Never Stop Dancing.

“ There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

-Albert Einstein

I will never forget the roar that circulated throughout the arena when my team scored the winning goal of our last game of the 14th Annual Western Canadian Sledge Hockey Tournament on Sunday morning. As I watched the unforgettable grins spread across the faces of my teammates, I was overcome with sheer joy and excitement. This wasn’t just because this was the only game we had won since the tournament had begun. It was simply because I got to play. This is truly the happiest I have been in a long time. This experience has left me feeling rejuvenated. It made me feel alive again

The last couple of months have been a whirlwind of unexpected changes. Never in a million years did I imagine that I would be facing the challenges of coping with the secondary conditions related to my Cerebral Palsy. I expected my condition to remain stagnant. After all, by medical definition, Cerebral Palsy is a non-progressive disorder.

Reality is a bitch. I have spent a lot of time wondering what could have possibly been done to prevent them. I have spent a lot of time thinking about how the arthritis, pain and bladder problems are going to affect my future. Will I be as active as I am now? Is the pain going to get worse? What comes next? I don’t know the answers, but here is what I do know. There is a level of uncertainty present in everyone’s life. Even though there have been times where this journey has challenged me physically, mentally and spiritually, I have learned and been reminded of so much while navigating the twists and turns of life. As difficult as it is not to spend time dwelling on what could have been and what will be, we need to remember to live in the moment, because as I learned from some of my teammates this past weekend, there is no way of knowing what is around the next corner. Life can change in an instant.

No one is immune from adversity. Struggles are a guaranteed part of life. Without them, we wouldn’t be living. Don’t let your struggles limit you from experiencing joy in your life, because you deserve it. Go ahead! Do the things that make your soul dance, and although there may times where you get discouraged, please don’t let them stop you from dancing.