the Appreciated

After a long pause in routine, I resumed wearing my fitness devices, which responded with surprise at my progress. I gathered flowers from the path to the southeast bend and placed them by a statue of Mary near a nameless memorial. That day, I ran 17 miles in silent tribute to a fallen service member named Q. Along the way, I saw a doe and her family crossing the street—a quiet symbol of protection. Though I now receive messages in multiple languages and numbers, I resist the urge to fall into symbolic traps, focusing instead on clarity and healing. A severe illness this year disrupted nearly a decade of recovery, but sharing my experience helped my treatment gain acceptance. Still, I can no longer remember my angel’s face—our last shared portrait lost with other irreplaceable items during a move. I recall meeting an old friend after years and feeling seen. These memories remain vivid, though I now organize them carefully to avoid emotional overload. Accepting my autism helped explain how I transformed data into action, often at the cost of social grace. My purpose came from noticing the unseen links between people and moments. I’ve since resumed work with tech—VPNs, sensors, and network protections—and though my name means “gift,” it’s my unseen energy that continues to connect those I love.