Well, now that I’ve shared a little glimpse of who I am, I guess it’s time to tell you how my story begins.

I grew up in what I can only describe as a beautiful childhood. I had—and still have—two amazing parents who gave my two brothers and me a life filled with love, support, and everything we could have needed. We had everything we needed and, for the most part, everything we wanted, too. I know how lucky and privileged I was to grow up the way I did, and that is something I will never lose sight of or take for granted.

And then there’s the fact that I’m a triplet.

I have always been incredibly proud to say that. Being a triplet was my favorite icebreaker growing up. It came up in every classroom, every camp, every new job, and just about anywhere else where someone asked me to tell them something interesting about myself. It was always the thing that made people stop and say, “Wait… you’re a triplet?”

My brothers and I grew up together. We had the same parents, the same home, the same rules, the same opportunities, and the same love. We shared a childhood, memories, birthdays, holidays, inside jokes, arguments, and all the little things that come with growing up side by side.

So how did we end up here?

How can three children grow up under the same roof, with the same parents and the same love, and somehow find themselves living such incredibly different lives?

One of my brothers is in prison.

And that is where my story starts to get complicated.

It turns out that drugs don’t care who you are, how you were raised, how much love you were given, or how good your heart is. Addiction doesn’t discriminate.

And somehow, it feels especially cruel when it finds someone like my brother, Josh.

Josh is one of the kindest and purest souls I have ever known. He is a “yes” person—the person who helps when someone needs it, who would give you the shirt off his back, and who has always had a heart bigger than he probably realizes.

That’s one of the hardest parts for me to reconcile.

Because when people hear that my brother is in prison, they may make assumptions about who he is. They may picture someone who is bad, dangerous, or beyond saving.

But that isn't the Josh I know.

I know the brother who grew up beside me. I know his heart. I know his kindness. I know the person he was before addiction became such a powerful part of his story.

And I know that a person can make terrible choices, face serious consequences, and still be a person who is deeply loved.

Josh is all of those things.