October is “Depression and Mental Health Awareness Month”, pause and think about that for a moment. Our emotional health is vital to our entire being and has been overlooked for far to long. I am grateful to see people speaking up about their mental health without being ostracized or condemned. We all have triggers that can take us on an emotional high or an emotional low emotional places. One of the keys to maintaining your mental health balance is knowing your triggers and finding an effective way to work through them.

Truly my life has offered several; "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not to your own understanding...." moments.

March 7, 2004 was a day that changed my life forever. See on that day I would become "Nana" for the very first time. The joy I felt when I received the call that baby Nate had arrived is beyond words. I lived on the West Coast at the time of Nate's birth and once I was informed that my daughter was in labor; I was on the first plane to Michigan.

Charles and I had both been married previously, so we came into this marriage with experience. We entered the space of matrimony with our eyes wide open, knowing that it was not going to be a fairytale. The success of our story depended on keeping the flame and choosing each other every single day.

Our journey was set and we were committed to the adventures ahead of us. The keys were placed on the kitchen counter and we departed our home, of eight years, for the last time. The car was packed to capacity and we were prepared to drive to our first destination.

The opportunity to serve at the GratiDude Ranch, came via a volunteer site I was registered with. There was something about the event that I knew would change my life forever.