Every Flower Has Its Time to Bloom
I have often felt like my life was on hold, waiting to get started. Living with chronic illness since I was a kid has left me feeling stuck in a holding pattern, watching as others reached common milestones before I did — if I ever did. Graduating high school (which I did a year late). Learning to drive (which I did at 22, much past the year when everyone “typically” does). Getting married (haven’t done that one yet) and having kids (same). It’s a specific kind of grief that I still don’t know how to verbalize, watching the world move on without you while you are still trying to fix whatever on earth is wrong with you — watching others conquer amazing milestones while you are just trying to survive the day.
It’s a specific kind of grief watching others conquer amazing milestones while you are just trying to survive the day.
It’s taken me a long time to realize that I am not on others’ timeline, just as they are not on mine. I have had special moments, some that other people will never get to experience because they are so specifically tailored to my life and my chronic illness. I have reached my own milestones, even if it took me longer than others or longer than I thought it should have. Additionally, it’s important to realize that we don’t need to compare ourselves to those around us. Whose timeline are we following — others, or our own?
I know it is so easy to feel left behind and forgotten. Please know that you are never abandoned or left behind — you have your own story that is unfolding just as it’s supposed to, even if you can’t see it yet. Just like in nature, we all have our own timelines. Different flowers bloom at different times, but every single flower has its own time to bloom. Even when you don’t feel like it, you are on your way to blooming. Hang in there.
Even when you don’t feel like it, you are on your way to blooming.
Hey, thanks for reading! If this post resonated with you, tell a friend! You can also purchase a “every flower has it's time to bloom” sticker as a constant reminder that you are on your way to blooming — just click the link below. In honor of this post, I’ll be putting the sticker on sale for the rest of May. 💐