Sharing love and supporting mental health
Every December, we look for gifts that mean more than they cost. We look for gifts that carry a sense of comfort, connection, and care. This year, Megan and I have been reflecting on something that started as a deeply personal project and has grown into a partnership rooted in community impact and love.
Last summer, I published I Love You, I Trust You, I’m Proud of You, a children’s book born from the bedtime ritual I share with my kids. The book is simple on purpose: three phrases that every child deserves to hear, especially in life’s toughest moments.
At the time, I had no idea where this book would take me.
Months later, after delivering my TEDx talk Can We Find Calm in a World of Chaos, a conversation began that connected the heart of my message with the heart of another organization: the Canadian Mental Health Association, Nova Scotia Division (CMHA NS).
It wasn’t the talk that wrote the book. But the talk opened a door.
And through that door came a shared intention: to help families in Nova Scotia feel loved, supported, and to share that support outwardly.
Why This Partnership Matters
CMHA Nova Scotia plays an essential role in communities across the province, offering mental health programs, crisis supports, education, and advocacy for people of all ages. Their mission is clear: to build a Nova Scotia where mental health is a universal right.
When we chatted about a potential partnership, I was reminded just how deeply aligned our values were. Their work supports individuals and families during their most overwhelming moments - and my book, in its own small way, was created to do the same.
It’s humbling to thing that what began as a family ritual has become a way to support families across our province.
CMHA recently shared the news about our collaboration in their piece, “A Holiday Gift With Heart: Local Entrepreneur Supports CMHA Nova Scotia Through Children’s Book Fundraiser.” You can read their full story here.
Together, we’re working to turn books into support: into programs, services, and resources that strengthen mental health in our communities.
A Gift That Goes Further
If you’re looking for a holiday gift that warms hearts, sparks meaningful conversations, and supports mental health across Nova Scotia, consider picking up a copy for someone you love.
A book may be small…but the love inside it - and the impact behind it - can ripple farther than we see.
To Everyone Who Has Supported This Journey
Thank you. Truly.
Thank you to the families who have invited this book into their homes. Thank you to CMHA Nova Scotia for seeing the alignment between our work. And thank you to everyone who continues to show up for mental health; your own and others’.
This partnership is just beginning, but its heart has been here all along:
Filling homes with love.
Why I wrote a kids book
In the past few years, I (like many of us) have witnessed close friends struggle and suffer with extremely difficult situations including domestic abuse, depression, substance-dependency and suicide. Through this, I’ve realized that…
Megan and I have three beautiful children. Every night, as the kids go to sleep, I give them a kiss on their head and tell them “I love you. I trust you. I’m proud of you.” It’s something that means the world to me, because I need them to know, no matter what this life brings, I will always love them. It has become a beautiful tradition that has grown organically.
For many years of my life, I was scared of love. In fact, I nearly refused to say it. For context and to really hammer that point home, I was in a band in high school and wrote a song with a chorus that said: “I like a lot of things in this world, but I love very few.” It wasn’t until I had the privilege to create the space to delve into exploring who I truly am that I unlocked my soul’s purpose, which is to lead courageously toward love. I live this purpose each and every day.
In the past few years, I (like many of us) have witnessed close friends struggle and suffer with extremely difficult situations including domestic abuse, depression, substance-dependency and suicide. Through this, I’ve realized that it is truly important to lean into my purpose now more than ever, and to lead courageously toward love. I believe that knowing you are loved unlocks strength, purpose and love within one’s self, and so I realized I had a book in me to share with the world.
This is the story of a father (Papa Bear) putting his four children to bed. As Papa puts them to bed, the kids ask and press their dad about whether he would really love them no matter what, with the answer coming back as a resounding - I love YOU for YOU. It’s an exploration of all of our self-doubt and vulnerability and yearning to be loved, told through the lens of a children’s book.
I’m excited to share this book with the world.