I am a mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend. I exist in relationships. They define me, they shape me, they grow me. They hold me together.

I am a gardener. I am a reader. I am a walker and runner. I am a thinker. And writer.

I am a traumatic brain injury survivor. I was an elementary school teacher before a car accident in 2005 changed the way my brain works and knocked me off that career trail.

Life is hard. It serves up challenges in predictable and unprepredictable ways. Stuff that ranges from inconvenient to devastating. Layers of grief run through it.

I know this.

Life is also beautiful. Both/And. It has become my practice to watch for the beauty and learn to name it. To hold it with gratitude.

From here I can breathe.