Birchwood Family Medicine has explicitly been a political-free zone since its inception.  I couldn’t care less about political parties.  I couldn’t care less about fragile egos.  What matters to me is authenticity + truth + goodness.  It is with those values that I founded Birchwood Family Medicine, and it is with those values that it is thriving & growing. I grew up lower middle class and I am a white Christian, so my parents had an easier time making me feel secure despite having very little.  I knew scarcity from time to time, but I never feared that I’d be cold, hungry, alone, or unhoused so I could dream big and knew that I could have whatever life I wanted.  I built that life and became a scientist, and then a board-certified Medical Doctor.  I’m not sharing any of this to be boastful.  I am nobody special – in fact, it took God smacking me upside the face with an incurable chronic illness & the untimely death of my father to wake me up to the injustices I was a part of.  The only thing exceptional about me is that I eventually found the courage to listen to Him.

Living authentically & wholeheartedly is not easy.  Being a change-maker is not easy.  There will always be loud haters trying to drag you down.  Every single person who ever achieved anything great had thousands of them.  But the haters do not matter.  They are inconsequential. To achieve peace, you must develop the mental fortitude to not waste your time on those who do not deserve your attention.  It was only after I bled, sweat, and cried my way into the authenticity with which I live every day that I found the calm & the peace that we’re all chasing in this difficult world.  You can, too.

I am sharing a mere page from my storybook as evidentiary proof that we can do hard things.  We can make hard choices and prove the nay-sayers wrong.  We can be the change we want to see.  We can do the work to provide a better tomorrow, and in fact, it seems we have arrived at a place & a time in this country where we all will likely have to.  We are a strong & resilient people and have been doing our best to go about business as usual over the last several weeks, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to do.  As the doctor in town, I have seen you.  I privately hear all the stories we don’t want to talk out loud about.  You must believe me when I tell you that the haters have never had so much permission to hate.  Our people are suffering and it is up to us to make it stop.

The beautiful thing about living authentically is that the internal foundation you must build to achieve that lifestyle becomes a fortress in the process – rock-solid.  We are heartened by the community leaders who share our conviction that bullying, hatred & supremacy of any form have no place in our town. What’s happening right now isn’t about politics.  It’s about hatred + greed directly threatening all that we stand for.  I do this work every day with three other women, each backed by fierce families & supporters who also care a whole lot about authenticity + truth, + goodness.  You are not alone.  Understand that now is the time to wake up and take good care of yourself.  Now is the time to educate yourself with facts.  Spend time with loved ones & play your role in caring for your people.  Keep routines consistent & minimize talk of change in front of children.  Lean into communities that share your values.  When you’re feeling strong, ask yourself how you can contribute to the greater good by sharing your time, energy, talents/gifts, or resources.  When you’re feeling weary, rest.  We must remember those who came before us & all that is possible when we work together.  Stop fretting & doomscrolling.  Define what you are good at, be the change and get to work:

• • • • Stay authentic
      • Stay brave 
      • Stay grounded in the truth + in facts. 
      • Stay safe
      • Keep toxicity out of your life. Now is not the time for nonsense.
      • Know your rights.  
      • If you feel overwhelmed or in crisis, call 911 or 988 immediately. We need you here.
      • Needing more?  Sign up here.

As you choose, join me in starting your day with some deep breathing, and speak this mantra out loud to set the intention for your day.  To our members – as your Doctor, I see your strength & your goodness and I know that you’ve got this.  And we’re with you every step of the way.  

Dr. Dall-Winther

2025 BWFM Member Mantra

I can do hard things. 

I am enough. 

It is okay to feel sad. 

I will do all things with love and patience. 

I forgive myself for my faults as we humans all have them. 

I am doing my best. 

I can choose to find joy in the process. 

I love myself. 

I am in control of my thoughts, feelings, and actions. 

This, too, will pass. 

I am calm. 

I am a loving person. 

I am deserving of love and respect. 

Breathe in positivity, breathe out negativity. 

❤️🩺💪🏼