On Anniversaries, Part 4

Do you ever feel as though you have lived three days in one?

I had a day like that recently. I wouldn't categorize it as a bad day or a good day really; it was just a long day. A lot of things shifted and changed throughout the day. Those shifts left me feeling as if the minutes, hours, and days were going, all-at-once, triple time and slow motion.

Time is a tricky thing. 

As I reflect on time and the fact that it’s been four years since my accident, I realize that I have lived a lot of life in these four short years, often seeming more than what the average person lives in the same amount of time. Let's just put it this way, I haven't been bored. 

We cannot always choose what happens to us in life, but we can always choose how we react to it. I feel fairly confident that I have reacted to both the challenges and the greatness in my life, not perfectly, but equally, with grace. I am grateful for my blessings, and I am grateful for my hardships.  

I've said it before and it remains true: I do not wish to give any of it back. The challenges endured these last four years have made me strong, they have solidified my determination and ability to persevere - these things have made me who I am. I don't want to give back who I am today, so why would I give back anything that has been a piece of the puzzle that is me.  

Soon I will celebrate this occasion with Emily, as we have done each year since October 11, 2013. We will talk, laugh, cry, and be grateful - for each other; for our family and friends; for the support, compassion, and kindness that we have been given; and for our experiences - for the weird time shifts in our lives. 

My wish for all of you on this anniversary is that your challenges become your strength - that when time shifts, you learn to hang on and roll with it. I promise you that one day you will be glad for anything that leads you somewhere amazing. 

Here is amazing. Trust me.