Thread the Needle

Have you ever tried to thread a needle? That tiny task—getting a thread through the smallest of holes—takes patience, precision, and a steady hand. My grandmother, Lottie Yelken, had all of that and more. Born in 1906 and raised on a small farm in south-central Nebraska, she could thread a needle effortlessly—and that’s exactly how she lived her life.

Lottie and my grandfather Lou lived off the land. Their income came from crops, a garden, a few pigs and chickens, and a small dairy herd. No vacations. No sick days. Just relentless hard work. But Lottie always saw possibility, not limitation. She looked into the eye of the needle and made it through—every time.

That resilience runs deep in our family. I like to think I inherited it. Like many of us, I’ve had to find that one thread of hope and let it pull me through impossible moments.

Recently, after five surgeries that impacted my ability to walk, I felt lost. But then I came across a story that helped me find my thread again. Margherita Sala survived a life-threatening skiing accident and made an incredible comeback. Her story reminded me that there’s always a way through—even if the opening is small.

I had the honor of interviewing her for our podcast, Do I Need My Racket? Episode #26: Thread the Needle. It’s a conversation about resilience, grit, and finding your way forward