Kelly Hettwer Olsen is a “bakery owner, land developer, idea generator, and U.S. patent holder for ‘those cakes people jump out of at parties’.” This just begins to cover her wide range of passions and accomplishments. I had the opportunity to hear her story recently, and it blew me away. People who know me know that I love people’s stories, and my favorites are those of hope and resiliency. Kelly has some very tangible wisdom to share in the telling of her story and it resonated with me on so many levels.

Kelly suffered a profound and unimaginable loss. She discovered that there is a season of necessary grief and perspective gaining produced after loss. Kelly describes the heightened senses one encounters in crisis. But she also takes us into the process of allowing this experience to teach her valuable lessons, which led to her rewriting her future and story. Kelly honors the journey it took to get there. She describes situations that were almost like bread crumbs left for her along the path that fed her hope for a new future. Some were incredibly sweet, while others were bitter with the sweet. She was obedient in her intense grief to collect each morsel of wisdom that sustained each step forward.

With Kelly’s permission, I am honored to share her story with you. Let it inspire you to be brave and present in writing your future. Let it inspire you to take whatever brave next step you need to live out your future well. Movement takes great courage sometimes.

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