June 14, 2026 - Choosing the Scenic Route

As I near almost a year of being home… or working very little, anyway, I can't help but think of how different life looks than the picture I’ve had in my head.

A year ago, I remember thinking my hip surgery would be a few weeks of keeping me down… a few weeks! Five weeks later when I fell, I was still convinced I'd get up, pick my scattered belongings up and make it to work. I was just going to be a little late. Looking back, I was probably a bit delusional… and I know I was definitely in a state of denial. 

Since then, I've spent enough time at home to know exactly how to move around in the middle of the night making very little noise. I have learned what time I should expect UPS to deliver my Amazon packages. And I have learned to embrace how many days I can go without leaving the house and putting on something other than a pair of fresh jammies. 

What I couldn't have imagined… was pretty much everything that followed… or how much I would learn to lean on the people around me anyway… especially Louis. Through every appointment, setback, frustration, and unanswered question, he has been my constant… not so much through grand gestures or the romance we all think we need, but through the everyday faithfulness that we all so often overlook. The oh so needed laughter, the constant sharing of Facebook reels, the patience like no one else… and the willingness to carry a lot more than his share without ever grumbling has truly been amazing.

This past year has taught me that life doesn't always follow the route we have planned… and that’s okay. You can spend your energy fighting all the detours… or you can learn from them, grow through what you go through… and find the good in it all.

I think I have learned to loosen my grip on the plans I think I always need. There is so much peace in trusting that not every chapter has to unfold the way I think it needs to be. There is peace in believing that even the roadblocks and detours have purpose. We may not know what that purpose is… but in time… it will be there. 

So this last year, we have definitely taken a few roads I know I would have never picked… and we’ve managed to hit quite a few speed bumps along the way, but this path hasn’t been all bad. In fact, some of the most meaningful lessons, the deepest gratitude, and the sweetest moments have come from places I never would have picked. And while I still don't know exactly what the next chapter looks like, I'm learning that it's okay… and not having all the answers can be okay too. For now, we are just going to keep embracing the unknown, the unexpected… and be thankful for the people beside us and trusting that this road is taking me exactly where I need to be.