Miles, Moments, and Magic

  Finding Gratitude in the Struggle This past week, I faced my fourth small bowel obstruction. If you've ever experienced one, you know the pain is unbearable. The discomfort, the nausea, and the dreaded NG tube—it’s a cycle that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. This time, I managed to avoid surgery, but when the surgeon said, "It’s very difficult to prevent these," my heart sank. I’ve always believed that if we work hard enough, if we follow the right steps, we can avoid setbacks. But hearing those words reminded me that sometimes, despite our best efforts, challenges will come. It was a hard truth to swallow. Yet, as I lay in that hospital bed, surrounded by the beeping of monitors and the quiet resilience of other patients, I saw something deeper. I witnessed people enduring battles far worse than mine—some without a single visitor, some with pain in their eyes that went beyond the physical. And in that moment, I felt a shift. Yes, this was hard. Yes, I wish I never had to ...