September is Self-Care Awareness Month, and a good reminder to think about how you can support your own mental health. To me, authentic self-care is the radical act of prioritizing your own well-being. It's diving deep, addressing hard things, and understanding how you can best meet your needs in positive ways. It’s not as simple as taking a bubble bath or dancing in your living room, but rather, building a life—day in and day out—that you don’t need to escape from. It’s being honest with...

“As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and one for helping others.” ~Audrey Hepburn I remember this moment vividly, almost as if I was in her classroom yesterday. The elementary student ran over to me, a grin spreading wide across her face, before she wrapped her arms into a tight hug around my legs. Her eyes glowed with excitement as she told me she had recognized me from helping in her classroom a previous year. After four years of reading to...