The road that found me

Prologue

The Road That Found Me

People often ask if I would change anything about my life if I had the chance.

For a long time, my answer would have been yes.

I would have wanted one more day with my father.

I would have wanted my mother to never experience the kind of grief that changed her forever.

I would have wanted my children to grow up without seeing the pain that comes when adults are trying to survive their own broken hearts.

I would have wanted to avoid the relationships that left me questioning my worth.

There are many moments I wish had been easier. Many tears I wish had never been cried. Many nights I wish had ended differently.

But age has a way of changing how you look at the road behind you.

I've learned that life isn't made up only of the beautiful moments. Sometimes it is the hardest seasons that shape us the most. The roads we never wanted to travel often become the ones that teach us who we are.

Mine began in the mountains of eastern Kentucky.

It carried me through childhood adventures, heartbreaking loss, motherhood at a young age, difficult marriages, years of searching for where I belonged, and more fresh starts than I can count.

There were times I thought I was completely lost.

Looking back now, I realize I wasn't.

Every detour led somewhere. Every ending made room for another beginning. Every person who entered my life, whether they stayed or left, became part of the woman I would one day become.

For years, I believed I was searching for the right road.

The truth is, the road had been finding me all along.

This is my story.