Here. What a strange place to be. Sitting on the packed firm sand of the Gulf shore watching the waves crash in rhythmic sequence while the sea breeze tussles my freshly showered hair. Here. I am here.

The windy road getting me to this spot was full of unexpected twists and turns. Pain, beauty, tragedy, and love, all mixed into a crazy nonsensical soup of life. It is always with the gift time and hindsight that I am able to make sense of things. Pull things apart. Recognize the why and how they got me to this place. To here.

I think whenever we go through difficult times it’s hard to remember that they are temporary. And these times generally lead us to something better, or at a very minimum, provide us with the opportunity for growth.

Life is messy, and trying to avoid the sticky potholes sometimes requires more energy than just taking a deep breath and plowing through them. But at the end of it all, the dots typically can be connected and a bigger and more beautiful picture can be seen. And it usually is worth the effort and hardships because each lay a brick on the path to get you to where you are. Here.