This holiday season, I am fortunate enough to be spending time at home with my family in west Michigan. In light of all of the family fun times and holiday cheer, I find myself thinking of those who aren’t as fortunate as myself – those who are unable to spend time with some of their family members who are lost or missing. So many take for granted the opportunity to be with family during the holidays, and it is all too easy to forget those who do not have that opportunity. As the day of the UIndy team’s departure to South Texas fast approaches, my own family has been asking me: “Are you nervous?” “Are you excited?” “Are you ready?”
Yes. YES. ….I think so?
I am absolutely both very excited and maybe a little bit nervous to embark on this journey. I’m generally not the kind of person who gets very nervous; I like to take things as they happen and try not to stress myself out unnecessarily ahead of time. However, this journey is something that I don’t think any first-timer can truly be “ready” for. I am definitely ready to get down there and get to work, but there is no way to predict what might be in store for our team. So yes, I think I am ready. But it is very likely that I will be proven wrong once I am down in the middle of everything, though in the best of ways. No matter how much I read about this project, no matter how many lists I prepare, no matter how many reps I do in the gym, I know that unexpected and exciting things are going to surprise us during this experience and that I, and everyone else on the team, will be challenged in ways that we cannot even begin to predict.
It is going to be an adventure, and it will be a challenging one, but I know that by keeping in mind the purpose of our work in South Texas – to help families finally discover what happened to their loved ones so that they may find peace – will give me, and everyone else on our team, the strength to push through and accomplish amazing things.
So yes, I am excited and nervous and ready to get to South Texas and do my part in helping make a difference in the lives of so many.
Happy Holidays!