"And how does that make you feel?"

I had another mentor meeting today with Mrs. Augustine and it went really well. We talked a lot about where this journey has led me and how it has changed me. When I am talking to Mrs. Augustine I am able to express all the emotions that I have felt during this project and she has really encouraged me to start writing more about what this has all been like.

I was trying to think of where to start to explain where this journey had taken me and the only logical way I can think to do it is to explain how I am feeling today. Today I had a physical therapy where I finally was able to jump. It was the first time in nearly eight.. EIGHT.. months that I physically left the ground. It was such a weird realization to think that I have been grounded for that long. I was so used to doing backflips everyday and I just spent the last eight months without leaving the ground. It still really hasn't sunk in that I have come so far since surgery. Everyday I find something else that I can do that I couldn't do yesterday and when I look back to August and all the months after surgery when all I wanted was to be able to walk up the stairs again, it is really cool to see how much has improved. It can be hard to think about how much better I am when I am having bad days or when I realize I still have limitations but in the grand scheme of things.. I am doing really well.
Another thing that I have noticed while I have been on this journey is that I am able to realize other people's struggles much more easily than I used to be able to. I guess now that I have been the one struggling to walk down the hall or carry a backpack (which is extremely hard to do while trying to use crutches just so you know!) I have an appreciation for other people who find the daily aspects of life challenging. When someone can't a locker open, figure out a homework assignment, or even something as silly as flipping to the right page in their textbook, the easiest response can be "really? come on get your act together!" After being the one that was always struggling, I realize how frustrating and stressful these things can be and how they can ruin a good day. I have a new sense of sympathy for people who just can't make things go their way.

Going through this journey has made me grow up pretty fast. Having so much taken away from you and having to relearn some of the most basic things (like walking) has allowed me to see things from a different view.