WebofSupport

06/23/2025

Almost everyone on my Facebook feed knows me and the work I do. And while almost all Americans are concerned about our country, I remain concerned about our children and teens.

By my reckoning, if we take care of our children and teens, then, America will be better than ever.

I invite you to come play alongside us. It's actually quite revolutionary to "see youth in full color." (We just do it more quietly.)

www.webupinar.com

Click the link to learn more. I hope you can forward this to some of your friends who are thinking about their kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, and the kids around each of them.

It's free.

webupinar.com

06/20/2025

To learn more about what we know and how you can use it... find us here...

webupinar.com

10/24/2024

You are going to see a lot more about the Kalos Eidos Foundation in the months and years ahead. It is NEVER too late to do new things. NEVER.

kaloseidosfoundation.org

10/24/2024

I enjoy posting Full Color insights on FB. And I understand the TL;DR (too long; didn't read) barriers that are inherent when scrolling.

Several years ago, I opened an online community through Mighty Networks. And, while we had over 800 members, it was clunky and didn't meet our collective and individaul goals.

The platform, as it happens with technology, is far more easy to use today. I recently removed 750 names from the plaform, only keeping the people who had engaged in the community in the past 6 months.

I invite you to join the PHlock community at www.webofsupport.info, where we dive deep into understanding the Full Color Web of Support and what it means to see in Full Color. Together, we explore how expanding ones Web of Support strengthens resilience, enabling people to try new things that will not only grow their support network but also their “balloon” of personal strengths, talents and gifts. The PHlock is free to join, and you’ll have access to regular WebUP-inars and online courses designed to help you and those you care about thrive through deeper, more connected relationships. I hope to see you THERE. www.webofsupport.info.

Web Of Support is a Mighty Network. Join us to share your tips, tricks and stories with other members.

10/23/2024

Today, would have been Grandma Winje’s 108th birthday. (She passed 5 years ago at 103.) I am sitting here feeling incredibly lucky to have had her in my life for 58 years. Having a grandmother for that long is a rare gift, and it’s even more special because I now live on her farm, in the very home she once filled with love, laughter, and acceptance. Every day, being here connects me to her and my family, offering a sense of comfort that’s hard to describe but deeply felt. It’s as though her presence becomes more deeply rooted in my life, not in a distant, ghostly way, but vividly in the air I breathe and the ground beneath my feet.

What I’ve learned from this is that even when someone we love is no longer physically present, they can remain a vital part of our Web of Support. Their love stays with us, not as a memory we keep tucked away, but as something alive and potent, nourishing us as long as we continue to amplify it. By thinking of Grandma Winje, by recalling her strengths, her warmth, and her love, I receive micro DOSEs of the very chemicals that foster happiness and well-being—dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins.

This idea of sustaining love and support after someone has passed reminds me of the traditions behind Día de los Mu***os, which I will experience soon on the southern border. It’s a beautiful and poignant example of how cultures understand that the love between the living and the deceased never really dies. It’s a reciprocal relationship; by doing the work to keep the love alive, we continue to feel, and benefit from its presence.

As I stand here, thinking of Grandma, it’s clear that she remains one of my five anchors in life. Even though she’s gone, the support she gave me continues to uphold me. That’s how love works—it doesn’t vanish. It stays with you, keeps you grounded, and when you nurture it, it keeps you strong. Grandma Winje, you loved and lived well, and you continue to hold a central place in my Web of Support, through my heart and its memories.

In this way, I honor her today, not just with memories, but with the understanding that she still plays a part in who I am and how I live. Love isn’t something that fades with time; it’s something we can, with a bit of intentional effort, carry forward, always.

10/22/2024

Remember, Anchoring is like flying a kite…

Anchoring a kite and anchoring a youth have common attributes when we think about the triune nature of the Web of Support and its being a safety net, filter (dream catcher) and launch pad. Both the kite and the youth are born to soar and rise high, but their flight depends on the balance of support and freedom provided by the ones who holds the strings—the anchors.

Imagine flying a kite on a breezy day. The string, like the guidance provided to a youth, is a tether that ensures the kite doesn’t lose control or crash. As you gently release more string, the kite climbs higher, its colorful beauty revealed more fully in the sky. Similarly, when we Anchor or support young people, we hold their tether rightly through our authenticity, competence and empathy. We know when to give them more freedom, more experiences, so they can rise, both emotionally and mentally.

