Hands Free Mama

Letting Go...To Grasp What Really Matters

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I Thought You Would Never Ask

My four-year-old daughter has always loved puzzles. Whenever “PawPaw” (my dad) comes to visit us, it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: The Truth Hurts (and Heals), Your Words Tagged With: Be in the moment, cold hard truth, iTunes, puzzles, type A, what children want, your words

Outside the Circle Awaits the Heart

*Permission has been granted to use her authentic name I was not surprised when a dear friend of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Accent on the Positive Tagged With: acts of kindness, angel, cancer, chemotherapy, life changing, mastectomy

Perfect Imperfection

If you are like me and often feel the need to “control” all the variables, this story is for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Perfect Imperfection, What I Would Have Missed Tagged With: control, hands free logo, imperfection, perfection, personal growth, self love, type A

Putting Distraction In Its Place

I have thought a lot about my first blog entry of 2011. I hoped it would be powerful. I hoped it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Putting Distraction In Its Place Tagged With: Putting Distraction In Its Place

The Hands Free Revolution: Holiday Style

Things were different this year.  And not just at my house. -One family took a seventeen hour … [Read more...]

Filed Under: The Hands Free Revolution, What I Would Have Missed Tagged With: Memory Bank, The Hands Free Revolution, What I Would Have Missed

Within Reach

Dearest Readers, I reached out my hand and you took it. In one short week on the web, my hands … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Memory Bank, The Hands Free Revolution Tagged With: Memory Bank, The Hands Free Revolution, What I Would Have Missed

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A Course by Rachel

Soul Shift

Welcome!

Rachel

I want to make memories, not to-do lists. I want to feel the squeeze of loving arms, not the pressure of over-commitment. I want to get lost in conversation with my favorite people, not consumed in a sea of unimportant emails. I want to be overwhelmed by sunsets that give me hope, not by overloaded agendas that steal my joy. I want the noise of my life to be a mixture of laughter & gratitude, not the intrusive buzz of mobile phones & text messages. I’m letting go of distraction, perfection, & pressure to grasp what really matters. I’m living Hands Free. Will you join me? (Read More)

Meet Rachel

Speaking Events
“After attending one of Rachel’s speaking events, I am finding myself pausing more and re-setting my reactions to my spouse and children as a result of reflecting on the situations and lessons Rachel shared. Her decision to reveal the good, the bad, and the ugly, and what she’s learned as she’s worked to transform herself, has lasting impacts on her audience. Rachel’s lessons are like ripples in the ocean as they help others like me move towards choosing love and coming as we are. Rachel works wonders by helping others work wonders.” –A Hands Free Mama in progress

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Live Love Now
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Live Love Now
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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This poem from my book Soul Shift is personal. I This poem from my book Soul Shift is personal.

I wrote it for my students who were shunned.
For women who came to my workshops and said, “This is the first time I haven’t felt invisible.”
And, of course, for little Rachel—
the girl who often wondered if something was wrong with her.

There wasn’t. 
She was just planted in the wrong place.

I’ll never forget the first time I uprooted…
and found HOME among strangers who felt like family.
That moment changed me—
and it’s why I continue to leave my comfort zone to create circles of connection and belonging.

May you never confuse rejection with unworthiness.
May you keep seeking the conditions where you can thrive.

🌱You are worthy of good soil.

My hand in yours,
Rachel

🍂My final in-person gathering of 2025 is six weeks away… 
This one’s for the givers. 
The ones who make it look easy—until they break down. 
For those who’ve forgotten they are a worthy recipient of their own caregiving. 
I’d love for you to be part of this circle.
✨ Only Love Today: A Restorative Retreat for Givers 
🗓 November 7–9 @artoflivingboone in the Blue Ridge Mountains ⛰️
Comment BELONG if you’d like more details.
I recently had the joy of hosting 10 women on a hi I recently had the joy of hosting 10 women on a hiking expedition through Utah. Along the way, our vivacious group sparked curiosity. People assumed we were longtime friends. In reality, we were strangers—brought together by a shared love of one author’s work and a leap of faith to show up for this journey.

One of my favorite encounters happened in Bryce Canyon. An older couple sat outside their camper, watching us cook dinner and fix fallen tents. The woman smiled and asked, “Are you in some kind of club?” She said she could tell we were something special.

I shared that I’m an author with a background in special education, and that my work—centered on connection, inclusion, compassion, and self-awareness—had brought these women together.

