Sometimes our path isn’t what we think it should be. It has taken me many years to come to terms with the fact of the things that I thought I wanted to do or be never came to fruition and how I wished that my past was different so many times.  I often thought I could’ve done this or I wish I had different parents, or a different upbringing, many years of struggling with the should of, could of, I finally realize those experiences are what made me who I am today.  I finally came to terms with this by thinking about where those could of and should ofs would…

With the close of the holiday season, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on a program my family has been a part of for the last thirteen years, Operation Fireside. I am blessed to live near the only recruit training center for the United States Coast Guard and about 30 years ago they started Operation Fireside. Each Thanksgiving and Christmas local families can sign up to host recruits that are completing their basic training at the Cape May facility. Thanksgiving and Christmas at our house had become just another day with the exception of me cooking a big meal, it was just four or five of us and…