From Cocoon to Courage - Mae's Story

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.  Of course, we met at one of my favorite coffee shops, these days that’s almost always a given. Michele arrived with a friendly smile and an easy presence that made our conversation feel natural from the start.

Immediately our conversation felt familiar, light and comfortable. 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 and rarely announce 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.

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 through a series 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. What should have felt like a time of excitement instead magnified the silence, leaving her home, and her heart, noticeably quieter. 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?” The path ahead felt unclear, but over time one truth emerged, healing was never meant to be carried alone. It needed space, understanding and the courage to speak it out loud.

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 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 with the first session 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 become 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 that inaugural session. He accepted, bringing excitement and connection for the children, many of whom saw in him someone who truly understood loss. Now entering its third year, The Courageous Caterpillar Camp will once again be held at Lou Dennis Community Park in Newburgh, Indiana on April 25. Michele shared one emotional moment from camp that has stayed with her. 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 just laid down beside her, not to fix anything, not to rush the moment, but simply to be present. Later, the girl said softly, “I’m really not alone.” That, Michele says, is what the camp, and the work is all about. 

There were times when Michele would question herself. You see, purpose does not erase doubt and uncertainty. "In the middle 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, I found myself circling back to that familiar thought from long ago, 'Who am I now?' I remember one particular difficult time where I had to step back. It was only a few hours later that I 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 I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I just want everyone to believe this simple message....You Matter!