Life is not always that picture perfect story that we are told it will be once we grow up. Life is hard. I think we all create some fallacies in our mind of what we expect our life to look like and when we hit a road bump along the way, it shatters that picture and it's hard to put the pieces back together. When road bumps like this happen we feel that sensation of our stomach drop and the sense of imbalance that prevents us from feeling like we are going to land softly and safely back on the ground. Our whole foundation is shaken since everything we expected, understood and imaged crumbles around us. The safety net in which you thought life would stay protected in breaks as you fall, crashing to the ground...hopefully to only bruise your tailbone instead of becoming paralyzed. About two years ago, my protective safety net broke. Not only was I sent home from my study abroad experience in Buenos Aires because I was diagnosed with cancer, but I ended up losing my mother and best friend to cancer while I myself was going through chemotherapy. Already being in such a fragile and delicate physical and mental state, I had to face the reality that I would not have my mother to rub my back and comfort me or help me deal with daunting medical issues.
During difficult times, there are only two roads you can choose to take. You can pick the road that will get you lost and lead you to a dark place or you can choose the road that helps you find your strengths and see the light in everyday. I took the latter road out of my challenging time, which allowed me to hone in on my inner strengths and gain the perspectives I have today. One of the most important things that kept me on a positive path was meditating and exercising. These were skills I learned from my mother and I use them today as my way to stay connected to her and help center myself amongst all the instability. Through these blog entries, I'd like to pass along these skills to you in hopes they can help you or someone you know through difficult times and learn to enjoy life!