Mother. Grandmother. Counselor. Author. Hope Seeker.

I'm Katie Kelley Dorn, and if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that life rarely unfolds the way we planned — and that hope often finds us in the places we least expect.

While I've been blessed with many meaningful roles throughout my life — as a school counselor, mental health therapist, educator, entrepreneur, speaker, and author — the role I have cherished most has been being a mother and grandmother. Some of life's greatest lessons have come not from my professional training, but from raising children, loving imperfectly, and navigating hard seasons alongside the people I love most.

For many years, I maintained a private mental health counseling practice supporting adolescents and families, served as a high school counselor, taught graduate students, and co-founded EmpowerU, a program dedicated to helping young people build resilience and emotional well-being.

But the experiences that shaped me most happened at home.

In 2000, my beloved sister, Ginny, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. After walking beside her through her illness, my husband, Dave, and I became the parents of her three young daughters when she died in 2004. That journey changed our family forever.

I wrote Magnolias in Winter to share the hope I discovered in the midst of grief and life's hardest seasons. Through the book, the Ginny Kelley "God Love Ya, Hon" Memorial Fund, and EmpowerU, my hope is to pass forward the love, support, and encouragement that were so generously given to our family.

Today, Dave and I live in Minnesota and delight in spending time with our seven children, their spouses, and our growing crew of grandchildren.

If you've found your way here during a hard season, I'm glad you did. You are not alone.

Thank you for being here.

GLYH — God Love Ya, Hon.