Anniversaries come in many different shapes and sizes

There are those anniversaries that mark the worst of times, and then there’s those that remind us of the best of times. Some anniversaries make us laugh, while others make us cry. Certain anniversaries mean fancy dinners and long-stem red roses, while others mean a box of tissues and a carton of ice cream. Some anniversaries are considered bigger than others, as if 10 years is more significant than 9 or even 11.

I’m not in a relationship, so I don’t get to celebrate the most well-known association to the word, Anniversary. But I do get to celebrate an anniversary of life.

Each October, October 28^th to be exact, I get to celebrate the anniversary of the day my life was saved. It’s an odd time of year to be honest. The entire month of October results in random emotions that spill out in fits of rage, moments of laughter, or in puddles of tears. It also brings about a rather intense period of reflection.

Letting it all out through writing

Through tear-stained eyes I’ve taken to my laptop computer, the notes app on my iPhone, and yes, even to Facebook and Instagram to just let it all out! It’s such a relief to be able to rid my mind of all of those thoughts in a way that ignites my creative personality. My mind is able to switch focus, being sure that I am adequately portraying on paper what my heart is feeling.

I found the following buried inside of a folder, that was buried inside of another folder within My Documents on my laptop computer. An outward expression of what I was feeling on the 14^th anniversary of the day my life was saved, yet forever changed.

A story of what was, what is, and what I thought it would be 

Are you where you thought you’d be at this point in your life? Has everything gone just as you had planned back in high school?

✔ Graduated with your master’s degree from the most prestigious university

✔ Married your high school sweet heart

✔ Landed the job of your dreams

Or has life gotten in the way?

In high school, I wasn’t too much like the majority of those who I hung around with. I didn’t really have any set plans for what I wanted my future to behold. Despite receiving honors in all my classes I quite honestly despised school. The thought of continuing the misery by going to college just didn’t seem to be all that appealing. I had some ideas of what I might want to do as far as a career goes, but nothing really all that great to get me too excited.

On the contrary, my sister, who is 5 years older was that person who made sure to take all the advanced classes in high school knowing that she intended to attend college and planned on moving onto a successful career. The reason why I mention this is because my sister’s goal-oriented self played perfectly into my Master Plan.

The perfect setting

In my teenage years, family vacations always revolved around boating. One of our favorite places to go was the Florida Keys. We would make the 7+ hour drive down to Fiesta Key where we would stay at the KOA Campground, either staying in our RV or in one of the little houses that you could rent. We’d stay for about a week, spending our days out on the boat fishing or hitting spots to go snorkeling.

With nothing but beautiful ocean all around it was pure paradise. And it was this paradise that provided me with my goal for the future!

My plan for the future

College, no thanks. Fancy career, naw, not for me either. Living in the Keys fishing all day, living in some little beachside house, you bet! And to connect the dots for you as to how my career-minded sister played a role in my plans, she would help her little brother out by sending down a check once a month to help support my no worries lifestyle. Brilliant!

But then life got in the way 

I just know if things had worked out the way I had planned, my awesome sister would have been more than happy to help out her little brother! I never got the chance however, to see if that grand plan would come together. 

My Junior year of high school came and brought with it the discovery that would prove to alter my path. With the scan of an MRI there it was, the large tumor right in the center of my brain. And if you know me and my story then you know what happens next…

My plans for the future continued to flutter away like leaves in the wind. The fateful tumor was removed ultimately saving my life, but with its removal also plunged me into a world of darkness. I awoke from surgery to find that I could no longer see.

14 years later… 

As I sit here today, some 14 years later, I find myself letting my mind wander. I wonder where I’d be or what I’d be doing right now if life hadn’t gotten in the way?

Life is a funny thing… We think all too often that we are in control of where we take our life. We have this mindset that if we work hard, do what society tells us to do, that we will reap the rewards. But the reality is, that just isn’t true.

I’m not saying that our actions today don’t have an impact on life tomorrow, but I definitely don’t believe we are the only ones in control of our destiny. And I don’t know about you, but in some way, I actually find a real peace in knowing that.

It helps to remind me of the importance to stop focusing on tomorrow and instead start focusing on right now.

It’s important to keep dreaming, to keep setting goals, to keep focused on making tomorrow better than today, but it’s equally important to not get so caught up in the future that you stop living for today.

I also believe that even though life may not be like you had dreamed, doesn’t mean it still can’t be great. So whether or not you’re living out your childhood dreams, just remember to roll with the punches and bend when the wind blows!