May Anniversary's!

The time is whizzing by. May is upon us. It’s a bittersweet time of year.

The month hosts both the accident anniversary, May 1, and natal birthday, May 31. Both days bring a sense of anxiety, anticipation and awe.

The loss of a dream or possibility of what we once worked to achieve can nurture an underpinning of rage and resentment. How do we rebuild? Start from where we are? Acknowledge the feelings and still create a fulfilling and joyous life? Welcome to human revolution. 

This seems to have become the mission of my last seventeen years. Grief manifests in waves, but it eventually subsides. And yes, I know what the experts say: stay grateful, master your mind, and focus on the positive aspects This is all true, but not always easy. 

The accident anniversary provides a moment to reflect on the pure miracle of surviving and still be moving, even though in a much different capacity than the days of dancing. 

Yes, I miss it. 

SGI Buddhism embodies the idea that value can be created even in the worst situations. I was just reminded of the mutually inclusive idea of the ten worlds, or all the emotions we as humans face in a day. This affords the opportunity to transform rage into action. Action not only eliminates anxiety but also paves the way for progress. Taking small steps consistently leads to significant outcomes. 

Step one in my book 

‘Dance Because You Can'—5 Steps to Transform Trauma to Triumph—is determination. What is our determination moving forward? The past is done. If you’re like me, we may all need a reminder to redetermine. Personally, my goal is to find more joy in life. Let’s embrace a spirit of reinvention, especially if our physical capacities have changed. 

It’s O.K. to feel all the feels and then let them go. As I reflect on the wonderful surgical team who literally saved my life and rebuilt my body—the late doctors Lorich and Bessey: the current team doctors Fragomen, Rahav, Yaghoobzadeh, Ranawat, Skomra, Trigiani, and Spector; Wendy Johnson; and all the nurses and rehab therapists, too many to name—I say THANK YOU for taking the chance when others wanted to just amputate because it was the easier choice in the moment. Instead, this team took and continues to take the risk to embody the power of movement. 

In the day-to-day challenges it’s easy to forget how far we have come, how bad it may have been, and how immensely fortunate we are to be in this moment, using our experiences to create value in the world. 

This is how we create victory in any moment.