Christmas preparations are on their way in the Jones household, but this year feels very much like 2014 for me. 2014 was the year I received a kidney transplant. About 3 months after I made it to the school gates one of the parents said to me “You are brave” at the discovery of what I had gone through… I had no idea what she meant until today.
Today with a decorated tree and pandemic restrictions in place feels like 2014, when I received a kidney transplant.
Heavily immunosuppressed I was simply grateful to be still alive, yet I was not allowed out to a restaurant, shop, travel or mingle with the “great unwashed” (not my words 😅).
Like then I am desperate to see friends and celebrate life; desperate to hug and kiss, yet not allowed.
And like then I am hopeful, happy and full of gratitude for all the things I get to do or have. This will too pass.
And maybe it is that I have been unwell for so long (16 years) that I have developed this attitude over the years and do not allow myself to fall into the traps of fear and despair. Don’t get me wrong, I am not Little Miss Sunshine either; this is tough.
This pandemic is tough, being on dialysis was tough, transplant surgery was tough, but we got to move forward, even if that just means away, we have to be brave!
Confront adversity without fear, invest time effort and energy without even considering failure. Make those sacrifices.
This is what bravery has to do with it: the endless days of not seeing friends and relatives, the homeschooling, the job loss, they are the adversities we have to face without fear of failure, adapting, saving, speaking up, surviving. Failure is not even in our radar because giving up is not an option.
Better days are ahead only… be brave <3