In 2014, a mountain knocked on my door, and took up residence in my life.

A crush injury, they called it. And what a fitting term - I have been crushed, quite literally. (Quite metaphorically, too, if we’re being honest.)

I recall back on that autumn day, I looked to the future with enthusiastic anticipation: Two days prior, I had resigned from the nonprofit that I’d cofounded in order to pursue other dreams. But that mountain had other ideas for me, and although I didn’t realize it at the time, a long road to recovery would follow.

“Jen, wait up a second!”

As I heard my name, I turned around and saw Ann* approaching with a serious look on her face. I started getting worried; we’d been having regular disagreements over my work for more than a year.

“I heard the radio documentary yesterday…” Ann began.

My work with two teen siblings in foster care had recently been featured in a one-hour documentary on National Public Radio. At the time, I was working for a five-year federally funded project with the goal of finding adoptive and permanent families for Minnesota teens under state guardianship.

“…and I need to talk to you.”