Have you ever looked in the mirror and you no longer recognized yourself. Like where had I gone. I used to be funny. I used to be slim. I used to love going places on the spur of a moment. I loved being around people and just talking. And lately everything has felt hard. Or like it's someone else and no longer who I thought I was. It is a hard moment and an even harder jolt to see yourself and not even recognize who is looking back at you. As I looked in the mirror I thought,

I thought I might lose my mind. My transformation didn’t come from a book or a single moment of clarity. It came from walking through crisis after crisis—and choosing not to give up. It began with my 88-year-old mom, now 90 and soon 91. After a stroke left her unable to walk and struggling to speak, I became her advocate, her support system, her strength when hers was failing. Day after day, I learned how to care for her, guide her, and believe in her progress even when it se