One Foot in Front of the Other

Less than two years ago, my kidney function slipped to the point where I needed dialysis. Today, I perform PD dialysis at home. It’s become part of my daily routine, but it wasn’t an easy road getting here. There were complications—months of surgery and recovery—some physical, but most psychological.

In the midst of it all, life hasn’t stopped moving. My influence on the family business has become more apparent than ever as we navigate complications with labor, staffing, and an unpredictable economy. It feels like obstacles keep piling up, one after another.

We’ve begun the process with AHN to get on the Kidney Transplant List. The first round of testing is complete—maybe sixteen more to go. Each step feels like progress, even if the road ahead is long.

I am in the greatest struggle of my life in more ways than one. I’m facing more problems all at once than I’ve ever encountered before. Yet, even standing in the middle of it, I know this:

God has seen me through worse.

I am surrounded by family. I am not alone. And this too shall pass.

When I look at everything in front of me, it feels like a mountain of problems. But I can’t stop myself from focusing on what’s on the other side of that mountain. I know God’s plan is going to be amazing.

Programs like HOPE and AA/NA have shaped how I approach times like these. They taught me to slow down, keep things simple, and focus on what’s right in front of me:

• One foot in front of the other.
• Do the next right thing.
• Be the change you want to see in the world.

Those principles guide me every day, not just in recovery but in life. They remind me that progress doesn’t happen all at once. It’s steady. It’s intentional. It’s about showing up—even when it’s hard—and trusting that better days are ahead.

Over the last couple years I have been motivated to really look at life. I have a greater clarity about things. I still can’t shake the feeling that with dialysis if we were cowboy’s I’d have rode off into the sunset, slumping over on my horse as the sun went down on COVID.

Fentanyl is a major problem in America. The people in Philadelphia that were folded, are showing up in Pittsburgh suburbs. One of us is dying every 11 minutes, from a substance where the precursors are made in bulk in China, created in Mexico, and brought to America. With 15 years in recovery I have first hand knowledge of addiction, substance abuse, mental health. I also have a lifetime of experience with multiple generations and these effects, or generational patterns. My personal journey started with a focus on 12 steps programs. This made more in depth work through counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, and a huge amount of influence on faith based programs. Doctrine aside I believe that Christianity is a part of what makes this country great, but religious freedom is what makes that possible, so tolerance and understanding becomes standard. What scares me is the long term decades long productivity and shift in wealth that drug addiction causes. First the person will no longer follow youthful dreams, and be routed through recovery and to perhaps a better life, but with an unproductive potentially deadly detour. The cost of drug dealing, crime and incarceration is money we never invest productively. I see the daily cost on one small business over several years. The number of people involved in the struggle is staggering. It really scares me.

Expenses mount and mistakes have made situations difficult. We are exploring options with several private lenders and we have some grand ideas within the real estate investment space. In the future we will be developing our workforce with an in house training program. It is my firm belief the problems we have encountered as a business have revealed and opportunity to restructure and perform a similar scope of work with a focus on training and equipping people to enter high paying skill trade jobs that offer excellent career opportunities. Fix and Flip real estate offers an excellent opportunity for this platform. If you support this idea reach out I would appreciate any ideas on how to build this out best. What we are doing is no longer efficient and quality needs to improve.

Thanks for following along as I attempt to write something readable!

While Murphy’s Law seems to always be in effect. The power of God can’t be ignored…

I’m learning, more than ever, that the real strength comes from humility, faith, and persistence. One step at a time, one day at a time. And when I look back, I know I’ll see how far I’ve come.

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