I Fought Hard To Get Here

Posted March 25, 2022 by Prairie Wife - 4 comments

With my 40th birthday only a few days away I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I’m feeling about it. My response has been the same each time, “I fought hard to get here.”

I’ve faced my mortality more often than most.

First, it was two roll-over car accidents my first few years of college, then it was almost dying after childbirth not once, but twice.

Many of you may remember my almost year-long journey of surgery, almost 6 years ago, where I underwent a Preventive Mastectomy and reconstructive surgery to try and beat a strong family history of Breast Cancer.

Following that, I learned that I have some white blood cell count issues that seem to keep rearing their ugly head just when I start to relax.

What have I learned from all this?

I’ve learned that life is what you make it, and there are no guarantees.

I’ve learned not to judge others’ health and ability by how they look, and I’ve learned to be more compassionate of others’ weaknesses as I’ve had to face mine head on over, and over, and….over.

Over the last 5 years or so I’ve found myself fighting emotional and physical battles I could have never predicted.

And while there have been moments where it has been 2 steps forward and 46 steps backward, I find that as I look at the big picture, there have been way more victories and blessings than one woman deserves.

So, when people ask me how I feel about being 40 or tease me saying “Is it your 29th birthday again?” I laugh and look them square in the eye and say “I’m thrilled to be turning 40, I fought hard to get here.”

I have so much to look forward to, and the life I’ve been given and worked hard to create is absolutely without a doubt something I am damn proud of!

Thank you to each and every one of you that has been a part of my journey.

Thank you to those of you that knew me when, my family, our readers that have been here from the beginning, and those of you that are brand new.

Cheers to another 40 years of living a life of grit and grace.

XOXOX Prairie Wife

Categories: Life As It Happens, Prairie Life

Tags: , 40th birthday, aging, grit and grace, growing older, lesson I've learned, life, support for women