Bernie and I were unlikely friends. He was in his 80s, I was in my 20s, living in a teepee, farming, and working as a manager in a co-op. But we clicked over our Jersey roots, a shared love of good food, and a deep curiosity about what makes life meaningful.

​

We had lunch often. I'd show up fired up about injustice, the environment, capitalism, and Bernie, ever the economist (and Pete Seeger fan), would fill in the gaps. "Honey!" he'd say, before helping me think critically about everything that was pissing me off. Market manipulation. Corporate control. Lobbying. Opportunity costs.

​

Underneath it all, Bernie's real point was always the same: economics is really about how we use our energy. And just like the earth, we only have so much to give before we burn out.

​

Bernie reminded me to rest, pause, and resource myself before trying to save the world.

And even though he had decades on me, he never stopped learning. He listened. He let me challenge his thinking, and he challenged mine right back.

​

This book grew out of those conversations.

​

Bernie passed in 2023, but his presence is in every page. Making Space for Yourself is our offering for anyone who's ready to slow down, take a breath, and remember they matter.