TBI Survivor Blog Series 2022 - Be Patient

Photo taken by France during her visit to Charlevoix in the summer of 2022.

Be Patient.

When the unexpected knocks at your door and suddenly you hear from the distance the words echoing Traumatic Brain Injury, you may wonder what will happen with you?  What happened to you?

My advice my lovely is the following:

Be patient when you are becoming someone you haven’t been before.. 

Patience will be the rigor… I am sorry to tell you, you will need a great deal of patience.. I know, I needed to tap into a reservoir of attributes I wasn’t aware I possessed.. Patience, courage, resilience, faith, hope, determination and many more characteristics emerged as I navigated the ebbs and flows of this invisible injury in 2013.

The unknown.. Everything appears different, distorted, raw, fragile and unstable. The invitation is to embrace the unknown… After all, resisting or avoiding this new reality will only delay the truth.

Waiting..Waiting for something to emerge, waiting for something different, waiting for something better or waiting for something that will last longer and hopefully permanently now that I am exhausted by all the effort required to arrive where I am now. It seems I have been waiting forever! 

Surrendering, I know it hurts. It’s certainly not what I have envisioned at the beginning of this new journey..I didn’t really want to surrender, however if I wanted JOY to come along with me I arrive at the conclusion that surrendering to this new reality will allow me to co-create something I can embrace more openly.

Allowing, accepting and trusting are all welcome guests in this transformative process..

I feel I have used an unlimited amount of patience over the last 10 years...

I guess more is needed.. I can be more patient.. I know I can.. You can too..

The unveiling isn’t now.. It’s getting closer, I feel it.

Becoming someone I haven’t been before is exhausting at times, it can also be exhilarating or unnerving.. So many possibilities.. Just think about what you want life to look like and continue to move forward at your own rhythm ... 

I gave and still give myself permission to idle, to move forward or to step back so I can find my focus..

My intention is always to become a better version of myself, polishing my prickly edges, aiming to soften and melt my sensitive heart and expand my mind..

Small steps my lovely.. 

One day at a time..

Just remember to be patient when you are becoming someone you haven’t been before..

France Theriault

*You can follow me on Instagram at Standingbyyourside65 where I share stories, sharing insights about living a beautiful life & meaningful life 9 years after having a Traumatic Brain Injury from a cycling accident.