From Cocoon to Courage - Mae Leads the Way

My favorite chats often begin the same way, coffee in hand, easy laughter, and no real agenda beyond showing up. Last week was no exception when I had the opportunity to sit down with Michele Gates, founder of Mae’s Way Foundation, author, journaling coach, 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, light, and comfortable 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 arrive quietly, rarely announcing themselves right away. It was in that space where Michele’s story began in a most unexpected way.

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.

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 started journaling, not as a way to fix herself, but as a way to understand who she was becoming. 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. Woven through everything she does, writes, and photographs, is the same steady reminder, "You matter”. 

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 was definitely one of those ‘God moments’ 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 along with her as she enters a cocoon, a place that feels confusing, lonely, and uncertain, but not without hope. Mae’s journey gently reminds children that even in hard seasons of loss, grief, and pain, happiness can exist on the other side.

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 a safe space for children to talk, play, rest, and process big emotions through age-appropriate activities, with room for movement, quiet reflection, and tents to regroup when feelings became overwhelming. That first camp set the stage for growth. As an avid fan of American Ninja Warrior, Michele happened to hear John Mack speak publicly about losing a parent at age 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 loss.

One camp memory in particular has stayed with Michele. Two sisters had lost their father. The older sister became overwhelmed, clutched the Mae caterpillar, and retreated into one of the tents. Michele went in quietly and lay down beside her, not to fix anything but simply to be present. Later, the girl looked at her, smiled and said, “I’m really not alone.” And that memory alone tells the whole story. 

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?' She remembers one particular difficult time when she had to take a step back. Then, another ‘God moment’. Only a few hours later she received an email from someone who had found the foundation online and needed somewhere to turn. That's when doubt gave way to clarity, and she knew she was exactly where I was supposed to be.

More than anything, Michele wants people to hold onto one truth:

“YOU MATTER!”