Hard to believe it has been FIVE years since the accident. There is not a day that goes by that I am not thankful for a second chance to love a little harder, listen a little closer, and press pause to enjoy time with family.

Life has a way of reminding you how precious our time here on Earth is. To those who have unfortunately been through a tragedy, accident, or loss of a loved one....please know, you are not alone.

It is with a grateful heart, I share a very personal story with you about why I still chose to follow my passion for raising livestock when I had every reason to give up completely and move on...

For those who know him, my father is by no means a livestock guru... If anything he's polar opposite! But, the beauty of being a parent means you make sacrifices to put your children and his/her passions first. He is the ‘do it all’ dad; the coach, the math tutor, the craftsman, the barn assistant….whatever my brother or I needed, wanted, or asked for he tried his best.

This brings me back to Spring Break 2012…. I was in Fort Myers, Florida with a friend, which meant the chores were up to my dad to get done while I was away. Summer of 2012 was my last year exhibiting at my local county fair as a 4-H exhibitor, and I had decided to end my career how I started….with a shorthorn.

For me, words don’t come easy describing what happened the evening of March 10th, 2012….so I will share my mother's email sent to the rest of the family.…

I would never wish the pain and heartbreak I felt walking into that hospital room upon anyone… Family and cattle are the two most important things in my life, and when one rips apart the other, it shatters you into a million pieces…

The anger, hatred, and betrayal I felt towards that steer following the accident I am without a doubt not proud of. I learned quickly that in our most vulnerable and darkest times, we must turn to family + friends for support and seek forgiveness over retribution.

Looking back, I am thankful my family convinced me to follow through on my commitment to 4-H, and exhibited my shorthorn steer at the county fair that summer. It took everything I had that spring to persevere, but we grow the most through life’s harshest trials and tribulations. It has been my greatest teacher, and because of that accident we uncovered a greater threat to our family.

With time my dad made a strong recovery; however, the results from his CT revealed some scary and unnerving news…

Five years and four surgeries later, I am ecstatic to share he is as lively as ever and the remaining tumors on his kidneys continue to stay dormant!

To this day, I am thankful for everything life has put me through….the good, the bad, and the ugly. I write today, to share my passion behind everything I do at Empire Livestock, LLC….and it all stems back to FAMILY.

My parents still continue to support and fuel my desire to someday run my own 100hd cattle operation. Without them, I would’ve never had the courage to take a leap of faith and launch a business on my own.

Through heartache and sacrifice, I have found strength within myself to pursue what truly sets my soul on fire…