Yes, I used the term, and am proud of it. I am officially, Adulting.
The big girl job, the big(ger) girl loans, and a gradually grown-up mindset as to how to succeed in the workforce and in the 20s decade.
I am writing about this topic because my co-workers had no idea what it meant, and this to me was so interesting because it is used quite frequently in our community to describe the growth into a new stage of life. Everybody at some point has gone through the process of Adulting, and now our community has chosen to simply label it with a word. Adulting is more importantly an experience that CFers born 10-15 years before me did not get to grow into. CF has slowly turned into an adult disease and it is now a stage many of us get to, and should, choose to thrive on and enjoy.
TIME magazine recently wrote an article on describing why this term recently appeared and flourished. The main reason was that young people are starting their lives much later than their parents, with the age of a first-time mother being "historically high" at age 26. According to the article, the average first time homeowner is much older as well. Persons in their 20s and early 30s are using the term as a way to joke about their later transition into this phase of life.
But who is to say there has to be a norm on where we should be, at what time? Who says we have to make decisions based on our ticking age clock?
Now I know, I know life is really short - I blinked and went from 6 to 26 years old. I can still remember vividly my first grade classroom with the blue reading loft with the wooden ladder and how to make SandArt. But what I find is that CF does not allow many of us to have a normal timeline due to "interruptions" lets say. We have to adapt our life plans, sometimes more frequently than we would like, and still try to continue to grow and thrive through those challenges to continue on the journey. Similar to our young adults today who have had to adapt to economical changes (i.e. astronomical education costs, rising gas in New Jersey;) or family changes like taking care of a sick family member or supporting a spouse/family member in their quest to join the service, Persons Adulting with CF (PAW-CF, totally coining it) have to adapt due to the unexpected like an extended hospitalization, denial of meds through health insurance plans, or simply trying to balance CF factors with life factors.
So the joy that I find in everyday Adulting is the fact that I am, in reality, in full flesh, able to Adult. My Adulting, like the rest of the adulting community, is filled with a great number of shoots and ladders (90s game, anyone?) but I think where I am different is I do not feel as pressured by a time clock, because I am Adulting as best as I can, all the while content knowing I get to experience these amazing years in my life and hopefully many more years beyond.
Breathing & Beating,
Meghan
Reference: http://time.com/4361866/adulting-definition-meaning/
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Monday, August 8, 2016
Impossible
“Impossible.”
My favorite word of all time. Me and my family have heard
this word, or forms of it, so many times from 1990 to 2016 and it has become my
absolute term of choice. Why? BECAUSE IT IS SO MOTIVATING.
Like many of my other 20-something CFers, our parents were
given the news that we would not make it past middle school. We would be in the
hospital every three months for inpatient stays and IV antibiotics. Our lives
would be cut short, so get ready, prepare yourself, and absorb this as best you
can. It would be “impossible” that we would make it to our prom, drive our
first car, and take our first steps onto a college campus.
But here we are, many of us still fighting, and guess what
else? We’re THRIVING.
Many of us went on to be doctors:
Moms:
Role models for our Foundation:
and what’s even better? We exceed the current average of
life expectancy of 40 years old:
When I started my journey as a physical therapy student, I
started my first day of gross anatomy with such excitement, ambition, and hope.
Within the first two weeks, however, I went from a happy little camper with her
NorthFace backpack and scrubs to a crying hot mess. With only 8 weeks, an hour
commute each way, and full 8a-5pm days in the lab, there was no way I was going
to do this. I had failed almost every exam up until the halfway mark. I even
cut back on treatments and was running sparingly (caution: don’t do this). I broke down to my family and admitted that
maybe this was a mistake, maybe I did not get into PT school the first round
because I was not meant to be here. Maybe I could not balance this courseload
with treatments and a full nights sleep. Maybe it was truly “impossible.”
In that moment that I said that word out loud, something
just did not feel right. Besides the fact that I was failing, I also felt like
I had lost that energy that burned inside my heart when I heard the word
“impossible.” My hope was dwindling, my fire was dying, and I wanted it back. I
needed it back. And I would get it back.
Throughout the next few weeks, I found a way to somehow make it all work. Just
made the ‘B’! I left in the middle of July knowing that I could conquer almost
anything. Although there were definitely three more years of anxiety and tears
ahead, I never looked at myself the same way again. I always moved forward with
a consistency, knowing that when it came down to it, impossible is just a word,
made up by somebody who never tried to find another route to conquer a problem.
There is always an answer, we just have to fight to find it. With that fight
comes hope and this intangible feeling is a concept no one and nothing can take
away from you unless you allow it to.
After studying since February 2016 and three years of our
doctorate program, July 26, 2016 at 11pm I passed the National Physical Therapy
Examination. The final piece of this journey reminds me that the word
“impossible” is what started it all. Astounding how such a negative word can turn
you into the most positive person. I have my family and my fellow CFers to
thank for the fire inside my heart. Without them, I would not only be without a
degree but I would also not be here today. As Elle Woods famously said:
So, now that I have no studying to do, what will I do to
fill the time? In less than a week, I will be riding 20 miles to conquer CF in
the CF Cycle for Life. I am riding for a cure and cannot wait to be able to
participate in an event that can help so many people. Your support in any way is invaluable whether
it be donations, prayers, or fingers crossed! By riding miles, we’re adding
years to the lives we love, so lets keep it moving!
Thank you all for
your support so far. I am extremely fortunate to have the CF population and
families in my corner when it comes to conquering this crazy disease—thank yous
never seem like enough! Let’s keep breathing and beating towards a cure, one mile at a time!
B&B,
Meghan
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Best Month of the Year!!!
PT school is almost over yay!! One more huge exam in July (the board exam) before I can return to posting. In the meantime, to all my Cysters and Fibros and loved ones, HAPPY CF AWARENESS MONTH, the best month of the year. Be back soon with more positivity than ever!
Breathing & Beating,
Meghan
Breathing & Beating,
Meghan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)