The Moment That Split Everything in Two
On the before, the after, and how we carry forward anyway.
There was a moment that split my life in two. Before it. And everything after.
We all have that moment.
The one where, in an instant, life looks completely different.
The one that dramatically alters your perspective and changes everything you thought you knew about yourself and your place in the world.
For me, it was my daughter’s Aplastic Anemia diagnosis.
It was hearing the words “not compatible with life.”
It was facing her mortality long before I ever wanted to face mine. Making medical decisions and praying I was doing right by her. The endless hospital stays. The constant fear that never left my mind. The infusions. The transplant. The recovery. The setbacks.
It was realizing I’d never again live freely, that every future sickness, every medical event, would carry the weight of what I already know.
It’s the PTSD I still live with. Probably always will.
And most of all, it’s never being able to go back to that naïve person I was before.
What was it for you?
What was the moment that forever changed how you saw the world and your place in it?
Here’s the thing about that moment: we can’t rewind.
We can’t unsee what we’ve seen. We can’t unknow what we know. As much as we wish we could, we know it’s impossible.
Life is full of lessons. Some we choose. Some get handed to us whether we wanted them or not.
Sometimes we’re forced to learn about things we didn’t even know existed and endure them just the same.
No one said life was fair.
But I think the one fair thing about it is this: we all have that moment.
It looks different for each of us, but every single person — your neighbor, your friend, the stranger across the way — has been handed something so heavy, they were sure they’d crumble under the weight of it.
And yet.
Here we all are.
We didn’t crumble. But when we finally stood back up and looked around, it was through a foreign lens.
The sights were different, even though the scenery was the same. And try as we might, we can’t quite remember the view from before.
Maybe you’re still in the middle of your moment.
Maybe you’re shakily walking the path on the other side of it.
Either way, this moment has shaped you into a new version of yourself.
You didn’t ask for it. You didn’t want it. You didn’t even know it was coming.
But, regardless, here you are.
You’ll have shaky legs. You’ll have to get acquainted with your new surroundings. You’ll be dragging more baggage than you ever thought possible.
But you’ll still be you. Just evolved.
Give this version of yourself compassion and time.
You are not behind. You are not broken. You are not who you were before, and that’s okay.
You carried the unimaginable and kept moving. You keep moving.
Despite your circumstances and all the cards stacked against you, you’re still going.
Never forget the strength it takes to endure the unimaginable, have your life turned upside down, and still be willing to stand.
Your moment has forced you to evolve into a person who can survive. Who will survive.
And that’s exactly what you’re doing.