I'm sentimental at heart. There are four beautiful pieces of live edge oak boards that I brought home with me from Pennsylvania and have spent hours sanding and curing. The pattern of the wood is subtle and stunning. The bare bark has notches in all the right places to show depth and wear. The smell is heavenly. The tones are rich. They're truly beautiful pieces of wood. My favorite part about them though? They were part of a tree that was salvaged from the farm my granddad grew up on.

When I first moved in to the Jasper & Fern space, I had all these grandiose ideas for design. I've just recently added the moss wall and the trees - which I love. I also had plans to have vessel sinks with these boards as the counter. While it would have been stunning, I'm glad I didn't use these pieces of wood for this project. They are meant for something else beautiful and, in the meantime, serve as a stunning backdrop for the farm-to-table food photography I've been doing.

So, why am I telling you about wood?

Because this week, after cleaning up from doing some farm-to-table photographs, I was carrying one of these beautiful boards back to the closet and *WHAM* I dropped it, edge down, straight on my pinky toe metatarsal.

Ouch. Like, really, ouch.

YES - this impact did indeed break my foot. It's been a blessing in disguise though, as I've already been learning some valuable lessons from this situation that have translated beautifully both in my business life and personal life.

What I've Learned from Breaking my Foot ...

1) Be intentional about where you're going.

2) When you're there, make the most of it.

3) You don't always have to rush everywhere.

4) Pay attention to the journey.

5) Not asking for help can be more hurtful than asking.

6) Appreciate your abilities and capabilities.

7) There is always room for growth in pain.

8) Let others pour into you. Be gracious, grateful and humble about it.

9) It's easy to get caught up in everything we "have to do" and lose sight of our priorities. Be intentional about what you do and how long you do it.

10) Difficult times will help you see who's in your corner.