Looking back on the last month, life has been a bit crazy; prepping for Tucker’s surgery, squeezing in a knee scope for myself (because why not add a little spice), shipping the other kids off for spring break, and trying to pretend work could just…pause…in early spring. I can finally say I’m damn grateful to be on the other side of it. And honestly? The anticipation leading up to surgery was just as brutal as the five hours during it. Different flavor of awful, same punch to

3/6/2026 When I wrote the first Heart Warrior post, I honestly had no idea what would happen. Part of me just needed to say it out loud. When your family is carrying something big, sometimes putting the words out into the world feels like releasing a little pressure valve. I figured maybe a few friends would read it, maybe my mom would share it, and then we’d move on. What I didn’t expect was the wave of support that followed. Messages. People stopping us around town. Friends

When I was in late elementary and middle school, I basically lived at the public pool. I was there every day, bothering the lifeguards, treading water for hours like I was training for the Olympics (I was not), playing card games, and getting the kind of sunburn that would now require a dermatologist and a therapy session. It was simple. It was cheap. It was feral but safe. Eventually, someone finally asked if I wanted a job since I clearly wasn’t leaving. So at 14, I became