Six Interesting Things about Me

The Uniform of a Fighter

I used to think being a fighter meant wearing a flight suit and sitting in the cockpit of a jet. That was the dream back in my Jr. ROTC days—clear goals, physical challenges, and a visible uniform.
But life decided to give me a different kind of combat training.
I’ve traded the ambition of a fighter pilot for the daily resilience of a mother and a survivor. There’s a specific kind of "fighter" spirit you develop when you're navigating a child's HLHS journey or facing down the shadows of addiction. You don't get a medal for these battles, and the uniform is usually just a tired pair of jeans and a heart that refuses to quit.
What I’ve realized about fighting on the ground:
• The Best Weapons are Words: Writing is how I process the "rock bottom" moments and turn them into something useful.
• Scars are Just Maps: Every loss and every struggle, like losing my father, has mapped out the person I am today.
• Victory is Quiet: Sometimes the biggest win isn't a "writer's high"—it's just showing up to the page when things are hard.
I may not be flying jets, but I’m still fighting every day to honor that talent my 6th-grade teacher saw in me.