Welcome Little Butterflies

Welcome little butterflies to my world. A world that has been, and is one big adventure, where I started as a caterpillar, entered my cocoon, and finally learned to spread my wings. We all have, or will become our very own butterflies.

On social media life is often portrayed as this perfect well-lived one, but it is far from it. My life is not perfect, nor will it ever be. I’m not here to paint that perfect picture and pretend that my life is everything I have always wanted. No, life happens, good and bad, and that my butterflies, is how we grow.

I started with dreams of gold. Standing on that Olympic podium for artistic gymnastics, and while that seems like an outrageous dream as a child, I worked hard in attempt to get there. However, this dream wasn’t meant to be. After fracturing my knee cap in one of many training sessions, gymnastics was very quickly put aside. Followed by more fractured bones and a diagnosis of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy [RSD] pictured to the left, sport was no longer an option, my golden dream fading. I was 11 years old and my entire world felt as if it had been shut down. The RSD led to a diagnosis of Juvenile Arthritis [JA], and from there I felt lost. With this sudden change in lifestyle I was simply a young girl angry at the world. Why me? Why now? I had to learn how to be me, I had to learn who ‘me’ was. It was not an easy transition to simply give up one dream and chase another. When you work so hard for something and chase a dream for so long it becomes a part of you, it becomes your identity. I lost all of it, and the only thing I had left as an 8-year-old was school.

 

School became my focus, and with many visits in hospitals a new dream begun formulating. I dreamed and still do dream of helping sick children. I decided to continue my focus on schooling and work towards being a doctor, which later turned into being a nurse (which I think is much more suited to my personality). Unfortunately, like I said life isn’t perfect, and many people didn’t believe that my body was cut out for nursing. I was told many times over to give up, it is too hard, and yet I didn’t listen. I was determined to prove them all wrong despite additional diagnoses of Chronic Pain Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Yes, life is hard. No, life isn’t perfect. However, in the end I persevered, and now look at me. I am starting as a registered nurse in August at a children’s hospital. Check. Dream accomplished.

While I have learnt how to spread my wings and dream, there are always new flowers blooming, new opportunities arising. I have many loves in life: coffee, photography, modelling, fashion, beauty, and books for example. However, I love nothing more than being my very own butterfly, learning to fly again. So, fly with me on this journey of discovery, and share my love of simply being me.

 

Now Fly Free Little Butterfly.