As humans, we all love a good story. The drama & the suspense that make up the story lines often appeals to our senses. We fall in love with the characters, we imagine what’s going to happen next, and we set alerts to remind us when the next episode is going to air. But the problem with books & movies is the fact that they are books & movies. They are a crisp and clean black & white while everything in real life is a messy shade of grey. And the problem with all of the shades of grey is that it’s very hard to prepare for.

Honestly, I believe that there is actually nothing that can really, truly prepare us for the next mountain of our life. No amount of binge watching, binge reading, or indulging in our favorite reality shows or sitcoms. No amount of hearing others similar stories or going through it once before can make this new battle any easier. A war is a war. And war is always tough no matter what tour you are on. There is no mountains that we currently are climbing in our lives that are ever identical to the one we climbed before. And even if by some miracle or stroke of luck (if that’s what you want to call it) the mountain is the same, we are not. If we are changed by the littlest of things in life then you can bet your bottom dollar that the big things definitely change us. But there is one thing we gain from all the climbing and binge watching and book reading. It’s knowledge. The knowledge to know when to swerve and when to plow through. The knowledge to know that hopping on pledged floor gives you a higher chance of slipping and face planting so the second time you know not to wear socks so you have a little more traction. The knowledge to know not to plan anything 2 days after chemo because you know you won’t be feeling well. And we learn to use that knowledge to our advantage.

The absolute best part of knowledge, specifically knowledge about life, is how we can acquire it. In life, you’re very lucky if you don’t have to gain that knowledge first hand. But if you do end up having to learn from personal experience, you get to hold the key to help clear up someone else’s grey a little bit. And I don’t know about you, but it definitely made my crappy situation a little less crappy when I got to help other amps learn from my mistakes or from my successes. Because providing that tiny bit of info helped make someone else’s crappy situation a little less crappy. And that’s when you get a little bit of clarity in all of your own grey. It makes a little more sense and you get a little more ok with reality. Because even if your life isn’t made to be a movie, it’s still a life worth living. And you know you lived a good life when it can’t be re-enacted in 2 hours or less or told in 300 pages. The grey might be complicated and scary sometimes but dang, is it an adventure.

#TheOneLeggedMommy #MovieStar #Amputee #BlackAndWhite #Amputation #Grey #MessyLife #HipDisarticulation #NecrotizingFasciitis #StoryLine What would you do if you couldn’t be the same person you are today, tomorrow? I’m not talking minor adjustments that constitute the change because are we ever really the same person day in & day out? Little things happen in our lives all the time that changes us even in the littlest ways. But when I’m asking this question I’m talking about the big, catastrophic, earth altering changes that causes us to be different people tomorrow than we were today. This kind of shift could be caused by any number of things. And I’m sure you’re imagination of what could be on that list is just as good as mine so I won’t go into detail there. But really, what would you do? Would you give up? Or preserver? Or roll with the tides of change? We all will say that we will push through because we are strong & determined & won’t let a situation define who we are. We will especially say that before we go through the moment that changes us. And it’s only the people that can’t accept the truth that will continue to say that afterwards. Shocked by my answer here? Well hear me out.

You are an absolute fool if you think that a moment that feels like it caused your world to crumble doesn’t change who you are. Something so big that makes the ground shake is designed to change you. Designed by the master designer Himself, the Big Man upstairs. And so the only true answer to my first question is that you’ll be the best person you can be in the situation you are in. Being in a crappy situation doesn’t mean you have the right to be a crappy person. Being a good person in a crappy situation is what makes or breaks a persons tomorrow vs the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day you might have to relearn who you are but the day after tomorrow is when you show the world what you’re made of. Sticks & stones may break my bones but that doesn’t mean they won’t heal for me to stand another day. So even if tomorrow seems scary because it’s not identical to today, you have to realize that tomorrow’s, tomorrow won’t be. Because there is nothing that is darker than your darkest day. Everyday after that is just one step closer to the sun.

“So what are you trying to say Josie” is probably a thought a lot of you are thinking. I’m trying to say that hard mountains change people. And that is what they are created for. To remind us that even though change is hard about 99% of the time, tomorrow’s tomorrow will be a touch easier. And eventually the thing you once thought was an impossible thing to face, endure & defeat will now be something you manage on the daily. People will wonder how you seem to make this mountain a mole hill everyday. And you can then respond that you were the bigger person. You did not let that mountain that is covered in your blood, sweat and tears ever keep you in the shadows. You took the path up that mountain that had the most light. And even though you got burnt more than once on that journey, you could always see a brighter tomorrow. And that is what makes you ok with not being the same person you were yesterday.

#TheOneLeggedMommy #Change #Preserver #Amputee #Mountains #SunnyTrails #Amputation #HipDisarticulation #TrialsAndTribulations #NecrotizingFasciitis