There’s something powerful that happens when women gather—when stories are shared, walls come down, and we realize we’re not alone. I’m honored to be part of this weekend with you.

I’m a woman who has lived a little, loved a lot, and experienced the pain of loss. I’ve learned that none of us are meant to walk this journey alone. My path starts in the small town of Humboldt, Iowa, where I was born and raised. I moved to Des Moines after graduating high school and met my husband at work. We married and embarked on raising our family together. Over 20 years ago, we took a leap of faith and relocated to the Iowa City area. It has been the community our children will always call home, even though they are now grown and establishing their lives elsewhere.

Like many families, our story includes seasons of joy and seasons of loss. Along the way, we experienced the death of three of our four parents and walked closely with a young man and his family who bravely battled cancer for a year. We also said our goodbyes to our beloved dog Lucy, a true family member. These life-changing experiences reshaped how I perceive time, love, and things that really matter.

In the midst of life’s full and sometimes overwhelming chapters, a rim-to-rim hike through the Grand Canyon became an unexpected turning point in my life. What I thought was going to be nothing more than a physical challenge became a true transformative experience. I created a personal goal to hike all of the U.S. National Parks, but more importantly, it awakened a desire to live fully in the present. I wanted to embrace the life in front of me today, and to stop waiting for someday.

Today, I am passionate about choosing presence, finding beauty even after loss, and saying yes to the dreams that stir our hearts-no matter our age or stage of life. I believe we are not meant to merely endure our days, but to truly live them.