Behind the Puddle was never created as a business.

It began with a chair on a new patio, a little body of water we affectionately call the puddle, and the unexpected realization that paying attention to the ordinary things happening around us can change the way we understand our own lives.

Planning Forward grew from much the same place, a belief that some of our most important conversations should be available without cost being the reason someone cannot have them.

I don’t charge for the stories I write, the resources I share, or the conversations I offer through this work. I want them to remain accessible to the people who may need them.

This page exists because a few people asked a wonderfully simple question:

“Is there a way I can contribute?”

So, now there is.

If something you have found here has made you think, helped you begin a conversation, given you a moment of comfort, or simply made you smile, you are welcome to leave a tip or make a contribution.

Your support helps with the practical things that allow this little project to continue, website hosting, educational and printable resources, and the materials that help Planning Forward remain accessible.

And, because Behind the Puddle would not exist without the place behind it, some of that support may find its way outside.

It might become native plants or flowers as we continue creating a healthier little ecosystem around the puddle. It might help keep the bird feeders filled. It could become cracked corn for the geese, or another woodpecker suet log that Pinecone will almost certainly decide belongs to them.

There are no special posts, resources, or privileges reserved for people who contribute.

Everything here remains here for everyone.

A contribution simply helps me keep noticing, writing, creating, sharing, and caring for the little corner of the world that inspired all of this in the first place.

If you’d like to be part of that, thank you.

And if all you ever do is stop by to read a story, notice something differently, or carry a question from Planning Forward into a conversation with someone you love, that is participation, too.

You are welcome here either way.

If you have questions please feel free to connect.