07/24/2026
🩶 YOU’LL NEVER KNOW HOW STRONG YOU ARE UNTIL YOU HAVE NO CHOICE. 🩶
Today marks 15 years since I was flown to Capital Health after experiencing stroke-like symptoms and a brain bleed. I’ll never forget that day or the uncertainty that came with it. What followed were months of rehab, depression/anxiety, and learning how to walk, eat, and do everyday things all over again.
Fifteen years later, I still live with a brain tumor. Some days are easier than others, and I still deal with the mental health challenges that came from everything I went through. But if there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s that we are capable of so much more than we think.
Along the way I’ve also faced a career-ending shoulder injury as a firefighter, an autoimmune disease, and plenty of other health challenges. There were times I questioned why these things kept happening, but looking back, I realize every setback shaped the person I am today.
This journey has strengthened my faith, taught me to appreciate the little things, and reminded me never to take another day for granted. It also showed me how important it is to lean on the people who love you. I truly wouldn’t be here without my family, my friends, and everyone who has supported me over the years.
To this incredible maker community, to the customers who’ve trusted my work, to the arts for allowing me to express myself creatively, and to the friends I’ve made because of this little business...thank you. You’ve given me purpose, encouragement, and a lot of reasons to keep moving forward.
If you’re fighting a battle that nobody else can see, keep going. One day you’ll look back and realize the very thing you thought would break you became the reason you’re stronger.
Here’s to 15 years of perseverance, faith, healing, and God’s countless blessings.
Keep grindin’, friends. 🤙🏼
