I never wanted to go to Fresno State. From the outside, it does not always make sense. The campus is not what draws you in. But if you are from the Valley, you understand. It is the people that make it what it is.

94 degrees and still winter. In the Central Valley, that makes sense. But there are seasons in life that do not. When things do not go as planned, you learn how to stay steady, carry the disappointment, and keep moving forward.

I remember my life in two parts.
Before 2001 and after 2001.

For years, resiliency was the expectation in a life of service. PCS moves, deployments, gaps in employment, missed holidays, and quiet endurance became part of the rhythm. But surviving is not the same as being seen. This is the evolution from resiliency to grit to contentment.