At times things can feel really messy and difficult. Finding your way through the chaos and fear can feel like a maze at times, like every time you think that you get to a clearing, another challenge comes your way. It may feel like this for many of us now.
I feel this way sometimes now, and it reminds me of what I experienced during my Freshman through Junior years of High School when my heart was slowly failing. Although physically my heart was getting weaker, once I let myself fully feel the devastation and fear of what this meant, I found that my inner fighting spirit came out with vengeance. It took on a type of heart beat of its own and while my heart was physically failing this spirited heart was a YES! filled heart.
Today my heart is still a spirited YES! filled heart.
Each spirited heart beat echoed YES!
YES! I will find a way to live as fully as possible and experience high school.
YES! I will stay connected with my friends and family and not allow myself to feel isolated.
YES! I will allow myself to feel my feelings as they arise, but I will keep going despite the fear.
YES! I will make my health a priority without allowing it to stop or define me.
All of these YESes filled my heart and this encouraged me to keep going through all the ups and downs of my heart failure journey from my first open heart surgery when I was two years old to receiving the life-saving gift of a heart transplant when I was 18 years old. Today my heart is still a spirited YES! filled heart.
This YES! filled heart has been a big inspiration in receiving and now living with my transplanted heart for 22 years. This Sunday, October 25, at The Greater Northern NJ Heart Walk I am honored to be this year’s Featured Survivor Ambassador. Click here if you want to join my team, donate, or learn more about the American Heart Association’s Virtual Heart Walk Experience.
As I partake in the 2020 virtual Heart Walk, it will reinforce for me that through these challenging times that we can find our YES! We can live with YES! filled hearts.