A year ago today I slipped on some ice at mum’s house, breaking my collar bone, getting a massive black eye, and severe nerve damage to half my face. It was right after receiving an Alumni Award from the President of Conestoga College. What a DAY.
It was horrible. I was in severe pain most of the winter and did you know that having nerves repair themselves feels like you have a hair on your face that’s not there? Something so simple as taking a selfie was hard for months because I couldn’t move my arm above 90 degrees. I felt like half my face looked different. Does it? I declined attending a lot of events because I didn’t feel good about myself.
This is a couple of days after the accident and before it got worse. This night I was up for an Ontario Premier’s Award so I had to attend the ceremony. My eye was watering the whole time and I was so self-conscious about the makeup running.
This past year has been all about rebuilding, reprogramming myself, changing old habits, and loving myself more. I’ve been working on strength and can finally Chaturanga Dandasana again. I’ve been thinking about what happened a lot the last few days and I want to remind you that what you see on the internet is only a fraction of someone’s life. I’ve always been honest and real on my blog but this was something I wasn’t ready to face head-on, I didn’t know how to deal with it so barely mentioned it at all. I felt bad about not being strong, my arm was so weak and my confidence was broken. A year later, I’m feeling better and have another X-ray tomorrow that is hopefully my last.
I want to remind you to check in on your strongest, happiest friends, they might be struggling behind the smiling selfies you scroll through. Reach out to them! Check on each other! We all need love and to know our friend’s care!
Sending my love to you through the internet.
