Blog Post 9 - What am I grateful for now, afterwards?

What am I grateful for now, afterwards?

I don’t think you, or any of the medical professionals around you, will be able to declare when you’ve finally crossed the finish line. Is there one?

With the way things have gone, there has to be some more bullshit on its way soon, right?

One of the most important things that I always prioritized and paid attention to during my recovery was my attention to safety. That nagging reminder was with me with every step and stand that I took. Along the way, I had met multiple individuals that had made rash decisions and suffered another brain injury, effectively resetting their progress, and sometimes even setting themselves back even further.

So, what am I grateful for now? My life? I hadn’t given that much thought before, or after the injury. Teams of skilled doctors saved my life on many occasions, and I luckily hadn’t died or broken my neck during the actual accident. So, yeah, I guess I’m grateful to still be alive, have a brand new opportunity to reshape myself, abilities and the people I keep around me. Some/most of that will be out of my control, but I’ve somehow learned to accept that that’s how things will go now, and I hope that you can too, if you’re also brain injured and reading this. Life isn’t fair, but hopefully this new one that you’re reshaping for yourself will be.

As you go along, you may discover how much more of it is within your control than the last time around.

I’m definitely grateful for that, as I emerged on the other side with an altered personality, formed by a different sense of humor, empathy and approachability. Was I consciously developing those personal attributes, or was my impacted brain forming them? Who knows! Either way, consider what you may have not loved or appreciated about the past version of yourself, prior to your injury. Is there anything that you’ll change now, or would like to? I’m not suggesting that you’ll actively need to focus on evolving these new and improved traits about yourself, but what’s the harm in doing so? After all, you’ll likely never get an opportunity like this again, to reclaim and establish a life for yourself, as unfortunate as that is.