In October 2010 I abruptly experienced a life altering change.  The jolt of the loss was mentally devastating.  Within in a few days the toll it took on my physical well being was as notable as the emotional wrath.   At about the two week mark I looked in the mirror and had a serious conversation with myself.  I acknowledged that if I didn’t find the strength to fight for me – this hurt would break me.  At that point I began a slow painful path to making sweet, pink, lemonade.

Today I am physically, emotionally and spiritually stronger than I have been in years.  I still struggle with the grief some days.  I’ve come to realize however, that while we can’t stop loss and hurt from happening, we can choose how they affect our character.  Self-healing and achieving personal success are the best ways to move forward.

Refuse to be defined by life’s “downs.”  Remember that this moment really is just this moment, and “it too shall pass.”  In the mean time, it sounds cliché I know, but take those lemons that threaten to break you and turn them into lemonade.  And don’t stop there; share the recipe.

The life lesson I gained from my experience is one I hope will benefit others.  I learned there are simply times in each of our lives when it is not only appropriate, but imperative that we become the center of our own attention.

Tami