Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Writing a New Chapter...



     This past weekend I had a milestone birthday.  I turned 50 years old.  It truly is a decade that I am going to celebrate as it is one that has been denied to my siblings.  I am going to embrace it rather than deny it. I have learned that there is a correlation between the choices that we make and the wisdom that we gain.

"The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected."
~ Robert Frost


      My 40's were tumultuous.  I went through several life shifts, more than I thought I could bear. I discovered that I had a disease that will wreak havoc on my immune system for the rest of my life. I lost a career that I loved very unexpectedly. I went back to University at the age of 43. I explored employment fields that were out of my comfort zone. I found a job that I adored only to be locked out and forced to strike for 8 grueling months in all weather conditions. I lost my third sibling to an unexpected tragedy. I spiraled into depression. It was a decade full of uncertainty and despair.  I am ready to leave it behind, but as difficult as those years were, they gave birth to my voice.  They allowed me to find the tools to build and create a more fulfilling life so that in turning 50, I am ready to embrace instead of deny.  

     As I enter this new decade I reflect on all the wisdom that has transpired through these life events, the choices made and what I've learned from those choices.  I have learned that it is the moments that matter.  The small things in life are so valuable and precious.  It is so very important to express love and gratitude. In life you cannot take anything for granted.  I truly believe that the struggles I faced in my forties forced me to find the tools to heal and have allowed me to create a new chapter in my story.  

      The rest is still unwritten.