In 2020 when we were living one of the most difficult tragedies in the world, the COVID-19 pandemic, Sophie was attending the second grade at the Immaculate Conception Catholic School. The school, as most in the country, allowed us to experience something that for many parents like me, we would not have seen as an option due to the responsibility of working, educating my daughter at home. When the school returned to the classrooms for the next year, I decided to continue educating Sophie at home for third and fourth grade with me as the teacher. In this time I was able to do many other things that I had not had time to do before, such as learning how to do medical insurance billing. I was also able to focus on keeping the clinic as safe as possible by implementing infection control processes to protect our employees and patients. But the most beautiful thing was the fact that God allowed me to have my two youngest children, Gianluca and Valentina.

During this time, Sophie also returned to gymnastics. She had been in recreational gymnastics since she was 4 years old. This time after a few months she asked me to allow her to try out for competitive gymnastics and she joined the team. In the last two years she won first place in all around at the regional level. In the fifth grade she returned to school, this time to Harvest Christian Academy, where she attended fifth, sixth, and seventh grade. In the clinic, during the most tragic time of COVID-19, when the fear was great and unfortunately we had several patients who died due to complications from COVID-19, we were there, throughout the process, offering the service that was in our hands to offer.

This year again, my family had to live a difficult process, a divorce. And in the midst of uncertainty, I have seen how God transforms everything. Now Sophie returned to Immaculate Conception Catholic School, but not alone, accompanied by Gianluca and Valentina. And although she is very excited to be playing volleyball and this past weekend she tried out for a volleyball club team, last night she told me that she better wants to join the cheerleader team with the school next semester. The level of gymnastics she is in now is advanced, she is with 17-year-old teammates. The teammates of her age from the previous years are at lower levels or left the team. The clinic has a new name, Solutions, and we have a second office in Lewisville. I have started a new business, Arbonne, and I have also been able to connect with many women in my community who perhaps in no other circumstance could have done it. And my hope is set on what’s ahead while I live my today.