The foreshadowing of this little pig is absolutely mindblowing to me. Be it coincidence or cosmos, happenstance or hyperbole – I really don’t care. Because I know what it is.
Isn’t it just so pretty to think All along there was some invisible string Tying you to me
Taylor Swift. “Invisible String”
Humor me.
In Christmas of 2006, I received my favorite Christmas gift (with Mariah Carey’s Music Box CD coming in at a very close second). I remember only 2 things about this gift:
It was a gift from my 2 brothers, who would have been 18 and 13 at the time.
It was from Big Lots.
This little piggy didn’t make it to the market, but it has come to every place I’ve called home: 4 states (California, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, then back to Kentucky) and 7 homes, condos, and apartments.
In the summer of 2016, this little piggy and I moved to Cincinnati, OH. I usually get one of two reactions when I tell people that I moved from San Diego to Cincinnati (which for all my West Coast friends and family, here you go. )
Good thing you got outta there (California)!
Why the hell would you leave San Diego?
When I arrived in Cincinnati, 10 years after receiving this little pig, I went for a walk in my new, beautiful neighborhood in Hyde Park. It must have been the day my best friend (forever and for always) left after helping me settle into this place, because I remember being by myself. On my walk, unbeknownst to me, I discovered the following:
I literally knew NOTHING about Cincinnati when I moved here. I had NO IDEA where I was going. I knew why – I had a deep conviction placed in my heart and on my spirit, and I went with all the certainty in the world that this uncertain place would be the beginning of something beautiful. I just didn’t know what. And nearly 10 years later, it’s still unfolding each day.
However, I always knew Who would be with me. (That’s meant for God, not my little pig – just to be clear.)
When I asked Chatgpt just now, Why is ‘when pigs fly’ the unofficial motto of Cincinnati, this is what it said:
The phrase “When Pigs Fly” is typically used to describe something impossible—but in Cincinnati:
It became a symbol of whimsy and transformation, showing how the city has taken its gritty industrial past and turned it into something creative and fun.
The city launched “Big Pig Gig” in 2000 (and again in 2012), a public art event featuring hundreds of artist-decorated fiberglass pigs all around town—many with wings.
Flying pigs now appear in everything from public sculptures to race medals (like for the Flying Pig Marathon, a beloved local race).
So, in Cincinnati, “when pigs fly” isn’t impossible—it’s everyday charm. 🐖✨
OpenAI. (2025).
Yesterday, I listened to the Xavier Commencement Speech for the class of 2025, given by my previously mentioned, newly solidified lifelong friend, Holly Schapker. (Skip the pomp and circumstance (lol) and go to 51 minutes to hear her speech and witness this profoundly multi-talented human being.) My head nearly exploded when I heard these words come out of her mouth: “With God, all things, even insane things, are possible.”
This resonated for two reasons:
The last 2 weeks have felt absolutely INSANE. I can’t seem to find a better word to embody the transformation, overwhelm, overjoy, coincidental, divine, formative experiences I’ve had. I could (and will continue to) write about the countless ways my mind has been blown, and continues to be.
Holly and I are about to embark on a project together. Through this mission, I’m experiencing a re-awakening, but this time with a dream that I’m determined to make come true. Saying (and truly believing) insane things like, “I’m going to meet the Pope” and “this is our opportunity to influence thousands of young people, families, and communities across the country, and even the world”, has either motivated or terrified people.
Are they ministers of Christ? (I am talking like an insane person.)
2 Corinthians, 11:23
Over the next few weeks, this little piggy (now I’m talking about me) is about to go wheeee wheee wheee wheee…all the way to Las Vegas, San Diego, Cabo, San Diego again, Rome, Assisi, Lourdes, Bordeaux, Paris, Spain, and eventually, all the way to a new (temporary and test run) home…in New York City.
In the words of my forever work bestie, Jenna…“Better buckle up”.
Luceat Lux Vestra 