Book excerpt: In this deeply personal collection, I explore the tender and raw facets of human existence through my own vulnerable reflections on love, loss, and uncertainty while navigating major changes in life. Across this journey, I examine how playfulness, humor, and art can become sources of hope and acceptance in life's more difficult seasons, helping us to mend, make meaning, and move forward. Through my words and paintings, I invite you to explore the delicate beauty of our shared experiences, complex emotions, and uncanny resilience. Some call it an early-onset midlife crisis. I am happy to call it my first book.