“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.” – Brene Brown
This is not one of my typical nursing posts, but the emotions behind this picture are what sparked my blogging initiative.
Last year (2019) was the worst year of my family’s life. Almost exactly one year ago from today, my parents announced a very unexpected divorce, after a seemingly happy 21 years of marriage. They gave us the news the night of my 22nd birthday. The next week, my dad moved out, I got my first apartment, my mom moved out with my sisters, my sister was in an abusive relationship… all sorts of disfunction.
I started my blog November 2019 and began seeing a psychologist to help with my emotional well-being, along with my love/passion for writing.
Today we celebrated my 23rd birthday with my family back together and this picture showcases the first time everyone looks/is genuinely happy. I had to document this moment for my own emotional well-being, and to provide a written documentation (if it’s not charted, it wasn’t done) of the day where things actually felt okay after so many months of not being okay.
I keep staring at this picture because it reminds me of how far we have come from that night, and brings me hope of all of the goodness that is to come.
Today I am being vulnerable, courageous, and releasing all control.
Until next shift,
Shania