My Accident Anniversary

“Throughout life you will learn that sorrow will not remain. You will see that it is like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon to make way for greater things.” ~ Corrine DeWinter

When a caterpillar spins a chrysalis, does it know its life is going to change and that it’s going to turn into a beautiful butterfly? When a baby is born, does it know the path that it’s going to live and the life-changing moments that may occur? Change happens every day whether it is good or bad. People die, give birth, get jobs, lose jobs, graduate high school or college, etc. Some is just simply change and some is life-changing. Like an accident that changes you from an active teen to being paralyzed and in a wheelchair.

November 1 was the nine year anniversary of my car accident. On this day each year I choose to celebrate life instead of looking down on it. I think about the fact that I survived and am here today to help others. It would be very easy for me to be sad or depressed; to think why me or about all the “what ifs”; to live life with anger and resentment. But then I think about what type of person I would be if I lived my life that way.

It’s been a long and challenging road so far. My life has taken twists and turns, leading me in various directions. There have been many obstacles in my way that I’ve had to get over. However, throughout these last nine years I learned that I’m here for a reason. The accident did change my life, but it didn’t change me. I’m still the same person I used to be. I still want to love and be loved. I still need friends and family to support me. I want to be an advocate for others with disabilities like me, others who have faced similar changes. It may be hard at times, but I’m happy and that’s all that matters.

How do you feel each year on the date of your injury/diagnosis anniversary? Do your thoughts change from year to year?