I Am A Try Hard

Skilled nursing was incredibly boring.  I only had therapy for an hour a day.  The nurses barely came in unless it was to deliver food or do their daily vitals checks.  Patrick had gone back to work full-time. I was alone.  I was bored.  I was tired of TV.

I read my cards, played a zillion games of Candy Crush, fiddled around on social media, and thought.  A LOT.  I had been contacted by our school counselor asking if it would be okay if the school held a fund raiser for the American Heart Association in my name.  Once again, I was completely humbled.  People are just simply amazing.  The fact that my students were taking the initiative to help others was just fantastic.  The counselors had also organized a card drive for me.  I probably got close to 500 cards from my students.  Some of their sentiments were so sweet and wise.  Others were full of stories or inside jokes that made me laugh.  Ugh, I cherished them so much.

I didn't know at the time if I would be able to attend the game due to my current state, but I felt the need to get a message to all of them.  I wanted my message to be relevant and thought-provoking.  The post below is the finished product.  Other than a few upcoming posts that you will read, it was my most shared post.  It was shared 20 times just within my friend's list.              

Facebook post from November 22, 2013

Last night Patrick Smith read me the remainder of the cards that my students had written for me. So, I fell asleep with my students on my mind. There's a few things that I would like to say to them but can't because I'm not at school. So I figured I would write them so I could get it out of my head and be able to sleep! I thought maybe the rest of you would enjoy reading it and that maybe you would like to share it with your older children if you have them.

Before I left the new thing for kids to say to one another was, "Stop being a try hard." I realize it is not "cool" to try in PE class. That is a whole other subject for a different day. When I would hear this statement I would never know how to respond in a way that would click with students. I think I know how to respond now.

Because I am a try hard, I survived a stroke. Because I am a try hard, my four daughters will grow up with their mommy. Because I am a try hard, my rehabilitation process is going well and my doctors are giving me a strong prognosis. Being a try hard should be something that is valued, respected, and desired. It is not something that should be ridiculed or made to make others feel ashamed of. Life throws a lot curve balls. If you are a try hard you are more likely to hit 99% of the curve balls that are thrown at you.

Diseases do not discriminate. Heart attack, strokes, multiple sclerosis, cancer, you name it. Diseases do not discriminate. I am 32 years old, exercise regularly, eat very well, have low blood pressure and a low resting heart rate, and I have low cholesterol. Yet I still had a stroke. A lot of you will hear that and it won't affect anything you do in your life at all. That is your choice. Others of you will hear this and will take it to heart and you'll start to change little things in your lifestyle. Either way, I just want you all to realize that the choices you are making today will directly affect your tomorrows. What kind of tomorrow do you want to have?