Megan Again: Finding Your Light (And Maybe Cheesecake)

By Megan Wirts


If anyone would have told me 3 1/2 years ago what I would be doing with my life I would have said they were out of their mind! Absurd! Ridiculous!

​None of this was my plan. Not a single part of it. Writing this column, baking cheesecakes, doing stand up comedy, officiating weddings, etc. None of it. Dystonia gave all of that to me. I used to only be able to think about all of the things that dystonia took from me. My independence, my ability to have a job, my ability to run or walk without some kind of assistance, my hearing in my right ear, days without pain, relationships with friends, control over my own body...you get the picture. I felt like my entire life had been stolen from me by this stupid mother f’ing disorder. I used to dwell on those things, sit with them, cry and scream about them and I was miserable.

Then slowly, the fog lifted and the dark cloud that I felt hovering over me started to break apart and spots of light were shining through. That's where my husband, my children, my dearest friends and family were. They were there waiting for me, encouraging me and helping me find a way to bring myself back.  I had to do the work, but they were there.

The grief I felt after being diagnosed with dystonia was so profound and life changing that I knew I would never be the same, and that's not a bad thing. It would have been bad if I would have just stayed there, wallowing in my sorrow for the rest of my life, but I didn't want that. I wanted to live my life. We only get one and I wanted to live mine the best way I could.

Now, here it is the day before my brother's wedding and I have made over 20 dozen mini cheesecakes in the past couple of weeks, three wedding cakes (Two were practice. You guys, wedding cakes are hard! Cheesecake is better because you don't have to frost the sides! Ugh, the sides!!!)

I am officiating a wedding next Saturday, and then Sunday 9/16 I'm performing stand up comedy in the semi finals of the King Pin of Comedy Competition at Woody's Pressbox in Wyoming, MI (show starts at 8:30). Then the next day, September 17, is my 37th birthday!! (“What?! 37?! You look so young?”...Thank you, thank you). 

​After that it's my 16th wedding anniversary on September 21st. *Cue Earth Wind and Fire* “Do you remember the 21st of September…”16 years with my darling, shy, hilarious, witty, intelligent, patient, sweet, kind and handsome fella. We challenge each other, adore each other and sometimes we drive each other crazy and we wouldn't want it any other way. I love sharing my life with him.

Our lives can be (in the words of Will Smith) “flipped turned upside down”, but we all have a choice in the way we react to our life situations. Will Smith became the Fresh Prince of Bel Aire instead of being mad about it. Me? I'm trying to be the best cheesecake baking, column writing, stand up comedianing, wife, mother, friend and all around human that I can be, while having dystonia.

Go ahead and get angry or sad, just don't stay there. Find the cracks in the darkness and stand in the light for as long as you can. All of these things I have going on in my life, my friends and family, they are the good parts that I have chosen to focus on. They are my light. Find yours and then turn it into something great.
Like cheesecake.

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A sampling of creations from the kitchen of Megan (Again)