Natalie Olson

In 2016, my life was forever altered. At the time, I didn’t know whether that change would be for better or worse. As a seven-year-old, everything happened so quickly that I could barely understand what was going on.

My father, John Olson, had been in a devastating motorcycle accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury. After the accident, he began rehabilitation at On With Life, a center in Ankeny, Iowa. The injuries he sustained were severe-short-term memory loss, a mangled right arm, and countless other challenges that would reshape his daily life. But if there is one thing I know about my dad, it’s this: he was a fighter. No matter what was taken from him, his spirit was not.

At seven years old, I didn’t have the words for what I was feeling. There was confusion, fear, and a quiet anger I didn’t know how to express. I remember wondering, “Why my dad?” It’s a question many people ask when faced with something so sudden and unfair. Back then, I didn’t have an answer.

Now, at 25, I often think about what I would say if I could sit down with my younger self. I would tell her the truth: this journey will not be easy. There will be moments filled with anger and sadness. You will feel lost, and there will be days when nothing makes sense. But I would also tell her something even more important-that despite all of that, what truly matters is love.

Love becomes the anchor in the storm. It’s in the small moments: sitting beside him, being patient when he forgets, reminding him that he is still whole even when he may feel broken. I would tell her to make sure her father feels loved, cherished, and accepted-not for who he used to be, but for who he still is.

I would also remind her that life will look different now. It won’t follow the path she once imagined, and that’s something she cannot control. What she can control, however, is how she responds. Will she step forward and become a source of strength, or will she retreat into the shadows? Even as a child, that choice matters.

To this day, people still offer their apologies-for the accident, and for my father’s passing. I’m often asked, “Natalie, how are you so strong? How did you overcome something like this?” The answer isn’t simple, but at its core, it comes down to perspective.

I believe that God does not place challenges in our lives without purpose. This experience, as painful as it was, became a stepping stone. It shaped me into someone more compassionate, more patient, and more aware of the quiet struggles others carry. It taught me that strength doesn’t always look like resilience on the outside-it often looks like showing up, day after day, even when your heart is heavy.

My father’s accident changed our lives, but it did not define the love we shared. If anything, it deepened it. His fight, his perseverance, and his spirit continue to live on in me. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned through it all, it’s this: even in the face of unimaginable change, love remains.