I’ll be honest… sometimes I am just so tired of this. Sitting in a hospital room after another surgery, a heavy thought sometimes creeps in, wondering if my whole life will always be about hospitals. Since I was just a child at the age of 13, through bilateral amputation and severe trauma to my legs requiring more than 10 surgeries, this body has carried so much pain. But I’ve learned to search for life in the intervals. When the pain pauses and things are okay, I choose to chase joy in those days in between. That is when I travel, step onto the stage as a motivational speaker, and aim to empower others. That is when I hold my loved ones close. Happiness isn’t the total absence of pain; it’s how fiercely we choose to live in the moments we have. Sometimes I fear that I don’t have a lot of those moments left without pain, but I still try. I am tired, yes, but I am still so deeply alive. ❤️‍🩹