ADVERSITY

It hasn’t been easy for me to come to where I am now, nor has it been for anyone else. Each of us continues to fight silent battles that we don’t speak about and I think that makes us resilient. I don’t say strong, because not everyone that faces adversity becomes stronger at the end.

When we face adversity, we adapt as much as we possibly can. But even with those efforts, we are never truly prepared for the unpredictable. When we arrive at a state of uncertainty, we drag ourselves through the expectation of what used to be our definition of “normal.” We can’t help but feel stuck because we are so fixated on what could have been and we continue to hurt.

Things won’t ever go back to the way they once were. I know that it’s repetitive to hear this over and over again. I know it’s exhausting to not have our expectations met. It wouldn’t be fair of me to not say this. But, this doesn’t mean that this is the end. I hope you know that too.

As painful as the changes have been for each one of us, I hope you know that your feelings are always valid. I hope you know that the hardship you experienced should never be compared to someone else’s. I hope you know that your experiences do not define you. You have the choice to make peace with it, so that you can release the burden and set your heart free.

I think it’s beautiful that we have become kinder to one another in the face of adversity. We don’t necessarily experience the same hardships, but we still make room in our hearts for those that make our lives a little more bearable. On days where we feel lost, we appreciate one another’s existence and cherish the love that we fail to fulfill ourselves with empathy and understanding.

Things won’t ever go back to the way they once were. I won’t say that it’s okay, because in many ways it isn’t. But what I will say is to hold your arms wide open for change. Embrace the change that comes towards your way, because you standing here today is living proof that there is hope for finding appreciation in not only the existence of others, but yourself, more than ever before.