As anchors, we sometimes need to provide resistance. When the wind is too strong, holding the string tightly ensures the kite doesn’t get carried away or torn apart. This is akin to setting boundaries, guiding youths away from risky behaviors, or helping them avoid situations that could harm them—much like the story of Icarus, who ignored his father’s wise advice and flew too close to the sun. His fall was inevitable because he lost sight of the balance between freedom and responsibility.

A well-anchored kite, like a well-supported youth, can rise into its full potential. And “height” here is not just about material success or achievement; it’s about becoming who they are meant to be, manifesting their unique gifts and talents. Anchors must understand the balance of when to release more string and when to pull back. Too little freedom, and the kite never rises. Too much, and the kite spirals out of control. (This is why all youth need 5 or more Anchors, so the youth gets access to different flying styles and access different skills so they can make choices as to how to use these lessons and gifts. Diversity is good - it allows the youth freedom to practice choosing.)

Lastly, if the string breaks or the anchor lets go, the kite crashes. Similarly, when a youth’s web of support is cut—when they lose connection with the adults who ground them—they can feel lost and unsupported. A strong web, with several anchors, can catch them when they stumble, helping them find their footing again.

So, as we guide youth, we are both tether and wind beneath their wings. We help them fly higher, with the knowledge that our presence keeps them grounded, even when they soar.

10/18/2024

This evening, I find myself reflecting on my mom, with deep appreciation for all that she is and all she has been and done.

From the moment I was born, she has been my biggest cheerleader, Anchoring me through every high and low, and sacrificing so much to ensure that I could have opportunities, learn skills, find my talents, and move into life’s stories. She has blessed my risks and adventures, all the while wringing her hands, fingers crossed, expecting that things would turn out OK enough.�

Her life has been one of enlightened self-interest, a concept that beautifully aligns with our Full-Color Web of Support work. It means that by postponing some of her own gratifications and pouring her energy into building a web for us, alongside us, and within us - us = her children, she has found her path as an Anchor—a vital role that has made her life better for her head, heart, and soul.�

My mom is kindness personified. Rarely, if ever, speaking a negative word about anybody (even, if in my opinion, they deserve it.)

She has an deep sense of justice and always stands up for the underdog. At times, she can be a fierce lioness, protective and strong. Yet, most of her life, she has been like water—flowing, patient, and steadily carving new pathways into minds, hearts, and souls no matter how long it took. Her focus is relentless, yet her presence is always soothing, like a calm river that never dries up.

She grew up on a farm, toughened by the earth and the hard work it demands. She chopped wood and carried water, both literally and figuratively, long before those tasks became symbolic of resilience. Her strength and determination were cultivated on that land, the same land where I now live. It’s in this house, where generations of my family have lived, that I feel her roots and the strength of her spirit most strongly.

She has made good choices. For one, she married my father, a good man and a good dad, and together they built a web of support not only for me and my brothers but also for the countless children they’ve touched through their lives. This web of support was their gift to the world, and it is woven with love, sacrifice, and the values they hold dear.

It would be pointless to try to rank mothers or measure their talents and skills against each other in some ridiculous competition. Instead, what matters most is FIT. And my mother? She fits me perfectly. She was made for me, and I for her.

She is exactly the mom I’ve always needed, and for that, I am endlessly grateful.

I love you, Mom Karen Winje Peterson

10/16/2024

Sometimes people ask me "Derek, what do you do?"

This is part of what I do...

Central Presbyterian Church | Saint Paul, MNOnline worship for September 6, 2020Re-Membering: Connection as ResilienceIn his work on increasing and sustain...

10/13/2024

Today, Sunday morning, we close out this chapter of the books that Dee Bigfoot and Beverly FunderBurk have written in their lives. They have loved well. They have lived in Full Color. I am blessed to have them each and both in my the story of my life.

10/11/2024

Margaret is the third of the original 13 Grandmothers that I have had the privilege of meeting. I knew Rita in Alaska, and met Mona in Airzona. They are all warriors for children, youth, and the webs of support they need to have beautiful lives.