Little Resiliencies

Acorns survive and avoid becoming squirrel-crack to grow into magnificent oak trees. I think human beings do that too. Become like oak trees (while trying to keep squirrels out of our bird feeders).

The woman who lost her mom and two jobs, and still manages to lace up her shoes every morning to go for a run.

The little boy who moved every two years and yet managed to make the sports team and new friends until he had to move again.

The man who lost his wife two weeks after their 50th wedding anniversary and was honored as employee of the month that October.

The woman whose father died unexpectedly, leaving her to pick up the pieces of his business five years ahead of their transition schedule.

The college student whose car and leg were T-boned, then put back together with metal, who got back into her dancing shoes by the time fall semester rolled around. 

The woman who decided to make a major career change, go back to grad school to get a master’s in teaching, and then was brave enough to admit she didn’t like it and pivot again.

The recent college graduate who moved across the continent to another country to be with her boyfriend, only to have him leave for a three-month backpack tour of South America right after she got there.

The little boy who returned to school the day after being discharged from a weeklong hospital stay.

The writer who poured out her family’s journey with autism into a moving memoir to help others. 

The embryo who got past the IUD.

The 29-week-old, 3 pound baby swaddled in a plastic incubator instead of in utero who stands at her mother’s shoulder and looks at the world with sparkling blue eyes. 

The widowed mother of eight, with four children still in the house, who started a real estate career after working inside the home for over twenty years. 

The physical therapist who walked the hospital floors treating patients that survived tragic accidents, strokes, and debilitating illness with grace, kindness, and determination. 

This author who gets up everyday, coffee in hand, to keep moving forward. (Spoiler alert: I’m Lady Whistledown.)

If you start to look around, these stories and these people are everywhere. Tell us a little resiliency. Or share this with someone who needs it right now.

Also - I had the very lucky luck to be on The Lucky Few Podcast talking about independent living for people with Down syndrome with my friend Chad. Hope you’ll give it a listen.