Let’s talk about HURDLES. We ALL have them and have had them throughout our lives.
When I was 9, I was hit by a truck while riding my bike across a major intersection. I was thrown like a rag doll up in the air, knocked unconscious, ending up in a body cast. I wasn’t wearing a helmet and was told I was just inches away from hitting the curb. I was lucky to be alive. The doctors said that I would need multiple surgeries and that I would never walk the same again. I proved them wrong.
When I was 24 and pregnant with my third child, my mom was diagnosed with kidney cancer. She died 6 months later just after the birth of my daughter. This was the hardest thing I had ever gone through. My entire world was shattered. In that same year, my daughter was diagnosed with autism. She didn’t speak and doctors said it was a possibility she may never speak. After years of intense therapy and early childhood intervention, she was mainstreamed in school at 6 years old and is now running Varsity in XC and track for the past 3 years, an Honors student, and will be a senior this year getting ready for college.
At 25, I escaped a physically and mentally abusive 5 year marriage and went through Laura’s House to recover and heal. I moved forward as a single mom until 2016 when I met Jason, my true North and married in 2017.
A few years before, my sister was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer at 40, and went through hell and back, and back again to say the least. She is my best friend and my biggest inspiration in life. I was scared to death of losing her. Multiple times.
She is a 3x Cancer SURVIVOR since 2016, and since then she created a breast cancer recovery program called Think Outside the Boob and is helping women 35+ with personalized Breast Cancer recovery plans. She is my HERO.
In 2017, Another Hurdle, My dad was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and was terminal. I was devastated. I became his caregiver and he lived in my home on hospice for one year and passed in 2019. My kids and I are grateful for the the time we got to spend with him. His will to live was something fierce. The doctors said he wouldn’t last 6 months. (I hate when they do that!) He proved them wrong.
Although, I’ve suffered great losses, near death experiences and HURDLES in life, I don’t let those experience define me. They’ve only strengthened me. I found hiking as an outlet and a healer. Hiking reminds me everyday that I am very much ALIVE. I woke up w two feet and a heartbeat and I am blessed beyond measure with beautiful people in my life. From every millimeter of my heart to the depths of my soul, I’d like to take a moment to thank you all for the love and care you’ve shown me. I am beyond thankful for the connections with people and nature.
The connections you make throughout a lifetime turn you into who you become in an ever evolving way.
Nature and hiking inspired me to fulfill a passion project called Wanderin2wellness.
I started this project just a few months ago in hope to coach and inspire others on their journey and over the Hurdles.
What are the hurdles that you are grateful for today?