Author and musician Lotus Kay returns to the podcast today to talk about her new book, Friends Lift You Up, and the original music she has been releasing since her last visit on the podcast. I loved chatting with her about the book and how writing it helped with her own healing and in navigating autism. Lotus Kay is such a magnificent example of the way that younger folks are truly leading the us all into a more compassionate and just world. Lotus Kay is a singer songwriter and children’s book author who has been published in magazines such as  Kindness Magazine, Thrive Global, New Leaves, Light of Consciousness, and Voya: Voice of Youth Advocates and more. She is a recipient of a grant from Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots program for her work creating an educational campaign called Bears for Cares to educate youth about endangered species and wildlife. She is the author of the children’s books More Beautiful Than Heaven,  Billie the Octopus, A Thanksgiving for the Turkeys and Jenny the Chimpanzee, and Friends Lift You Up , all in collaboration with Bears for Cares to educate kids on the importance and beauty of nature, and motivate them to help protect the Earth, and create a kinder, more compassionate world. She is twenty one years old. Music:Trust Fall – Lotus Kay Follow Lotus Kay on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.Follow Bears for Cares on Facebook and Instagram. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature a special recording from Lotus Kay.  Learn more right here! As I mentioned in the intro, I am just getting rolling on opening up a Discord server. If you want to join the community, you can join right here. Discord is basically a totally free place where we can chat about the show and anything else. I’ll be adding more there, but for now, feel free to start up a convo in the MikeyPod or general channels. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast hosting! You can get a month free hosting, or get your $100 Blubrry Pro Hosting fee waived when you use the code “mikeypod” at checkout!