To my husband, Dan: this book is just as much a testimonial of what it means to be not only the greatest husband but also a best friend. I’m so thankful for you and love you to pieces. Here’s to many adventures together: traveling the world, helping others, raising kids, graduating kids, a bunch of disc golf, and living out our happy story together. I love you always.
To my son Brennan: thank you for letting me share our raw story. I know your vulnerability will help heal many others and provide deep encouragement. Thank you for your bravery, for your love, and for coming back. I love you.
To my kids: thanks for enduring a mom who writes our story. Thanks for loving me and being the greatest blessings ever. And thanks for taking the trash out, cooking meals, and setting out another cup of coffee (with the perfect amount of creamer in it) when I was writing this book. I am your greatest fan and advocate and love you with all of me.
To my mom and dad: thanks for inspiring me to be my best and for remembering the little parts of my heart that I forgot. Mom, please don’t give me a time-out for calling you the OG badass. You know you are. And, Dad, I verified the physics facts within the book, just like you always taught me: “Start with what you know …” I love you both.
To my mom- and dad-in-love, also known as Mary and Dave: thanks for supporting me as I continue to write about this crazy phase-two journey in life. Thanks for cheering me up, for the many pizzas you’ve provided, and for being wonderful. Love you both.
To Jason and Cathy: thanks for becoming our friends and for always providing a project for us to work on. Thanks also for asking about this book and all the support you’ve given. It’s really amazing having unbelievable friends just “two doors down.” Wait … could that be an amazing trivia night team name? I love you both.
To my friends Heather, Tonia, and Catherine: thanks for pushing me to be a better me. Thanks for being the friends to me that I forgot I needed. I love you guys.
To my friend Maria: thank you for sticking with me and for the weekends when I’d text back, “I’m spending fifteen hours writing and can’t talk …” and still loving me. You are my hero, you know. Our story is now an OG story of friendship.
To my publisher, the wonderful Dexterity, and the entire team: thank you for supporting me and deciding that this book needed to see the light. You are part of my own get-my-spark-back journey, and I’m grateful you took a chance on me so I could share this with the world.
To my publicity team and Lauren: thank you for representing me with such fierceness. Thank you for wanting this book to reach so many and for fighting to get it in their hands. You are amazing.
To my readers: thanks for walking this journey with me and for celebrating when I decided to finally write this next book. Your encouragement and support over the years is priceless. Your spark matters to me greatly.
