Singles Awareness Day

Valentine’s Day. Let’s talk about it. Some call it Singles Awareness Day. It makes me feel a little lonely every year, even though I couldn’t love my community more. You all make up the pieces of my heart, and I live a joy-filled life. I truly am happy, but happiness and loneliness can coexist. I genuinely have a lot to give to another person, and I don’t think the average man sees that in me. People who see me but don’t really know me probably assume many things about my life that aren’t true. All of you know that I bring a lot to a friendship. I love doing simple acts of kindness. The fact that small things can change our perspective is amazing. I love sending greeting cards for this reason—they’re a little way to show love to the people I care about.

I wholeheartedly believe my life is vibrant and full of connection. I don’t understand why romantic love hasn’t found its way into my life yet, and honestly, I’m a bit frustrated. If you know anyone who might be a good match, I’d love to hear from you. And full disclosure—if I go on a bad date, it will probably end up as a humorous blog post.

This month has been…well, a little blah. One morning, my communication device wouldn’t turn on, and I had to send it in for repairs. No cute story here—just my caregiver grabbing my backup device and packing up my current one to send to Ohio. Has the month been awful? Absolutely not. Has it been fantastic? Not exactly. But my dad got me roses on Valentine’s Day, and it meant a lot. Some of you made the day special too, so thank you.

Now, let’s move on to the month of luck—I already have my St. Patrick’s Day decorations up!

Remodeling and Reflecting

2026 had an interesting start. I was immensely sick with the flu—so sick that I was in bed for two full days. If you have the flu right now, I’m genuinely sorry.

All of this was happening while my dad remodeled my office. What used to be a desk, a bulletin board, and a collection of framed degrees and awards is now filled with drawers and floating shelves that hold the things I’m most proud of. It’s absolutely gorgeous and I am so grateful to my parents for making it come to life.

Mom and I also took on the task of hiring two new caregivers. It remains the most significant and repetitive challenge in my life. It takes up an enormous amount of mental space and is truly exhausting. If anyone wants to get together and brainstorm solutions, I’m available.

Mostly, I want to thank my parents for being my biggest supporters. We are a team, and I am deeply grateful for them.

And a word about the world. We are living in a time of unimaginable darkness—something my mind and heart still struggle to fully grasp. It’s disturbing on every level. To the many protesters last weekend: thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Our country’s ideals, rights, and liberties feel as though they are on their deathbed, and it is democracy—with a lowercase d—that will save the country we so dearly love.

“Today, we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it, and even sacrifice for it.” —Alex Pretti

Stay strong,
Hannah!