Have you ever met someone and felt as if you have known them your entire life? I have, several times over. These are the people that surround me still to this day, they are my family, without them I sink. A part of understanding how to get through life dealing with PTSD is to have a STRONG FAMILY FOUNDATION. I have that in my family, one that does not always reflect me……my family is multicultural and spans across this world. I know for a fact that without it I would have been lost. I find that you discover “family” in strange places and by strange happenstance. I met Sandy Kimbrough in August 2005 in a little place called Sierra Vista Arizona, for Army training. This man is my brother for life and ironically, we are related through family and neither of us realized this. Sandy is the most interesting person I have ever met, he’s wise beyond his years and has an air of calm that is downright infectious.
Sandy is also weird and quirky so if you are not open to meeting and establishing relationships out of your “comfort” zone you’d miss him. I was drawn to his personality, and we became fast friends. I would have never had him as a friend and brother if I didn’t embrace meeting him. Sandy has a laugh that will halt the room and once I heard it all I wanted to do was hear it again lol. I try not to miss out on opportunities to build my foundation, because that’s important to me. I met him when I didn’t know how much I would come to love him or needed and valued his friendship. I have had so many things to be thankful for and my military service gave me family for life. I can’t regret my time there because it shaped who I am as a person, not just the bad stuff either.
I have so many other stories to tell about meeting people who played a pivotal role in my life. I can’t cover them all at this moment but suffice it to say I am better for every meeting that took place. I am grateful for all those moments I didn’t know I needed, all those calls that saved me from a dark place. I can’t say “thank you” enough and I know that all my family has the same things to say about me. It’s because we chose to Build this community and nurture it, I am nothing without my family. I thank God for meetings in strange places, just remember to always be open to possibilities. You never know who you might be talking to or how you may need them. The picture I attached is of me about to go hang out with my brother......it's happiness that I was open to possibilities😊

I love this commentary. You are one of a kind and I’m grateful to have connected with you during my journey into womanhood 🥰