Life is unexpected. It’s random & hard & unexpected. Like, in life, if there is really only one thing we can anticipate is going to happen, only one thing we can expect, that is to expect the unexpected. Because we will never know if the next step we take will cause us to tumble 100 feet & make us feel like we are dying or if the next step will bring us unbelievable views because we have never been this high. It’s just how it goes. No amount of planning or anticipating or taking all of the right steps is going to change that. No matter how much we believe we are doing the right things for our health or social life or career path or family & friends, you just don’t know. And the truth is that you won’t know if those were the right steps even if they 100% feel like they are. Because life is a ripple effect. One drop can cause huge waves years from now and you just don’t know till you get there. And you might do absolutely everything right since that drop but all of a sudden you find yourself sucked into the riptide. Getting pulled further & further away from where you were.

At this point in the read you are probably thinking Josie must be having a grumpy day. A hard day. But I promise I’m not. I do have a good point coming up. So hang with me for a minute. I believe I have clearly established that life is unexpected. And while that can be taken in a variety of ways, I have come to find that this is also always true. You will be surprised at who is in your corner after an uphill climb. Who pushed you to your limits & who offered a helping hand. And I promise there will be people you never expected. An unfamiliar face or two. In the past 4+ years I have found that some of my greatest go to’s are people I literally have never met but relate so closely to. People who are also amputees or necrotizing fasciitis warriors. People in our own community that have fought battles they never anticipated to have to fight and won or are currently still fighting the good fight. People who get the shift of before to now of what the feeling of worried actually means. And a lot of times we only have a couple similarities in common in regards to our own stories & the gigantic mountains we have had to climb but we just relate so, so well to each other. People from other towns, states or countries. Cancer survivors, car crash victims, stroke survivors, other NF survivors. These friends have been tossed into the mill a time or two & have been dealt unbelievably terrible cards and still manage to win a few hands. I have found that they get what I am saying before I even say anything. And to gain that after losing something is like a breath of fresh air. It’s unexpected & refreshing.

So today I remind you to not turn your back on the good when you’ve been dealt a bad hand. To not be afraid to reach out to someone who inspires you or you feel like you could give a tip or two to. Because life is unexpected & it can sometimes come full circle in the most unexpected ways. I may have lost a leg but I have gained so much in perspective, insight, and even more when it comes to new friends & allies. I’ve gained permanent vent friends & so many new ideas that I didn’t even know was a thing for an amputee. I’ve realized that our mountains might look different on the outside but the core of them are usually pretty similar. Rocky, rough & flat out hard. And in that respect, we can often find comfort in learning about someone else’s climb. You never know when you might need some of that knowledge that you considered passing up out of fear of asking. Because like I said, life’s unexpected. It’s mysterious, hard, beautiful, crazy, fun & unexpected. Take any little bit of advantage to plan for whatever the future might hold for you while you can. You will not regret it.

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