As we close out 2025 and celebrate 10 years of Gr8ter, I’ve been reflecting on just how much growth, learning, and healing can happen over a decade. When Gr8ter first began, I had no idea how much this work—and this community—would transform my life. And even now, ten years in, I continue to learn every single day, especially through the harder seasons.

This year brought one of those seasons.

Many of you may not know this, but my son, Brycen, has been battling leukemia for the past two years. And leukemia has a way of ignoring routines, schedules, and any sense of predictability. When he got sick recently, we ended up in the hospital for several days. After we finally made it home, we started a week of IV antibiotics—and my sleep, rhythm, and stability were all turned upside down.

Change of plans has always been one of my biggest mental health triggers—especially when it’s completely outside of my control. And when that initial trigger hits, my mind tends to snowball things. One worry becomes three. Three become ten. Suddenly I’m overwhelmed, exhausted, and afraid I’m letting people down.

But in this moment, a friend who’s been coaching me shared something that changed the way I see these experiences:
“This isn’t you going backward. This is a pause.”

A pause isn’t failure.
A pause isn’t losing progress.
A pause is simply a moment to breathe, regroup, care for yourself, and then gently move forward again.

That idea has stayed with me.

For a long time, I’ve carried the pressure—both as a mom and as the founder of a mental health nonprofit—to hold everything together. And there are times when I’ve wondered, “How can I possibly teach or support anyone when I’m struggling this much?”

But here’s what I’m learning, even 10 years into this work:

This is what mental health recovery looks like.
Recovery isn’t linear. It isn’t perfect. It doesn’t mean we never struggle.
Recovery is learning, adapting, listening to our needs, and giving ourselves grace.
Recovery is the courage to pause when life demands it.
Recovery is the willingness to start again.

And sharing the real parts—the messy parts, the human parts—is part of the mission too. It’s how we help each other. It’s how we remind our community that nobody is alone in this journey.

As I come out of this recent pause, I’m reminded again that the world doesn’t fall apart when I rest. The things I am passionate about continue forward because Gr8ter is not just me—it’s a team, a family, a community that believes deeply in our mission.

Ten years in, and I am still learning.
Still growing.
Still becoming.
Still walking this recovery journey right alongside all of you.

Thank you for being part of Gr8ter’s story—this year, and for the past decade.
Here’s to the next chapter, and to giving ourselves permission to pause when we need it. 💛

— Kylee Wiscombe
Founder, Gr8ter