I’ve always prided myself on doing what I said I would do. I’m not one to make statements lightly. Whether it’s saying that I’ll connect two people who would benefit from knowing each other or promising to send some helpful information, I follow through. Or, at least I used to be really good at follow-through.

When I first began to support the behavioral health reform work in the spring of 2019, I knew that I would be putting my life on hold for a bit. I knew that it would be all encompassing, and that I wouldn’t see much of my family or friends for the entirety of the work – which was only supposed to be 17 months. Well, 17 months turned into 4 ½ years. And during that time, I struggled to stay connected. I barely saw friends. Texts went unanswered. Emails stacked up in both my personal and work inboxes. Despite my best efforts, I was out of touch with everyone. It took weeks, if not months, for me to follow up with colleagues, friends, and family members, if it even got done at all.

All of this is becoming apparent to me as I am returning to some much-needed work/life balance. I’ve lost count of the times that I’ve said, “I’m sorry I’ve been a horrible friend!” Honestly, it’s been kind of embarrassing. And it’s also been wonderful to reconnect with people whom I haven’t seen in years.

So, I wanted to issue this public apology. I am so incredibly sorry to those of you whom I didn’t text or email back. I’m sorry if I said I was going to do something and didn’t follow through on it. And – please give me a second chance. If you’re still waiting for something from me, let me know! I promise that, this time, I’ll make it happen.