I started this blog and my Facebook page and Facebook group for my daughter. She has been my primary motivation from day one. I have said this hundreds of times on this blog and on Facebook, in virtually every interview I’ve given, and it was even the central theme of the speech I gave last weekend.

I created all of these things for HER. To change her world. To make it a safer and more welcoming place to grow up and have a body. I did this for her and have said so at every turn. These communities and these ideas that I’ve put out – they are for her. It is all about her. It is ALL about her.

My Facebook group, Eating the Food, is about my daughter. It is ALL about her. I created it for her. I nurtured and protected it for her. It is all about her.

And you know what? I did it. I was successful. The work I did changed her world. The things I built changed her world. She loves her body. She eats without guilt. She moves because she enjoys it. She takes up space in the world with her body and her voice and her opinions and she feels NO shame.

I was successful. I did what I set out to do. I changed my daughter’s world, I made it a safer and more welcoming place for her to live and have a body and take up space.

I’ve turned over my Facebook group to my moderator team because it’s time for me to stop changing the world and to listen to her voice. Because I was successful. I gave her a safe space to raise her voice. I made it safe for her to take up space. And she uses that space, she uses that voice, OH does she use that voice.

I’ve left my Facebook group in the incredibly competent hands of my moderator team. My daughter doesn’t need it any more. I’m glad that it has helped so many people. I’m sorry that in the end I exhibitied poor leadership and brought conflict into the group when I intended to bring logic. It wasn’t a situation that required logic. I made a very bad judgement call, and destabilized the group, so I’m stepping away. I take responsibility for that. I am sorry. My moderator team will lead it now, and they will lead it well.

But I look at my daughter, and see how loud her voice has grown. How confidently she takes up space in this world. I did what I set out to do.

But make no mistake. I built ETF, and Go Kaleo, for my daughter. Everything I built is for her. Everything I built is about her. Not anyone else. My daughter. And to the people who are complaining that I can’t make ETF about my daughter? It always has been. It always has been. It always will be. It was never about anyone BUT my daughter, in the end. Because that is why it was created. It will always be about her.

And oh, will she take up space. And use her voice. And do it all without shame. And see right through every attempt by others to make her small. To claim that it’s not about her, that what I created for her was not about her. She already does.