over time one truth emerged, healing was never meant to be carried alone. It needed understanding, courage, connection, and a space to speak it out loud. With that truth in mind, Michele began making room for her own healing. Instead of turning away from the weight of it all, she chose to turn inward. She began asking hard questions. She began journaling, not as a way to fix herself, but as a way to understand and hear the whispers from within...You Matter! That inward journey opened the door to deeper reflection and creative expression. Over time, it led her to write about her experiences, expand her gift of photography, and eventually become a published author of guided journals focused on grief, caregiving, and life transitions.
What had begun as a deeply personal healing journey eventually needed to be shared. During the isolation of the COVID pandemic in 2020, Michele found a way to extend that healing beyond herself through an unexpected offering, a children’s book titled Mae the Courageous Caterpillar. Michele is quick to say Mae wasn’t created by accident. The name came to her during a walk along the Newburgh riverfront. “It is definitely a gift from God when something simply lands where it belongs.” Michele often says her own heart slipped into a cocoon the day she lost her mother, and that Mae became a way to give voice to what she experienced as a child. Mae’s story invites children to walk with her as she enters a cocoon, a place that feels confusing, lonely, and uncertain, but not without hope. Mae’s journey helps children find their voice to express feelings they may have otherwise not been able to verbalize, while gently reminding them that even in hard seasons of loss, grief, and pain, happiness can exist on the other side.
For Michele, the story didn’t stop on the last page. As people began to find Mae, Michele started hearing the same thing: “We needed this,” and “We don’t know where to go from here.” One small, faithful step led to another, and what began as a book slowly made room for something bigger. Mae’s Way Foundation just seemed to be the natural next step. Michele never set out to be a counselor or an expert. She saw herself as a connector, someone who could help children and families left behind by suicide and find comfort and support when they needed it most.
One of Mae's Way Foundation’s most impactful programs is The Courageous Caterpillar Camp. The idea for the camp began three years ago when Michele wanted to create an environment for children to talk, play, rest, and process big emotions through age-appropriate activities, with room for movement, quiet reflection, and a safe space to regroup when feelings became too big or overwhelming.
That first camp set the stage for growth. As an avid fan of American Ninja Warrior, Michele happened to hear contestant John Mack speak publicly about losing a parent to suicide at the age of twelve. Michele took a chance and reached out to him through Instagram and invited him to attend. He accepted, bringing excitement and connection to the children, many of whom saw in him someone who truly understood and overcame the same kind of loss.
Now entering its third year, The Courageous Caterpillar Camp will return to Lou Dennis Community Park in Newburgh, Indiana, on April 25.
There were times when Michele would question herself. You see, purpose does not erase doubt and uncertainty. In the middle of trying to learn how to run a nonprofit from the ground up, build partnerships, secure funding, and trust that the right people would show up, she found herself circling back to that familiar thought from long ago, "Who am I now to be doing this work?" Without fail, God answers with an email, a call, a connection from someone in need of resources, connection or the reminder that You Are Not Alone! It’s in those moments that doubt gives way to clarity, reminding her that she’s exactly where she is supposed to be.
For me, stories like this have a way of pulling you in. You smile, you cry, and more than once, it tugs at your heart. By the time you step away, something about Mae the Courageous Caterpillar stays with you. The heart woven into her story lingers, leaving you with one simple, lasting reminder: You Matter!
Michele Gates published works are available through Amazon.com:
Discovering Me: 12-Week Guided Journal
Grief to Grace: A Contemplative Photography Guided Journal
A Caregiver’s Companion Journal: Daily Reflections to Nourish Your Soul
Mae the Courageous Caterpillar
Mae the Courageous Caterpillar Workbook
Mae the Courageous Caterpillar Journal
Until next time...Sip...Laugh...Repeat
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