Wake Up and Celebrate!

My alarm went off at 6:00 in the morning, which is most unusual for a Saturday. I don’t believe I would get up that early for many reasons, but this was a special day. It was my cousin’s 40th surprise birthday party. Emily was five years old when I was born, and she has been a staple in my life—a steadfast presence. Once the alarm went off, it was go time. My caregiver came at 6:30—bless her heart, because it’s usually 10:00. I do realize this is a serious perk of being single. Today was going to be a great day!

I had my caregiver dress me in a floral sweater and light blue jeans. I also really like the way she does my makeup, so I was grateful she came that morning. I quickly grabbed an iced cold brew from the fridge and a blueberry muffin. Yes, I do stock these things in the fridge to make the morning go smoothly. I’ve been living independently for almost 18 years. I’ve learned a few life hacks over the years. My mom came to pick me up, and we had a two-hour drive ahead of us.

It was a nice two-hour drive with my mom. We talked about what was going on in our lives and the people we love most. I like having this time one-on-one with my parents; it’s a really nice way to have all the time in the world to talk without worrying about how long it takes to type a message. We pulled up to a large but quaint coffee shop. It used to be a church, and the shop owner kept the stained glass windows. For a woman who loves Jesus and coffee, I was quite happy.

Emily has two little kids who own a huge chunk of my heart. They got there before Emily did. I hugged my seven-year-old and actually managed to have the coordination to pick her up. This was the first time in my life I was able to do that. I hugged her older brother, who is ten years old—going on twenty-five—so I gave him a bear hug. I couldn’t love them more.

“How long have you guys known?” Dad asked.
“A few weeks,” the kids replied.
“It’s a little scary how well they can keep a secret,” Jacob, Emily’s husband, replied.
I shook my head in agreement.

After about a half hour, Emily was coming! We got a two-minute warning, and then the countdown began: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMILY!!!” everyone shouted. My cousin was so surprised. The expression on her face was the epitome of shock and pure joy. It was a moment of seeing my cousin truly happy.

For two hours, we talked and laughed together.

“Hey Hannah!” Emily exclaimed. “I’m so excited to see you. Thank you for coming,” she continued.
“Wouldn’t miss this for the world!” I replied.

I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I loved celebrating you all. You all bring me so much joy. It’s always an honor to be able to celebrate you.

One last very exciting thing! I met one of my favorite authors, Wade Rouse. He is a USA Today best-selling author and is absolutely brilliant. Wade and his husband, Gary, are going to put me in touch with

his agent, which is amazing. I took an online class with them in February, and they were very impressed with my writing skills. I can’t wait to connect and see where this leads.

It’s been a really lovely month. Spring is starting to shed winter’s harsh coat and replace it with colorful flowers and light. Let’s enjoy this season. May it offer you a renewed sense of hope.

With all that spring has to offer,
Hannah!

 

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!