Resiliency

Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness (dictionary.com).

This definition does not consider, or account for, the beautiful human that encompasses the very essence of the word…Hailey.

Seizures, Hypotonia, medications, hospitalizations, appointments, and the list stretches onwards…but the ability and capacity to take it all in stride is something that I have not observed in many people, not even within myself.

But Hailey…I tell you, this kid goes through it, and ends up on the other side with a smile plastered across her face.

At just two years old, this child has endured more than some in their lifetime. The challenges and obstacles that have been placed before her are truly unfair.

There are moments in time when it feels unbearable. The pain, the anxiety, and the sadness that stems from a, excuse my language, crappy situation, surfaces from time to time.

The stages of grief truly waver. The denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance wait in line, to take their turn.

But that is a ME thing. That is my battle. Hailey, on the other hand, keeps moving upward and onto fight bigger wars.

Everything is in place for her- we have given her all of the tools and opportunities so that she can thrive. She pushes her body to the limit and feels proud when she does something.

She looks to us for reinforcement, praise, and love. And that is what she gets.

People often talk about their role models, their heroes, the people who they look up to. They tend to find individuals who have lived full lives, witnessed tragedy, happiness, or have taught them the value in life.

Yet, at 35 years old, I look up to someone smaller than me; younger than me.

This big, wonderful soul trapped in a body that she doesn’t belong in. This little body that works against her, but she pushes back. Her body may be weak, but her will is not.

I can honestly say that I aspire to be as strong, driven and RESILIENT as my 2 -year-old daughter, Hailey. We can all take a lesson from her story and remember that not everything and everyone is created equally, but they should be treated and regarded as such. Hailey girl fights every day to power through her difficulties.

Hailey is Resiliency.