Every so often, I think about those people in Joplin who came to hear me speak. I can still picture some of their faces. They were grim but open. They were tired but interested. If ever there was a visible spark of hope, it was in that room. I imagine Jersey sitting among the crowd, her own face grim and weary, her own spark of hope glimmering behind her eyes, her own redefinition of “everything” writing itself on her heart.
This book is for all of those in Joplin who showed me firsthand what survivor spirit looks like, and for the countless others out there who have suffered devastation and tragedy and have managed to build on. It’s for all of you who unexpectedly have found yourselves forced to redefine what “everything” means to you. To those of you called to rebuild a life you didn’t plan on living. And did it anyway.
Thank you for reading Jersey’s story.
Jennifer