Power of Hardship

Injuries give you perspective. They teach you to cherish the moments that I might have taken for granted before. -Ali Krieger

Many people have dreams and passions, however most people find their real passions when they are forced to open up there minds to new possibilities. When I was smaller, I always though that I would be some sort of professional athelete. I have had many injuries which have taken sports away for short periods of time and it has been hard for me to find other things, but most of these setbacks haven’t been serious. Each time I’ve been able to focus on school and other things more than usual. At the beginning of my summer after fourth grade I started feeling a little bit of back pain. At first I thought nothing of it, it took until October for me to realize it’s severity. I would come home crying because I couldn’t walk with a searing pain in my lower back. I got an MRI and prepared for the worst. I can still remember the devastation I felt when the doctor told me that I had a double stress fracture in my lowest vertebrae. I still remember not being able to wear the back brace for more than fifteen minutes because I couldn’t breath, they wanted me to wear it for four months, no sports for six weeks was like an eternity for me as an energetic fifth grader, just sitting and watching the football and soccer games from the sidelines longing to play. I began to find new hobbies, I discovered how much I loved listening to music and would sing on the couch for hours. I discovered a new passion for writing and it soon became my favorite subject in school. The whole injury was a disaster but I ended up learning a lot about myself which has made me a better and more well rounded person today. Without that injury I wouldn’t be as happy in school, it was definitely not a positive experience but I’m glad I was able to come out of it with some positive takeaways