“It’s amazing,” I told them, “This group of strangers, each with a unique story and background has come together to listen, learn, and support one another through emotional and physical challenges – and in doing so, we will all leave transformed and more connected than when we arrived.”

I was surprised to see the man quietly wiping his eyes. The woman asked if she could give me a hug.

The connections this group and I made on this trip with people from all over the globe were every bit as stunning as the landscapes we hiked through. Each interaction reminded me why I wrote Hands Free Mama over a decade ago & why its message is needed now more than ever…

✨ face-to-face conversations matter
✨ looking into people’s eyes matters
✨ hearing stories we haven’t lived—responding with curiosity—matters

After walking red rock trails with ten brave women, I know this too: the world feels lighter when we create small circles of belonging, wherever we go.

*to read my full essay, click the link in my stories or comment TOGETHER 🤝

My hand in yours, Rachel
Last week called for a lot of self-compassion as I Last week called for a lot of self-compassion as I adjusted to my “open nest”, navigated new concerns about my aging loved ones, and dealt with some health issues. 

As the gamut of emotions ran wild, I reminded myself: congratulations, I’m human.💗

That small thought brought much needed levity. 

Just wanted to share these words from my book #soulshift that I have modified to fit the stage I am in today. 

Feel free to make them your own — and know I am with you.🤝

My hand in yours,
Rachel
For 18 years (or more), we’ve been wired to move For 18 years (or more), we’ve been wired to move toward our children when they’re in need. And then suddenly, the role shifts.

We’re asked to step back, point them to resources, and remember the goal has always been their independence.

I’m learning that noticing my own “validation rush” is part of the process.

When I want to help so I can feel needed, I pause & remind myself that my child is growing brave, resourceful, capable, and strong.

🩵 Go easy on yourself if this is new for you too.

My hand in yours,
Rachel
For the past two weeks, I’ve been bumping into t For the past two weeks, I’ve been bumping into the reality that life is different now.

I’m adjusting to my “open nest” with self-compassion, patience, grace, and curiosity. That’s helping. 

If you’re in a season of change, may these words remind you: different doesn’t mean less. It just takes some getting used to. And you are worthy of taking the time YOU need.

My hand in yours,
Rachel
Sharing the words that quite literally saved me in Sharing the words that quite literally saved me in 2020 when I came across them in @minaa_b’s book, Rivers Are Coming.

Giving my life “its best chance” was the permission I needed stop trying to “fix” myself and instead: 

be gentle with my struggles
validate my feelings
listen to my needs

And choose to be on MY own team every single day. 

That’s how we move forward—with presence, courage, & compassion—and why every day is a chance to begin again.

You are worthy of giving your life its best chance.

My hand in yours,
Rachel
As I adjust to a quieter home and a new stage of l As I adjust to a quieter home and a new stage of life, I’ve been reminded of a season when loneliness nearly swallowed me. 

What saved me then, 
and what’s guiding me now, 
is this powerful truth: 

inconvenience is the price of community. 

This week in the Treehouse,
my writing space for vulnerable reflection & deeper connection,
I share what that looks like in real life. 

To read my latest work-of-heart, comment BELONG. 
You can also find the link in my stories and bio. 

My hand in yours,
Rachel
When someone we love steps into a new chapter, our When someone we love steps into a new chapter, our hearts are stretched too.

This week, the house feels quieter, the rhythm unfamiliar. After 19 years of daily togetherness, I’ve found comfort in a phrase my friend @kaitlincurtice once shared with me: bama pi.

In Potawatomi, it means a “see you later” kind of departure. Not goodbye. Not the end.

Because certain connections endure, no matter the distance or time apart.

For me, those words are a lifeline. For you, they might be too.

This is not goodbye.
It’s bama pi.

My hand in yours,
Rachel
I wrote this intention in anticipation of a big tr I wrote this intention in anticipation of a big transition happening in my life as a parent tomorrow… and for anyone in the tender process of letting go.

I’m learning that change doesn’t wait for us to feel ready. It arrives unannounced, rearranges what we know, and asks us to move forward with open hands. 

And yet—love is still here. Steady. Present. Guiding.

My hand in yours, 
Rachel 

#OnlyLoveToday #selfcompassion #peaceinthechaos #flownotforce #change #emptynest #lettinggo #trust

Rachel’s Treehouse on Substack

Rachel's Treehouse Cover

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