From My Heart, a Not-Goodbye

There are some events in life that ask us to slow down.

Sometimes we choose to.

Sometimes life chooses for us.

For the time being, Undercover Kindness Gnomes is going to take a little pause.

This is not an easy sentence to write, because Undercover Kindness Gnomes has become so much more than an idea I had one day. It has become a little community of makers, supporters, gnome-finders, storytellers, and kind-hearted people who believed that a small, anonymous act of kindness could make someone's day a little brighter.

And you have helped make that magic possible.

Every gnome that was requested and placed, every donation that helped put one into someone's hands, every person who shared a post, left a gnome somewhere for a stranger to find, or simply cheered us on—thank you.

Truly.

Thank you for believing in this weird little project.

Thank you for believing that kindness doesn't have to be big or expensive or complicated.

Thank you for believing that sometimes a tiny woolly gnome, left quietly in the right place, can remind someone that they are seen, that they matter.

And thank you for believing in me.

Right now, though, I am reeling from the loss of my Mister, and I simply don't have the energy or focus that Undercover Kindness Gnomes deserves. There are also very practical realities: shipping costs have become difficult for me to manage, and I don't want to keep trying to make something happen when I don't currently have the resources—financially or emotionally—to do it well.

So I'm giving myself permission to stop for a while.

Not forever. Just for now.

I don't know exactly what the future of Undercover Kindness Gnomes will look like. Maybe the gnomes will return exactly as they were. Maybe they'll come back in a new form. Maybe I'll discover a way to make the project sustainable that I haven't thought of yet. If you have ideas, I would love to hear them.

I only know that this is a pause, not an ending.

The world still needs kindness.

People still need to know they matter, that they are seen and valued and loved.

And I still believe, with my whole heart, that a little bit of unexpected magic can change someone's day.

For now, I'm going to turn some of that kindness inward and give myself the same grace that I've always hoped the gnomes would give to their finders.

Thank you for being part of this.

Thank you for every gnome.

Thank you for every story.

Thank you for every act or word of kindness.

And thank you for being here.

The gnomes may be resting for a while. But I'm certain their magic is not finished yet.

With gratitude and a very full heart,

Katie