Tiffany McKinney

Okay, I'm gonna get close and not touch the mic.

All right.

All right.

Hey, this is scary.

I woke up one morning, opened my eyes, and waited.

I knew this morning would be the same as every other morning had been for the past two months.

My husband and best friend of 22 years had passed away, and I waited for grief to greet me.

I waited for my brain to start the same argument to just stay in the bed and not get up.

But I did.

I got up, and it was Monday.

I checked my cell phone, and I smiled.

My group of girlfriends, they were texting me, giving me messages of encouragement,

telling me they were proud of me and sending me memes of hoops of fire, someone taming a lion, and a lady in a sparkly leotard flying through the air.

The week prior, I had decided I had to do something to make myself feel better, something to help me find joy.

And I was working with a personal trainer.

I had signed up for a swim class when I saw a local news segment interviewing the owner of the Detroit Fly House Circus.

Yes.

So I said, ooh.

But what I was really impressed about is they had aerial silks, and I don't know if you know what that is, but it's the fabric in the air, and you see the fancy ladies up there in their sparkly costumes swinging through the air, and I could just see myself in the sparkly leotard, so I joined the circus.

That Monday was to be my first day of circus training, so I put on my T-shirt and my leggings, the uniform,